GORHAM, Maine –  Juniors Alecia Dulaire (Bloomfield, Conn./Northwest Catholic) and Samantha Smith (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan) each scored eight points in a big third quarter for the Western Connecticut State University Colonials en route to a 76-63 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Fifield Court.

With the win, Western Connecticut improves to 13-6 overall and 7-2 in the Little East.  WCSU is now tied with ECSU for first place in the LEC.  Southern Maine is tied for second place in the conference, holding an 11-8 overall record and a 6-3 mark in the LEC with the loss.

Tied at 25 all at the half, Southern Maine grabbed a 27-25 lead on the first play of the third quarter on a power move in the paint from senior Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee).  However on the ensuing defensive play, Pelletier was whistled for a foul igniting a game-changing 14-2 WCSU run.  Tashai Prince made one of two free throws to start the run, and scored five of the Colonials 14 points.  Smith also scored five points for the Colonials including a three-pointer with 5:15 to play in the third for a 39-29 WCSU lead. WCSU continued its offensive outburst, outscoring USM 26-10 in the quarter, and took its largest lead of the game, 51-35, on Dulaire's quarter closing layup.

Southern Maine fought back in the final quarter pulling to within nine of the Colonials, 60-51, with 4:29 to play.  Pelletier scored six points, and freshman Alexa Srolovitz (Montreal, Quebec/New Hampton) and senior Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine/Deering) each scored five points as USM outscored WCSU 19-11 in the first minutes of the quarter.  Dulaire countered for the Colonials on the next play notching a layup to make it a 64-54 game with 3:37 to go, before Husky sophomore Kayla Stacy (Auburn, N.H./North Andover) made it a 64-57 game with 2:53 remaining hitting her second consecutive three pointer, but it was as close as the Huskies would get as WCSU went 8-for-8 down the stretch from the free throw line.

Dulaire and sophomore Kaitlyn LaBonte (South Windsor, Conn.) each scored 16 points to lead WCSU.  Smith had 10 points, while Dulaire and Labonte each grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.  Senior Kerri Stolle (Warren, Conn./Wamogo Regional) added nine points and five assists. Freshman Kayla Croswell (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame) had eight points and three assists.

Pelletier led all scorers with 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding six rebounds and three steals.  Ramonas had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Stacy tossed in 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.  Srolovitz finished with 10 points. 

Southern Maine hosts Colby College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) in its final non-conference game of the season.  Western Connecticut hosts Anna Maria on Thursday (7:00 p.m.) in a non-conference game. 

–cac–