GORHAM, Maine – Junior Victoria Harris (Altus, Okla./Lewiston) recorded a game-high 12 points and eight rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine against the Rhode Island College Anchormen in the Huskies' women's basketball opener Friday night at Hill Gymnasium.  Playing in its season-opener, Southern Maine fell to the undefeated Anchormen 73-52.

With the win, Rhode Island College remains unbeaten and improves to 6-0 on the season.  The Huskies, playing in their first contest of the season, are 0-1.  Southern Maine is scheduled to host Rhode Island College again on Wednesday, February 24.  Fans are not permitted to attend Husky Athletic contests in person but can follow online at southernmainehuskies.com

 Harris was 5-for-10 from the field to lead all scorers.  Senior Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) and Kristen Curley (Gorham, Maine) each had seven points.  Luckhardt added three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot.  Curley and Harris each at three steals. 

Sophia Guerrier and Antonia Corsinetti each had 10 points to lead RIC, and Brooke Young, Maci Dorantes and Izabelle Booth each had nine points.   The Anchormen shot a solid 51.6 percent (32-for-62) from the field in the win, including a blistering 11-for-16 mark in the third (68.8 percent) when RIC outscored USM 22-11 to take control of the game.

 Booth scored the first two points of the game on free throws and RIC led wire-to-wire in the win.  The Huskies trailed RIC 30-18 late in the second quarter (4:50) following an Anchormen layup from Essence McClain before rattling off a 10-4 run to close out the quarter to cut their deficit to six, 34-28 at the break. Four different players scored for the Huskies in the run, led by sophomore Brittany Desjardins' (Gorham, Maine) four points.

 Led by four points from Dorantes, RIC opened the third with a 10-4 run of its own and led 44-32 with 5:09 to play in the frame and never looked back en route to its win.  The Anchormen had 10 different players score in the decisive third.