Box Score PROVIDENCE – Senior guard Stephanie Prusko (Lincoln, R.I.) hit a dagger of a three with a minute remaining in regulation to extend the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen's lead to 59-55 as top-seeded RIC defeated second-seeded University of Southern Maine 64-59 in the championship game of the 2014 Little East Conference Women's Basketball Championship Saturday afternoon at the Murray Center.
With the win, Rhode Island College moves its record to 20-8 and earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The NCAA will announce its field of 64 on Monday. Southern Maine stands at 20-8 with the loss and will await a possible post-season berth.
Trailing by four, Huskies' senior Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) drained a step-back three to bring USM to within a point of the Anchorwomen only to have Prusko can a three with the time expiring in the shot clock.
Prusko finished with 15 points, including a 3-for-5 mark from three-point range. Sophomore forward Vandell Andrade (Providence, R.I./St. Mary's-Bay View) had a team-high 19 points, while Cara Paladino (Arlington, Mass.) had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
McNamara finished with a game-high 23 points on 7-for-18 shooting and a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line. Junior Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) had a season-high 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting adding five rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) chipped in with eight points.
In the first half both teams exchanged leads with RIC coming out on top 25-22 at the break. With the score tied at 18, RIC used a 6-0 run to lead 24-18 with 1:50 to play in the half, before McNamara answered with four consecutive free throws to bring USM to within two, 24-22, with a minute to play. A single free throw from Prusko in the last 30 seconds of the game made it 25-22. McNamara paced the Huskies with 14 points in the opening half.
The Huskies trailed by nine 50-41 with 6:21 to play in the second half after a layup from Andrade, before using a 9-2 run over the next three minutes to pull to within a possession of the Anchorwomen. Knight scored seven of the Huskies' nine points in the run as USM trailed 52-50 with 3:40 to play. Both teams exchanged free throws and a pair from Andrade made it 56-52 with 1:54 to play, before McNamara canned her three for a 56-55 RIC lead with 1:30 to go. With the game up for grabs Prusko's three proved to be the momentum swing the Anchorwomen needed for the win.
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