GORHAM, Maine  –  Senior Jaire Roberts (Warrenton, Va.) drove to the right side of the lane and hit a layup in traffic with two seconds remaining on the clock to nail the game-winning shot as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors 95-93 in overtime in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium. 

         Southern Maine improves to 7-9 overall and 2-6 in the Little East Conference. The win marks the first time USM has defeated ECSU since the 2015-2016 season when the Huskies defeated the Warriors 77-76 on January 23. The win ends a six game streak against ECSU.  The Warriors fall to 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the LEC. 

         Roberts scored all 24 of his points in the second half of the game, shooting 9-for-16 from the field, including six threes.  He added six rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots.  Sophomore Jacobe Thomas (Houston, Texas/Davis) led the Huskies with 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Senior Keenan Hendricks (Owls Head, Maine/Oceanside) had 17 points off of the bench for the Huskies. 

         ECSU senior Jake Collagan (Wethersfield, Conn.) led all scorers with 44 points.  He had seven assists, seven steals and six rebounds.  Sharown Fowler (Springfield, Mass.) added a big double-dobule with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while sophomore Thomas Close (East Hampton, Conn.) tossed in 12 points, three steals, two assists and three rebounds. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Trailing 32-30 with 3:07 left in the first after a Collagan jumper, USM used an 11-2 run to take a 41-34 lead into the break.  Hendricks keyed the run for the Huskies with a go-ahead three, and two free throws before Thomas knocked down back-to-back threes for six points.  Thomas' final three of the half came with just three seconds remaining on the clock. 
• ECSU pulled even with USM early in the second on two free throws from Collagan, 43-43, but the Huskies got hot from behind the arc to fend off the Warrior surges.  After Collagan's free throws with 17:08 on the clock, senior Derek Haney (Auburn, Calif.) sank back-to-back three for USM sandwiched around a jumper from ECSU's Fowler for a 49-45 lead with 16:28 to go. 
• The Warriors continued to keep pace with Southern Maine before Roberts took his turn from the three point line hitting three consecutive triples to give USM a 63-54 lead with 12:01 to play. 
• USM maintained a three-possession lead into the final 4:30 of regulation, 75-68, before the Warriors closed the half on a 14-7 run, including a 6-0 spurt in the final 30 seconds. Down 82-76 after two free throws from Hendriks, Collagan was fouled shooting a three and calmly hit all three free throws before coming up with a steal on the Warriors next defensive possession and finding Close for a game-tying three with seconds on the clock. Thomas missed on the potential game-winner for USM in their final attempt and the game went to overtime. 
• In OT, USM scored the first five points of the period on a layup from junior DJ Anderson (Houston, Texas) and a three-point play from Thomas for a 87-82 lead with 3:28 to go. Converting mainly from the free throw line, 6-of-6, over the next 2:30, the Warriors used an 8-4 run to make it a one-point game, 91-90, as Fowler hit for two free throws.  USM broke the press on the next play and Haney had an easy layup on an assist from Thomas.  With the game seemingly in hand for the Huskies, Collagan came through for the Warriors one more time tying the game with a three for his 44th points of the game with 21 seconds to go.  
• Holding for the final shot of the game, USM's Roberts drove from the top of the key to sink the game-winner. 

UP NEXT: 

         Southern Maine travels to Western Connecticut on Saturday (3:00 pm) in a Little East Conference match up. 

–cac–