GORHAM, Maine – Southern Maine rally from a 16-point second half deficit fell just short in the final play of the game as the Huskies dropped an exciting 91-90 game to the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Fifield Court. 

With the win, UMass Dartmouth improves to 9-6 overall and 2-3 in the Little East.  Southern Maine has its two-game win streak ended to fall to 8-7 overall and 2-3 in the LEC.  The Huskies' last three games have been decided by a total of four points. 

UMD senior Jordan Rezendes (Onset, Mass./Wareham) scored game-high 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting to lead all scorers.  Rezendes added six rebounds, three steals and a game-high seven assists.  Freshman Nick Portelance (Fairhaven, Mass./Greater New Bedford) posted a monster double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds.  Junior Tom Keyes (Fall River, Mass./Bishop Connolly) had nine points, while junior Abi Akanni (Fitchburg, Mass.) added eight points.

Junior Zach Leal (York, Maine) led four USM players in double figures with a career-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting, adding six rebounds and two blocked shots. Junior Atencio Martin (Kittery Point, Maine/Traip Academy) added 21 points and seven rebounds, while seniors Jose Nouchanthavong (Westbrook, Maine) and Ben Jackson (Houston, Texas/Bellaire) each scored 12 points.

After Akanni opened with a bucket to start the second half, giving the Corsairs a 16-point advantage 54-38, Southern Maine dug in and battled back to make it a six-point game, 69-63, with 12:52 to play.  The Huskies outscored the Corsairs 25-15 during that stretch led by eight points each from Leal and Martin.  Martin's three at the 12:52 mark made it a two-possession game.

Both team's battled back and forth and after a layup from Portelance made it 88-81 in favor of the Corsairs with 2:43 to play, Southern Maine used a 6-0 run over the next two minutes to make it a one-point, 88-87, game with 48 seconds to play.  Martin, senior Cole Libby (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and Nouchanthavong each scored a basket in the run.

With the game in the balance, Rezendes game through for the Corsairs getting the hoop and the harm with a drive to the basket making it a 91-87 with 29 seconds. The Huskies stayed in the game however, getting a turnover on a steal from junior Omar Haji-Hersi (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) and a three from reserve senior Mitch Loeman (Freeport, Maine) with 17 seconds to play to make it 91-90.  USM's defensive forced another Corsair turnover with seconds remaining and the Huskies had two looks at the basket in the closing seconds, but could not convert as UMD held for the win.

Southern Maine remains in Little East Conference action when it travels to UMass Boston on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.).  UMD faces Rhode Island College on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.) in a LEC contest on the road. 

 –cac–