GORHAM, Maine  –  Alexandra Long scored 15 points to lead three players in double-figures as the Bates College Bobcats used a high-scoring first half to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies 68-56 in a non-conference women's basketball game Monday night at Hill Gymnasium.
 
Long was 6-for-12 from the field, adding a game-high six assists and five rebounds.  Ava James had 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and seven rebounds, while Elsa Daulerio went 5-for-12 for 10 points. 
 
Southern Maine freshman Vanessa Vaughan (Hantsport, Nova Scotia/King's Edge Hill) led all scorers with a game-high 18 points. Vaughan had five rebounds, one blocked shot and a steal off of the bench for the Huskies, shooting 6-for-10.   Junior Amy Fleming (Berwick, Maine/Noble) had seven points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.  Junior Franny Ramsdell (Wells, Maine) added nine points and five rebounds. 
 
The Records:
Bates (11-10)
Southern Maine (5-16)
 
Series History:
Meeting for the 57^th time in series history, Southern Maine leads the overall series 41-16.  Bates defeated Southern Maine 72-62 in 2021.
 
How It Happened:

• Bates knocked down three of four three-pointers in the first quarter and used a 13-1 run midway through the stanza to open up a big 20-10 lead headed into the second. Long scored seven of her 13 points in the first to lead the Bobcats, while Morgan Kennedy went 2-for-2 from three.
• Southern Maine trailed 29-18 on back-to-back buckets from Fleming and Vaughan with 3:35 left in the second, but the Bobcats closed out the frame on a 13-6 run to lead 42-24 at the break.  Daulerio scored eight of her 10 points in the run, while James had a three to start the run and closed it with a mid-range jumper.
• The Huskies outscored Bates 16-12 in the third to cut into the Bobcat lead.  Bates led 51-32 after a three from Alexandra Long, before the Huskies closed out the final 2:03 on a 8-3 run to trail 54-40.  Vaughan scored five of USM's points in the run, including a traditional three-point play, while freshman Emma Haskell (Hampden, Maine) hit a three in the Huskies' final possession.   
• The Huskies cut the Bates lead to 10 twice in the final quarter.  Freshman Mackenzie Roderick (South China, Maine/Erskine Academy) hit a three for a 60-50 game with 3:19 to play, and Vaughan canned a jumper for a 62-52 game with 1:48 to go, but the Huskies were unable to get closer the rest of the way.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Bates made 5-of-10 threes in the first half, and then cooled to make 2-11 in the second frame. The Bobcats finished the game shooting 33.3 percent from three.
• Southern Maine committed 19 turnovers to Bates' nine.  The Bobcats scored 19 points off of USM miscues.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine is on the road for its next three contests against LEC opponents. The Huskies travel to Plymouth State on Wednesday (5:30 pm)
 
 
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