GORHAM, Maine  –  Graduate student Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) scored a season-best 20 points (one shy of her career-high) and senior Victoria Harris (Altus, Okla./Lewiston) recorded a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead Southern Maine to a 74-28 win over the Plymouth State University Panthers in Little East Conference women's basketball action Thursday night at Foley Gym.
 
Luckhardt added eight rebounds, two steals and an assist.  The Huskies' 5-5 guard was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in the win and 7-for-14 from the field overall. Harris added a game-high five steals to compliment her third double-double of the season and eighth of her career.
 
The Records: 
Plymouth State (1-12, 0-8 Little East)
Southern Maine (5-10, 4-2 Little East)
 
Series History:  Tonight's match up was the 92^nd contest between Southern Maine and Plymouth State.  With the 72-28 win, Southern Maine leads the series 85-8, and earns its seventh consecutive victory over PSU.
 
 
Standout Huskies:  Graduate student Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist; Senior Victoria Harris (Altus, Okla./Lewiston) 14 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 blocked shot; Sophomore Amy Fleming (Berwick, Maine/Noble) 8 points, four assists, 1 steal; freshman Maria Degifico (South Portland, Maine) 8 points, 4 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots.
 
Standout Panthers:  Jessica Ruiz 10 points, 6 rebounds, Jalen Cook 9 points, 8 rebounds, two assists.
 
How It Happened: 

•  Southern Maine led wire-to-wire over the Panthers and held Plymouth State to just two field goals in the first quarter, and did not allow a PSU field goal in the fourth.
• Fleming and Luckhardt scored the first two baskets of the game and Southern Maine led 14-4 with 2:26 remaining in the first quarter after Ruiz connected on PSU's second bucket of the game, before senior Michelle Rowe (Gorham, Maine) gave USM a 16-4 advantage with a pair of free throws.
• In the second quarter, PSU played more evenly with the Huskies as Cook scored all nine of her points in the frame. Cook's three with 5:42 remaining in the half cut the Panther deficit to 21-13, but USM rattled off an 11-4 run to close the second and take a 32-17 lead into the break.
• After Cook's three, USM's Degifico, and junior Brittany Desjardin (Gorham, Maine) and Meg Kelly (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) combined to score seven unanswered points as part of USM's 11-4 run. Kelly capped off the spurt with a three ball.
• PSU's Ruiz scored the first points of the third, a layup, to make it 32-19, but USM broke away from the Panthers scoring the next 14 points consecutively for a commanding 46-19 lead. Harris had six of her 14 in the run, while Luckhardt added five.
• USM sophomores Tamrah Gould (Manchester, N.H.) and Franny Ramsdell (Wells, Maine) score the final four points of the third for the Huskies giving their team a comfortable 52-26 lead heading into the fourth.
• The Huskies opened the fourth quarter on a 14-0 run and led 66-26 with 4:24 remaining in regulation. Harris and Luckhardt scored all 14 of the Huskies' opening fourth quarter points, including a pair of threes from Luckhardt.  PSU was 0-for-7 from the floor during that stretch and committed three turnovers.
• Plymouth State stopped the Husky run with a pair of free throws from Lauren Keller, making it 66-28, but USM's Kelly canned a three on the Huskies' next possession as part of an 8-0 run to close the quarter for the 74-28 final.

 
Inside the Stats: 

• Luckhardt now has 889 points, 497 rebounds, 303 assists and 291 steals in her career. .
• Harris now has 793 points, 417 rebounds, 56 assists, 129 steals and 83 blocked shots in her career.
• Southern Maine was outstanding from the free throw line making 19-of-22 attempts (86.4 percent).  Senior Michelle Rowe (Gorham, Maine) was 6-for-6, while Harris was 4-for-4.
• Freshman Maria Degifico (South Porltand, Maine) set a career-high in points (8), steals (4) and blocked shots (2). It was the fourth consecutive start for the Huskies' guard and fifth of her career. Degifico is averaging 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals over the last four games.

 
Up Next: 
Southern Maine remains in Little East Conference play and travels to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (1:00 pm).  The Huskies will then host UMass Dartmouth on Sunday (1:00 pm).  Sunday's game will mark the Huskies' fourth game of the week.
 
 Southern Maine Athletics has gone to fully digital game programs, please click this link to access the game programs to future Husky home events!