Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Junior Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 56-49 win over the Rhode Island College Anchormen in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium.
With the win, Southern Maine improves to 3-1 in the Little East and 7-7 overall. Rhode Island College drops to 1-3 in the conference and 2-11.
Pelletier scored 16 of her 23 points in the second half as Southern Maine overcame a poor first half performance to secure the conference victory and remain tied for first place. Junior Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine/Deering) added a double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds, while chipping in with three assists and a game-high four steals. Seniors Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) and Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) each had seven points. Knight added nine boards to help the Huskies to a 41-34 edge on the glass, while Flood had a game-high four assists.
Freshman Jess Korzec (West Brookfield, Mass./Quaboag Regional) was 6-for-12 from the field for a team-high 13 points to lead RIC. Sophomore Alex Moore (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added 10 points, while junior Devin Hill (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) chipped in with nine points.
The Huskies shot an ice-cold 25.0 percent (6-for-24) from the field in the first half committing 12 turnovers to trail RIC 24-17 at the half. Southern Maine opened the second stanza strong, outscoring RIC 8-2 in the first four minutes to trail 26-24 on a layup from Pelletier. Both teams battled over the next four minutes before Huskies used back-to-back points in the paint from Ramonas and Knight to grab its first lead, 32-31, since the opening minute of the first half.
The score remained close with USM nor RIC grabbing larger than a three points lead over the next several minutes. Pelletier gave USM a 36-33 lead with 7:32 remaining, before Korzec capped an assist from Moore to make it 36-35 on the next Anchormen possession. With its lead in jeopardy, Southern Maine responded with a 9-3 run to grab a 45-38 lead with 4:01 to go. Knight found Gallagher and Pelletier in the paint for back-to-back Huskies' scores, before RIC's Moore drained a three for a 40-38 USM advantage. After Moore's three, Southern Maine scored five straight points on layups from Pelletier and Knight and one of two free throws from Flood.
RIC didn't go quietly, pulling to within a basket of USM three times in the final minutes, but USM answered each push. Rhode Island College's final attempt came on a Korzec jumper with 55 seconds to play made it 49-47 in the Huskies' favor, but USM closed out the game on a 7-2 run for the final. Ramonas connected on a pivotal three-point play after Korzec's jumper to seal the win.
Southern Maine hosts Eastern Connecticut on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference match up. Rhode Island College hosts Plymouth State on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).
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