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Maria Degifico
Cullen McIntyre
Maria Degifico had 10 points for USM.
60
Winner Southern Me. USMW 8-15, 7-7
51
Western Conn. St. WCSUW 7-17, 2-13
Winner
Southern Me. USMW
8-15, 7-7
60
Final
51
Western Conn. St. WCSUW
7-17, 2-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Southern Me. USMW 18 19 11 12 60
Western Conn. St. WCSUW 13 10 20 8 51

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Huskies Handle Western Connecticut 60-51

Luckhardt has 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists; USM hosts Quarterfinal Game on Tuesday (6:00 pm)

DANBURY, Conn. –  Graduate student Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) scored a game-high 17 points and added 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and two steals to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 60-51 win over the Western Connecticut State University women's basketball team Saturday afternoon in Little East Conference action.
 
Luckhardt scored eight of her 17 in the fourth quarter of play.  The Huskies led by as many as 19 points, 44-25, in the third but had their lead cut to four points early in the fourth.
 
The Records: 
Southern Maine (8-15, 7-7 Little East)
Western Connecticut (7-17, 2-13 Little East)
 
Series History:  Facing each other for the 66th time in series history, Southern Maine improves to 48-18 over WestConn.  The Huskies' faced WestConn just once this season due to COVID related scheduling issues.
 
Standout Huskies:  Graduate student Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) 17 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals; freshman Maria Degifico (South Portland, Maine) 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; senior Victoria Harris (Altus, Okla.) 8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals.  
 
Standout WestConn: Alyssa Virtue 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block; Gabrielle Franks 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block; Nicole Peralta 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists.
 
How It Happened: 
  • Up by five, 18-13 after the first quarter, Southern Maine scored the first 11 points fo the second quarter to jump out to a 28-13 lead with 6:33 remaining until the halftime break. Luckhardt and Harris started the run with back-to-back buckets in the paint.  Luckhardt hit a pair of free throw in the 11-0 spurt, which was closed by another set of back-to-back buckets from Degifico and senior Michelle Rowe (Gorham, Maine). USM led by 14, 37-23, at the break.
  • USM snagged is largest lead of the game, 44-25, early in the third following a three from Husky senior Katie Bagley (Hancock, Maine/Ellsworth). However, WestConn chipped away in the frame and pulled to within five of the Huskies heading into the fourth.  WestConn outscored USM 20-11 in the third led by four points each from Virtue, Franks, Ashley Rilley, and Reilly MckIverkin. 
  • One of two free throws from Virtue made it a 48-44 deficit for WestConn with 8:09 top play, but USM responded with a 10-2 run to snag a 58-46 lead.  Luckhardt was instrumental in the run, scoring eight of the Huskies' 10 points, including six straight on short jumpers. The Huskies' led 60-49 with 1:38 to on a layup from Degifico, before Franks hit an offensive rebound and put back in the final seconds for WestConn for the 60-51 final.
 
Inside the Stats: 
  • USM's Luckardt playing in her 108th career game has 988 points, 541 rebounds, 332 assists, and 311 steals in her career.
  • Harris, playing in her 81st career game, has 907 points, 476 rebounds, 66 assists, 142 steals, and 90 blocked shots.   
  • Degifico's has scored in double-digits in the last two games, shooting 9-for-15 (60 percent) from the field during that stretch.
 
Up Next: 
Southern Maine earns the four seed in the upcoming Little East Conference Tournament Championship.  The Huskies will host fifth seed Keene State College on Tuesday (6:00 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!
-cac-
 
 
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