Box Score BOSTON – Senior Jose Nouchanthavong (Westbrook, Maine) scored a team-high 23 points to lead four players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the UMass Boston Beacons in overtime 87-78 in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at Clark Athletic Center.
With the win, Southern Maine improves to 9-7 overall and 3-3 in the Little East Conference. UMass Boston suffers its sixth consecutive loss to fall to 5-11overall and 1-5 in the conference.
Nouchanthavong was 7-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line, adding eight rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Senior Cole Libby (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) matched Nouchanthavong's effort from the floor scoring 17 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds, while junior Zach Leal (York, Maine) tossed in 16 points. Senior Aaron Toman (Gardiner, Maine) had 10 points off of the bench.
Senior Quadry Allen (White Castle, La.) led all scorers on 10-for-20 shooting, including four three-pointers, for a game-high 24 points. Junior Sam Freeman (Boston, Mass.) added a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while classmate Dan Powers (Westwood, Mass./Catholic Memorial) had 11 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Iser Barnes (Boston, Mass./Charlestown) added 14 points off of the bench.
Ahead by nine, 65-56, after a dunk from junior Atencio Martin (Kittery, Maine/Traip Academy), Southern Maine saw its lead dwindle in the closing 3:33 of regulation as the Beacons used a 15-6 run to force overtime. Quandry scored eight of his 24 points in the run, including the game-tying three under pressure with one second remaining in regulation.
In overtime, Southern Maine seized the lead on a pair of Nouchanthavong free throws with 4:19 to play and never trailed the rest of the way, outscoring the Beacons 16-7 in the final frame. Despite holding the lead wire-to-wire in the OT period, it wasn't until the final 90 seconds of overtime that USM seized control. Following a layup from Powers that had the Beacons within a bucket of USM, 77-75, with 1:42 to play, the Huskies surged ahead 83-75 over their next two possessions on key plays from Leal and Libby. After Powers' layup, Leal drove the baseline and got the hoop and the harm for a quick three-point swing, before Libby knocked down a three from the corner to put USM up by eight with 46 seconds on the clock.
Quandry answered with a three for the Beacons, making it 83-78, but USM closed out the game on the line making 4-of-4 in the final seconds to seal the win.
Southern Maine hosts Eastern Connecticut on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference game. UMass Boston travels to Western Connecticut on Saturday (3:00 p.m.).
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