WILLAMANTIC, Conn.  – Freshman Kristen Curley (Gorham, Maine) scored 15 points and had five rebounds, two assists and a block to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a 62-54 loss at the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon in Connecticut. 

.   With the loss, Southern Maine concludes its regular season with a 13-12 overall record and a 9-5 mark in the Little East.  Eastern Connecticut stands at 10-14 overall and 7-6 in the LEC.  Southern Maine is the third seed in the upcoming Little East Conference Championship tournament, and will host a home playoff game on Tuesday (7:00 pm).  The Huskies will host sixth-seeded Keene State.  Eastern Connecticut will enter the LEC tourney as the fourth seed and will also host a home quarterfinal game on Tuesday.

Shooting just 34.4 percent (21-for-61) from the field, Southern Maine clawed itself back into the game in the fourth quarter, rallying from a 16-point deficit, to trail the Warriors by three, 54-51, with 1:32 left in regulation after a jumper from senior Emily Nicholson (Quispamsis, New Brunswick/Kennebecasis). With time winding down, Southern Maine put Eastern Connecticut on the foul line for ten attempts, and the Warriors sank 8-of-10 down the stretch to hold off the Huskies for a 62-54 final.  The Huskies misfired on three of its final four attempts from the field. 

Curley was the only USM player in double figures. Nicholson finished with nine points, four rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Chantel Eells (Turner, Maine/Leavitt) added eight points and 11 rebounds. Junior Alexa Srolovitz (Montreal, Quebec/New Hampton School (NH)) added eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Four players scored in double-digits for Eastern led by 21 points from Kelsey Santagata.  Mya Villard had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Julie Jordan and Sabrina LeMere had 11 and 10 points each. 

–cac–