GORHAM, Maine  – Senior Liz Cote (Conway, N.H./Kennett) scored a career-best 16 points off of the bench, shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-9 from three, to lead four players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Husson University Eagle 66-57 in a non-conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gymnasium.
 
Down 41-24 midway through the second half, Southern Maine outscored Husson 42-16 in the final 25 minutes of regulation to earn its first win in nine games over the Eagles. Senior Tamrah Gould (Manchester, N.H.) added 13 points, a game-high five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot, while junior Jade Smedberg (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) had 11 points, two rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist on a 4-for-8 effort from the field. Senior Franny Ramsdell (Wells, Maine) tossed in 11 points, and senior Tara Flanders (Windham, Maine) had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Records:
Husson University (1-2)
Southern Maine (1-1)
 
Today's game marked the 55^th meeting between Southern Maine and Husson. The win snaps an eight-game slide to the Eagles for Southern Maine.  Southern Maine last defeated Husson on January 7, 2014 74-46. The Huskies lead the overall series 35-20. 
 
How It Happened:

• Husson jumped out to a sizable 28-16 lead after the first quarter of action.  The Eagles shot 60 percent from the field (12-for-20) and were led by eight points from Lauren Cook, including a 2-for-3 mark from three.
• The Huskies outscored Husson 8-2 to open the second quarter to cut their deficit to 30-24 with 7:45 to play before the halftime break, but the Eagles and 11-0 run over the next two minutes to take its largest lead of the game, 41-24, with 5:40 left in the second.  Cook scored six of the Eagles points in the run, canning back-to-back threes, and was followed by a three from Sofia Torres-Reyes and Sophia McVicar layup.
• Husson kept a comfortable lead for most of the second, and led 47-31, with 2:00 until the break before USM rallied to close the quarter on a 7-0 run on a three from Cote, two free throws from Gould and a pair of free throws from freshman Campbell Doughty (Ashland, Va./Hanover) making it 47-38.
• USM extended its run in the third scoring 10 straight points to take its first lead of the game, 48-47, on a layup from sophomore Emma Haskell (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) with 5:33 left in the third.  Haskell's layup concluded a 17-0 stretch run for the Huskies spanning six minutes and 27 seconds.
• Both teams exchanges baskets, and Husson led 51-50 on an offensive rebound and putback by Bailey Donovan with 4:19 on the clock.  After a scoring break from both teams, Cote grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a three with 1:04 remaining to give the Huskies the lead 53-51 before Jordyn Lengle converted a layup for a 53-53 ball game headed to the pivotal fourth quarter.
• Both teams were scoreless for the first three minutes of the fourth. Two Ramsdell free throws ended the dry spell, and started a 6-0 run capped by a Cote three that gave USM a 59-53 lead with 5:18 to play.  Husson's Donovan scored a pair of free throws at 4:06 for the Eagles first points of the fourth, making it 59-55, but Southern Maine closed the game on a 7-2 run to earn the win. Gould scored four of the Huskies' final seven points while Flanders had a dagger of a three.

 
Inside The Stats:

• The win is the first for head coach David Chadbourne at the helm of the Huskies. Chadbourne joined the USM coaching ranks this summer after more than 25 years at Division II Franklin Pierce University.
• USM outscored Husson 28-10 in the second half of the contest.  Husson led the contest for 27:55 of regulation, but USM's two-quarter spanning 17-0 run erased the advantage.
• Southern Maine shot 36.4 percent (20-for-55) from the field, while Husson shot 35.4 (23-for-65).  However, Southern Maine shot an outstanding 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from three compared to a 6-for-24 (35.0 percent) from the Eagles. Cote led with a 4-for-9 effort, followed by Flanders (2-for-2) and Smedberg (2-fro-4). 
• USM had a solid advantage in free throws making 16-of-18 for a strong 88.9 percent.  Husson was 5-for-5 from the line. Gould was 6-for-6, Ramsdell 4-for-4.  

 
Up Next:
The Huskies are on the road for its next two contests at the Bowdoin Coastal Classic.  USM faces Whittier College on Friday, November 17 (7:30 pm) and then Bridgewater State University on Saturday, November 18 (6:30 pm).