BRUNSWICK, Maine  – Jack Shea scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half, and Michael Simonds scored nine as the Bowdoin College Polar Bears scored 42 second half points to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies 79-70 in a non-conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at Morrill Gymnasium.
 
The Polar Bears overcame a two-point, 39-37, halftime deficit and trailed the Huskies by as many as six points early in the second half to earn their second consecutive win. The loss halts a three-game win streak for Southern Maine.
 
The Records: 
Southern Maine (3-2)
Bowdoin (2-0)
 
Series History:  Facing off for the 43rd time in series history, Bowdoin now leads USM 26-17.  Southern Maine took the last meeting 78-77 in overtime on November 19, 2019.
 
Standout Huskies:  Sophomore Chance Dixon (West Park, Fla.) 22 point, 6-for-10 3FG; senior Jacobe Thomas (Houston, texas/Davis) 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists; junior Cody Hawes (Carmel, Maine/Hermon) 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists.
 
Standout Polar Bears: Michael Simonds, 20 points, 8 rebounds; Xander Werkman, 14 points, 8 rebounds; Jack Shea, 13 points, 10 rebounds; Manav Randhawa, 12 points 4-for-9 3FG
 
How It Happened: 

•  Thomas and Hawes scored 22 of the Huskies 39 first half points to lead USM.  Thomas was 4-or-8 from the field in the opening stanza, adding five rebounds. Hawes was 4-for-7 with three rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
•  Werkman scored the first six points of the second half to give Bowdoin a 43-39 lead at 17:27, before the Huskies' Dixon drained back-to-back threes to ignite a 10-0 Husky run for a 49-43 advantage with 14:39 to play.
• Bowdoin fired back with back-to-back threes of its own to tie the game at 49 (13:52). One of two free throws from Huskies' sophomore Simon Chadbourne (Westbrook, Maine) gave USM its final lead 50-49, before the Polar Bears rattled off a 7-0 run to take the lead for good 56-50 with 10:19 to play.
• USM stayed within two possessions and trailed 59-54 on a layup from Hawes with under 10 to go, but Bowdoin used a quick five points on a three from Randhawa and a layup from Shea to assume a 64-54 lead with 7:21 left.
• USM cut into the Bowdoin lead and trailed by six, 75-69, with 1:16 to play on Dixon's sixth three of the contest; however, the Polar Bears closed the game outscoring USM 4-1 for the 79-70 final.

 
Inside the Stats: 

•  Dixon's game-high 22 points marks the second consecutive game that the Huskies' 6-0 guard has scored at least 20 points.  He is 11-for-19 from three in the last two games. 
• Thomas has scored in double figures all five games. With his team-high nine rebounds he is averaging just over 10 per game and leads USM.

 
Up Next: 
Southern Maine hosts UMaine Farmington on Saturday (3:00 pm) in a non-conference game.  
 
 
Southern Maine Athletics has gone to fully digital game programs, please click this link to access the game programs to future Husky home events!
 
  
 
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