GORHAM, Maine  –  Junior Atencio Martin (Kittery, Maine/Traip Academy) scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds – both game-high totals – to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 75-69 win over the Western Connecticut State University Colonials in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Fifield Court.

The win is the fourth straight for Southern Maine which improves to 12-7 overall and 6-3 in the Little East Conference.  Southern Maine is now tied for second place in the Little East Conference with Western Connecticut.  Eastern Connecticut is in first place with a 7-2 record.  With the loss, Western stands at 12-7 overall and 6-3 in the LEC.

Trailing the Colonials by six, 56-50, with 10:51 on the game clock after a steal and a dunk from WCSU senior Luis Bridtter (Stamford, Conn.), the Huskies seized control of the lead with a 13-3 run over the next five minutes.  Senior Jose Nouchanthavong (Westbrook, Maine) and Martin led the Huskies' rally with five points each as USM led 63-59 with 5:53 to play.  Husky sophomore Cam Scott (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) made a pair of key defensive plays during the run, including taking an offensive charge and diving for a loose ball rebound to help propel the USM surge.

Although the Huskies remained in front of WCSU, the game remained tight as USM was unable to get more than a two-possession lead.  A jumper from WCSU senior Phil Starks (Hartford, Conn./Prince Tech) made it, 68-67, with 1:53 to go, but Huskies' junior Omar Haji-Hersi (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) canned an easy layup on an assist from Nouchanthavong to restore a three-point, 70-67, margin on the next play.  Starks again made it a one-possession game with just 54 seconds to go on a floating jumper in the paint, but Southern Maine was able to close it out on the free throw line making 4-of-4 down the stretch for the win.

Martin was 11-for-21 from the field in the game for his career-high 28, while junior Zach Leal (York, Maine) tossed in 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Nouchanthavong finished with 14 points and five assists.

Bridtter led WCSU with 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a steal.  Senior Ryan Belote (Meriden, Conn./Maloney) and freshman Jauch Green (Hartford, Conn./Cromwell) each scored 12 points, while Green grabbed eight rebounds.  Junior Tre'Von Perry (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross) had 10 points and five rebounds.

Southern Maine hosts Colby College on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) in its final non-conference game of the season.  Western Connecticut hosts Connecticut College on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.) in a non-conference game. 

–cac–