CASTINE, Maine  –  Freshman Tommy Whelan (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) scored a team-high 16 points off of the bench, and two other players scored in double figures, as the University of Southern Maine Huskies won their third straight to open the 2022-23 season with a 71-65 win over the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners in a non-conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at Chase Gymnasium.
 
Facing each other for just the eighth time in program history, Southern Maine is now 8-0 all time against the Mariners.  The Huskies last faced Maine Maritime during the 2016-2017 season, earning a 71-57 win. 
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (3-0)
Maine Maritime (1-2)
 
How It Happened:

• In the hole early to MMA, trailing 14-3 in the first four minutes, Southern Maine used a 12-1 run over the next 3:16 to pull even with the Mariners. Whelan scored 11 of the Huskies 12 points in the run, going 5-for-5 from the field.
• After the pivotal Huskies' run, the first half stayed close between both squads.  MMA tied the game up at 26 with 6:43 to play on a bucket from Curt Heinz before USM eight unanswered points to lead 34-26 with 4:02 until the break.  Whelan and freshman Jacob Farnham (Solon, Maine/Mt. Blue) each had a three in the run, and USM led 41-37 at the break.
• USM outscored MMA 11-5 to open the second half in the first 3:38 of action and led by 10, 52-42, but MMA responded with a 6-0 run to make it a two possession game 52-48 with just under 15 to play.
• A jumper from Farnham with 9:30 on the clock made it a 58-50 Husky lead, before Maine Maritime went 3-for-4 over its next four possession for a 7-0 mini-run to make it a one-possession game, 60-57, following a three from Carter Rubin.
• The game remained a one-possession difference, 64-61, after a MMA jumper from Isaiah Oquendo at the 3:54 mark before Husky senior Cody Hawes (Carmel, Maine/Hermon) and Simon Chadbourne (Westbrook, Maine/Portland) hit back-to-back scores for a 5-0 swing and a 69-61 lead with 2:49 to play. From there MMA never got closer than four points as USM held for the win on the road.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Led by Whalen's 7-for-9 effort, Southern Maine shot 47.4 percent (27-for-57) from the field.  Whelan is shooting 61.5 percent (16-for-26) through three games.
• Senior Jason Lombard (Anchorage, Alaska/Chugiak) led Southern Maine with seven rebounds and added three steals to go along with 11 points. Junior Clay Kuhn (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park) had 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
• MMA's Curt Heinz had 16 points and 17 rebounds, both game-high totals, to lead the Mariners.   

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine hosts Bowdoin College on Thursday (7:00 pm) in non-conference action.