The win is the fourth straight for the Huskies who improve to 13-6 overall and 6-3 in the Little East Conference.  Keene State sees its three-game win streak come to an end to fall to 11-8 overall and 3-6 in the conference.

McNamara was 6-for-12 from beyond-the-arc and added four assists, three steals and three rebounds to help the Huskies' overcome a tough first half and shooting performance.  Sophomore forward Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) added 12 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Keene State was led by Kelsey Cognettta's 12 points.  Cognetta was 4-for-6 for three for all 12 of her points.  Christan Wjotas and Carly Kiernan each had six points for the Owls.

In a low-scoring first half, Southern Maine trailed the Owls 14-6 with 10:28 left in the opening stanza following a three from Wjotas.  The Huskies opened the game 0-for-5 and did not score their first points of the game until Pelletier made a layup at the 17:19 mark following a steal from junior forward Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley).  After Pelletier's layup, however, the Huskies continued to shoot ice-cold from the floor missing their next five shots and scoring their only points off of two free throws from Knight.  McNamara's jumper at the 11:54 mark made it 8-6 in favor of Keene State, before the Owls scored back-to-back threes from Cognetta and Wjotas to lead by eight, 14-6.

Both teams went scoreless over the next three minutes, before a pair of Pelletier free throws ignited a 17-3 Huskies' run.  Sophomore Gretchen Anderson (Kittery Point, Maine/St. Thomas Acquinas) followed Pelletier's two free throws with a layup, before McNamara took over scoring the next 10 Huskies' points. McNamara connected on a layup and back-to-back threes before she was interrupted by two KSC free throws and then followed with a pull up jumper at the 6:05 mark for a 20-16 Huskies' advantage. Another KSC free throw made it 20-17, before junior guard Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) knocked down a three to cap the run on an assist from Knight to put her team up 23-17. Cognetta scored the final field goal of the half on a three as USM held a 23-20 lead at the break.

Ahead 26-24 with 17:36 to play, the Huskies took control of the game over the next nine minutes outscoring the Owls 20-6. Five different players scored for USM in the pivotal run, led by eight points from McNamara and five points from Pelletier. McNamara's sixth three of the contest at the 5:10 mark gave USM a commanding 52-33 lead, cementing the Huskies' win.

USM shot 36.7 percent (18-for-49) from the field, but was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line.  Keene State shot 24.5 percent (12-for-49) from the field.

Southern Maine hosts Colby College in a non-conference tilt on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).  Keene State hosts Middlebury on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).  

–cac–