GORHAM, Maine  –  Shion Darby scored a game-high 42 points on 14-of-29 shooting from the field and a 12-for-17 effort from the free throw line to lead the Rhode Island College Anchormen to a 84-73 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium. 

         With the win, Rhode Island College remains undefeated in the Little East Conference at 4-0 and improves to 11-2 overall.  Southern Maine drops to 0-5 in conference action and 5-8 overall. 

         Darby was one of three RIC players in double figures, adding seven rebounds and six assists. Tim Deng had 11 points and nine rebounds, while Jonatan Batista had 10 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists.  Keyshaun Jacobs added nine points and six boards. 

         Senior  Jaire Roberts (Warrenton, Va./Fauguier) led USM with his second straight double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds.  Junior Derek Haney (Auburn, Calif./Placer) had 21 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while classmate Kylani Lafleur (Dover, N.H./Portsmouth Christian) and junior DJ Anderson (Houston, Texas/Davis) had 11 and 10 points each. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Darby scored 30 of RIC's 39 second half points to lead the Anchormen, shooting more than 50 percent from the field at 9-for-17.  
• USM trailed RIC 45-42 to start the second half, but outscored RIC 10-3 in the first 3:15 of the second half to lead 52-48 with 16:43 to play.  Haney scored eight of his 21 points in the run, knocking down two threes. 
• Darby responded with an offensive rebound and a layup and then a three pointer in RIC's next two possessions to return the lead, 53-52, with 15:11 to play. 
• Battling possession by possession, neither team led by more than four points over the next nine minutes.  Darby hit two free throws at the 6:13 mark to knot the score up at 67 and then scored eight more to outscore USM 12-4 by himself over the next four minutes for a  77-71 RIC lead with 2:28 to play. 
• Forced to put RIC on the line, Batista went 5-for-6 down the stretch while USM went 0-for-6 from the field.   A layup from Anderson with 10 seonds to play stop the Husky scoring drought but RIC notched the final basket of the game for the 84-73 final. 

UP NEXT: 

         Southern Maine travels to Castleton University on Saturday (3:00 pm) for a Little East Conference match up.

–cac–