PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior Jose Nouchanthavong (Westbrook, Maine) drove the lane and drew the foul leading to a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the game to lift the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 60-58 win over the Rhode Island College Anchormen in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night.

With the win, Southern Maine improves to 8-6 overall and 2-2 in the Little East.  The Huskies have won their last two games by a combined total of three points. Rhode Island College falls to 2-12 overall and 1-3 in the conference.  

Nouchanthavong was one of three USM players in double figures, scoring 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line.  Junior Zach Leal (York, Maine) also scored 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting, while classmate Atencio Martin (Kittery Point, Maine/Traip Academy) led the Huskies with 13 points and 13 rebounds.  The double-double is Martin's fourth of the season.  Junior Omar Haji-Hersi (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) provided the Huskies with a spark off of the bench chipping in with seven points and five rebounds.

RIC freshman Jimmy Fritzson (Sharon, Mass./Vermont Academy) led all scorers with 18 points, while sophomore Chris Green (Taunton, Mass.) tossed in 16 points.  Junior Terrance Tribble (White Plains, N.Y./Valhalla) added six points and a game-high 14 rebounds. 

 Trailing the Anchormen by three, 29-26, following a pair of free trhows from Tribble with 2:18 to play in the first half, Southern Maine strung together a 7-0 run to close out the half to take a 33-29 lead at the break.  Haji-Hersi was instrumental in the go-ahead run scoring five of his seven points on a game-tying three and then a layup.  Huskies' freshman Bryon McMillian (Washington, D.C./Takoma Academy) also provided USM with a lift off of the bench in the run with a steal, and assist and the final basket of the half.

Southern Maine continued its offensive outburst to start the second half.  The Huskies' opened with a 9-0 run to grab their largest lead of the game 42-29 with 17:36 to play.  Four different players figured in the run for USM, capped by a three-pointer from Martin. 

USM maintained its 13-point advantage through the opening five minutes of the game, before RIC made a run to pull even with the Huskies.  Trailing 44-31 with 15:09 on the clock, RIC outscored USM 15-2 to knot the game up at 46 with 9:25 to play.  Four different players scored in the RIC run led by six points from Green on a two three-pointers. 

 Both teams battled back and forth after freshman Jason Jones' (Roxbury, Mass./Brighton) layup knotted the score up at six, and RIC led by three, 57-54, on a jumper from Green with 3:40 to play.  With the game scoring taking a break as both teams missed multiple shots, Nouchanthanvong cut the Huskies' deficit to one, 57-56, with a layup with 2:28 to play before Leal made it a 58-57 USM lead with a layup with 1:51 remaining.

A few more misses at either end of the court and RIC tied the game up at 58 with 1:05 to play on one-of-two free throws.  RIC had the ball with 30-plus seconds on the game clock, and earned the offensive rebound to have a chance at the win in regulation, but the Huskies were able to force a turnover over after a timeout to regain possession.  With the ball in his hands, Nouchanthavong found the lane and earned the chance at the charity stripe for the win.

Southern Maine hosts UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference battle.  Rhode Island College travels to Keene State (3:00 p.m.) on Saturday.    

–cac–