GORHAM, Maine   –  Three players scored in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies rolled to a 68-46 win over the Plymouth State University Panthers in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gymnasium. 

         With the win, Southern Maine improves to 10-13 overall and 5-9 in the Little East Conference.  Plymouth State falls to 4-18 overall and 0-13 in the LEC.  The Huskies have the season sweep over the Panthers. 

         Senior Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) had a strong overall game with 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals, while sophomore Victoria Harris (Altus, Okla./Lewiston) racked up a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Harris added three steals.  Junior Kristen Curley (Gorham, Maine) added 10 points.  Sophomore Maddie Pullen (Levant, Maine/Hermon) and freshman Samantha Averill (Steep Falls, Maine/Bonny Eagle) each scored seven points each in strong efforts off of the bench. Pullen was a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor to establish a career-high in points. 

         PSU's Alex Ricard led all scorers with 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting, adding five rebounds, three steals and an assist.  Autumn Nelson had eight points and eight rebounds, while Chenysse Hill and Alessia Salzillo each scored seven points.  Jalen Cook had a team-high nine rebounds for the Panthers.  

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

•  Southern Maine shot 42 percent (21-for-50) from the field for the game, highlighted by a lights out 57.1 percent mark (8-for-14) in the third quarter to outpace PSU. 
• Despite turning the ball over 19 times, USM forced 22 Panther turnovers and scored 32 of its 68 points off of PSU miscues.  Plymouth State scored 13 points off of the Husky errors. 
• Led by Curley, Pullen and Averill, USM's bench outscored the Panthers' bench 36-4. 
• Harris scored six of her 13 points in the first quarter to help USM to a 17-11 lead after 10 minutes of action, and the Huskies took a 26-18 lead into the halftime break. 
• Ricard scored the first basket of the second half to have the Panthers behind USM 26-20, but the Huskies scored the next 15 points unanswered to snag a commanding 41-20 lead with 4:10 remaining in the third. Six different players scored in the pivotal run for USM led by four points each from Luckhardt and freshman Brittany Desjardin (Gorham, Maine).  
• A pair of free throws from PSU's Alessia Salzillo ended the scoring drought for the Panthers.  The Huskies took their largest lead 48-25 on a jumper from Pullen with 1:44 left in the frame, and PSU closed the third on a 4-1 run to trial 49-29 headed to the final quarter. 
• Using a fourth-quarter opening 13-2 run the Panthers pressured the Huskies and trailed by 11, 53-42, with 5:44 to play.  Cook had five points to highlight the run which was capped by transition layup from Nelson. 
• USM's Harris stopped the PSU rush with a strong move in the paint for a 55-42 lead with 5:15 to play, and the Huskies regained composure to outscore the Panthers 13-4 down the stretch for the final 68-46.  Averill had five of her seven points in the last five minutes of the game to help seal the win for USM. 

HUSKY NOTES: 

• Luckhardt continues her climb in the USM record books for steals.  With five in today's game, Luckhardt has 85 for the season and 246 for her career.  The Huskies' 5-5 guard has 747 points, 414 rebounds, 247 assists and 246 steals over 78 games in her career. 
• With her 10 points tonight, Curley has 840 in her career. 
• Harris record her fourth double-double of her career and season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She has scored in double-digits in 15 games this season.  Scoring her 500th career point in tonight's game, Harris has 501 points, 247 rebounds, 72 steals and 54 blocked shots in 50 career games.   

UP NEXT: 

         Southern Maine remains in Little East Conference action and will host Castleton University on Saturday (1:00 pm).  The Huskies will be honoring their seniors, Katie Howe and Jackie Luckhardt, prior to the game.

–cac–