PLYMOUTH, N.H.  –  Sophomore Michelle Rowe (Gorham, Maine) shot an outstanding 9-for-13 from the field and set career-highs in scoring and rebounding with 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 69-52 win over the Plymouth State University Panthers in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Foley Gymnasium. 

         With the win, Southern Maine evens its record to 8-8 and improves to 3-4 in the Little East Conference.  Plymouth State falls to 3-10 overall and 0-6 in the Little East. 

         Shooting 3-for-4 from three-point range, Rowe was one of two Huskies in double-figures, joined by classmate Victoria Harris (Altus, Oklahoma/Lewiston) who had 14 points, five rebounds, five steals and a blocked shot off of the bench on 6-for-9 shooting.  Freshman Samantha Averill added seven points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal, while senior Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) had five points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals.  

         PSU's Elizabeth McLaughlin had a double-double on 11 points and a career-best 18 rebounds to lead the Panthers.  Chenysse Hill shot 5-for-9 from the field for 13 points, adding three assists and three steals, while Autumn Nelson added seven points off of the bench. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Trailing 14-8 with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Southern Maine closed with a 6-0 run to head into the second tied at 14. Rowe scored four of the Huskies' points, while Averill hit a deep two in the run.  
• USM continued its run in the second scoring the first six points of the quarter to extend its lead to 20-14 with 8:15 to play. Harris initiated the run with a steal and Rowe completed the assist from Averill for USM's first points of the quarter before Averill and Harris each scored for the 20-14 lead. The game settled into back-and-forth action and the Panthers were within a possession, 26-23, with 23 seconds to play on a layup from Nelson, but USM snagged the final points of the frame on a buzzer-beating offensive rebound and put back from junior Mary Toman (Gardiner, Maine) to head into the break up 28-23. 
• A three from Rowe and a fast-break layup from Luckhardt ballooned the Huskies' lead to ten, 33-23, with 7:40 remaining in the third before PSU rallied back with an 8-0 run over the next two minute to trail 33-31. Three different players scored in the run for the Panthers led by four points from McLaughlin. 
• With its lead cut to a possession, USM closed out the third on a 16-6 run to head into the fourth up 49-37.  Rowe capped the scoring surge with a three-pointer at the top of the key on an assist from Luckhardt in the final two seconds of the quarter.  Harris had six of her 14 points in the run. 
• USM opened the fourth with five consecutive points on two free throws from junior Morgan Eliasen (Lewiston, Maine) and a three from Rowe and outscored PSU 10-2 in the first five minutes to go up big 59-39 with 5:33 to play.  From there USM led by as many as 22 points and PSU never got closer than 15 the rest of the way for the Huskies' win. 

INSIDE THE HUSKY STATS: 

• Both teams had 45 rebounds.  USM had 19 offensive boards, led by three each from Rowe, Eliasen, Toman and Harris.  The Huskies had 12 second chance points. 
• USM outscored PSU's bench 34-12 with Averill and Harris accounting for 21 of those points. 
• The Huskies' forced the Panthers into 22 turnovers and scored 25 points off of those chances. 
•  UP NEXT: 

         Southern Maine hosts Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 pm) in a Little East Conference game. 

–cac–