GORHAM, Maine –  Sophomore guard Chance Dixon (Lake Worth, Fla./Santaluces) scored 19 second-half points to help lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 76-68 win over the Lehman College Lightning in the championship game of the 2021 USM Tip Off Invitational.
 
Dixon was one of four Huskies in double figures as USM shot 57.1 percent in the second half to come away with their third straight win of the season.
 
The Records: 
Lehman (2-1)
Southern Maine (3-1)
 
Series History:  Today's game was the first meeting between the two schools.  USM leads the series 1-0-0.
 
Standout Huskies:  Sophomore Chance Dixon (Lake Worth, Fla./Santaluces), 23 points, 7-for-11 FG; 5-for-9 3FG; Senior Jacobe Thomas (Houston, Texas/Benjamin O. Davis) 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot; Cody Hawes (Carmel, Maine/Hermon) 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists; Junior Marcus Christopher (Skowhegan, Maine) 14 rebounds, 6 assists; Sophomore Simon Chadbourne (Westbrook, Maine) 11 points, 3-7 3FG.
 
Standout Lightning: Isaiah Geathers, 17 points, 8 rebounds; Gian Batista, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals; Will Feldman, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists.
 
How It Happened: 

• Both teams shot in the mid-30s in the opening half of play and USM held a narrow 32-28 lead.  With the game tied at 26 with 2:23 remaining in the first, USM closed the game outscoring the Lightning 6-2.   Sophomore Owen Williams (Saco, Maine) had a three-pointer in final moments.
• Lehman's Geathers hit a three at 17:04 of the second to make it a one possession game as the Lightning trailed USM 38-35, but the Huskies outscored Lehman 10-4 over the next three minutes to lead 48-39. 
• Lehman made it a two possession game, 55-49, on another basket by Geathers (10:37) but this time the Huskies put the game out of reach with a 14-2 run to make it 69-51 with 5:11 to go. Dixon hit a pair of threes and sank two free throws as the Huskies' offensive catalyst.
• Dixon canned another three with 3:53 to play for the Huskies' largest lead, 72-54, and then cruised for the 76-68 final.

 
Inside the Stats: 

• Southern Maine was 16-for-28 from the field in the second half and finished the game shooting 44.3 percent.  USM was 34.2 percent from three (9-for-17).
•  Christopher's six assists are a career best and helped USM to 17 assists in the game.
• USM forced Lehman into 21 turnovers and scored 23 points off of Lehman miscues.
• Lehman had a 28-20 edge in points in the paint. 

 
Up Next: 
Southern Maine travels to nearby Bowdoin College for a non-conference game on Tuesday (7:30 pm). 
 
 Southern Maine Athletics has gone to fully digital game programs, please click this link to access the game programs to future Husky home events!