GORHAM, Maine  –  Anna Barry had 21 points to lead three players in double-figures as the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 75-67 in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium. 

         With the win, the defending Little East Conference champion Warriors improve to 13-3 overall and 6-1 in the LEC.  Southern Maine dips to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in conference action. 

         Barry was 9-for-11 from the field to lead ECSU adding four rebounds and three blocked shots.  Mya Villard had 14 points, and seven rebounds.  Lizzy Cretella tossed in 13 points and had eight re bounds and a game-high six assists. 

         Sophomore Michelle Rowe (Gorham, Maine) matched her career-high with 21 points to lead USM.  Rowe was 9-for-14 from the field, adding a team-high nine rebounds.  Senior Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) had 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.  Juniors Abi Ramirez (Portland, Maine) and Morgan Eliasen (Lewiston, Maine) had eight and seven points respectively, while Eliasen matched Rowe on the boards with nine.  

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• In a closely played first half, Eastern Connecticut, leading 21-19 with 7:17 to play following a jumper from Rowe, used a 10-1 run over a three minute span to snag its largest lea of the game, 31-20, with 4:24 to play.  The Huskies battled back however, closing the second quarter on a 10-5 run to trail 36-30 at the break.  Three different players scored in the run for USM, led by five points from Rowe, three from Luckhardt and two from freshman Megan King (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy).  
• Both teams exchanged baskets in the third, and Villard gave ECSU a two-possession lead, 43-38 on a short jumper with 6:45 to go before USM strung together a 9-0 lead to grab its first lead of the game, 46-43, capped by a steal and a pull-up jumper from Luckhardt with 4:41 on the clock. After the Luckhardt jumper both teams raced to the end of the period locked in a 53-53 tie. 
• Luckhardt connected on the first basket of the fourth, on an offensive rebound and a put-back, and both teams continued to trade baskets. Ramirez gave USM its final lead, 56-55, on one of two free throws with 8:21 on the clock before ECSU scored four straight points on two free throws form freshman Mariah Dunn and a jumper from Cretella to take the lead for good. 
• USM pulled to within a point twice of the Warriors, but three consecutive scores from Cretella. Villard and Barry put the game out of reach 67-60 with 3:05 to go as USM could not get closer than six the rest of the way 

UP NEXT: 

         Southern Maine travels to Western Connecticut on Saturday (1:00 pm) in a Little East Conference game. 

–cac–