Box Score FARMINGTON, Maine – Junior Kyle Pluchino (Coral Springs, Fla.) filled out the box score with 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals as the University of Southern Maine Huskies battled to an 85-75 double-overtime win over the UMaine Farmington Beavers Tuesday night at Dearborn Gymnasium.
The win snaps a two-game winless streak for the Huskies and improves their record to 5-4. The loss is the second straight for the Beavers who are 4-4 overall.
Pluchino was 8-for-12 from the field and 6-for-10 from three-point range to lead four players in double figures. Senior Tyler Penney (Barnstead, N.H./Bishop Brady) scored 18 points and grabbed seven boards, while sophomore Sean Caddigan (Bethel, Maine/Telstar) tossed in 15 points off of the bench, including a 3-for-5 effort from three-point range. Senior Conor Sullivan (Scarborough, Maine) added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Seniors Andrew Dickey (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and Nate Carson (Orrington, Maine/Brewer) each scored 16 points to pace the Beavers. Sophomore Nick Hilton (Wilton, Maine/Mt. Blue) had 11 points, while senior Ben Johnson (Manchester, Maine/Maranacook) added 10 points both off of the bench.
Trailing UMF by seven, 60-53, with 2:31 remaining in regulation, Southern Maine used a 9-1 run in the closing minutes to force the overtime action. Caddigan pulled USM to within a possession draining a three with 55 second to play, before both teams squandered a possession. With the score in favor of UMF, 61-59, UMF missed the front end of a one-and-one with 17 seconds to play, setting up the Huskies for the final possession of regulation. The Huskies' initial shot – a three – missed the mark but Penney grabbed the offensive rebound and sank a layup as time expired for his fourth points in the run, forcing overtime.
Both teams battled in the first OT, with USM narrowly holding the advantage for most of the five minutes. Pluchino put the Huskies up by three, 68-65, with 10 seconds to play sinking a pair of free throws, but this time it was the Beavers turn for heroics as junior Pet Sumner (Cramerton, N.C./Gaston Day) canned a three to tie the game.
In the second extra credit period, both teams traded baskets and were tied 72-72 after a layup from Sumner with 1:29 to play. With the score tied up, Pluchino sank his sixth three of the game to ignite a game-winning 13-3 run that included a 10-for-10 effort from the free throw line.
Southern Maine travels to Salem State on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) in non-conference. UMaine Farmington travels to Bowdoin on Friday (7:00 p.m.).
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