PLYMOUTH, NH – Junior
Tamrah Gould (Manchester, N.H.) scored a career-best 17 points to lead four players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies picked up a 68-52 win over the Plymouth State University Panthers in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Foley Gymnasium.
Setting a career-high for the second time this season against the Panthers, Gould was 6-for-13 from the field, adding six rebounds and a career-best five steals. Junior
Franny Ramsdell (Wells, Maine) added 13 points, while classmate
Amy Fleming (Berwick, Maine) had 11 points, a team-high seven rebounds, two assists and four steals. Freshman
Emma Haskell (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting off of the bench. Freshman
Vanessa Vaughan (Hantsports, Nova Scotia) added eight points, five rebounds, and two steals in limited minutes due to foul trouble.
Plymouth State's Sophie George was the lone Panther in double-figures scoring a game-high 19 points. George hit five threes and scored 14 of her 19 points in the first half. Lauren Keller added nine points, while Jalen Cook had seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
The Records:
Plymouth State (5-16, 0-14 Little East)
Southern Maine (6-16, 4-9 Little East)
Series History:
Meeting for the 98
th time in series history, Southern Maine leads the overall series 90-8. Southern Maine has won the last 10 games against the Panthers, and defeating Plymouth State 68-46 earlier this season at home.
How It Happened:
- Plymouth State took advantage of a slow start offensively by the Huskies to lead 15-12 at the end of the first quarter. PSU shot 5-for-10 from the field in the quarter to USM's 5-for-18. George scored 11 of the Panthers' 15 points in the frame, including three three-pointers.
- The Huskies found their scoring touch in the second quarter and outscored PSU 21-10 to take a 33-25 lead at the half. USM shot 8-for-16 from the floor, and held the Panthers to just three field goals in the second. Down 17-12 early in the second, the Huskies scored nine unanswered points to lead 21-17. Haskell scored five of the Huskies' nine in the run as USM shot 4-for-4 on its possessions to lead at the 5:33 mark.
- George tied the game up at 3:24 left in the half with a three, but USM rattled off an 8-0 run led by four points each from Gould and sophomore Gabby Green (Manchester, Maine/Maranacook) for a 31-23 lead with 1:40 to play. Each team scored before the buzzer sounded for the half.
- To start the third, sophomore Mariah Degifico (South Portland, Maine) and Gould sandwiched a bucket from PSU's Keller with a layup and a three respectively to put USM ahead by double-digits, 38-27, with just over a minute off of the clock. PSU's Nelson cut the Panther deficit to three possessions with a traditional three-point play for a 40-32 game with 5:36 to go, but Gould game through with an answer for a 42-32 Husky lead. USM outscored the Panthers 14-6 the rest of the frame to lead 54-38 headed to the fourth, including a last second three from Gould.
- USM remained in front in the fourth and led by 17, 59-42, on a three from Haskell at the 6:32 mark. PSU cut the lead to 12, 59-47, with 5:42 to play on a jumper from Raegan Peck, but it was as close as they would get the rest of the way.
Inside The Stats:
- Forcing the Panthers into 23 turnovers, Southern Maine scored 20 of its 68 points off of PSU miscues. The Huskies turned the ball over just nine times.
- USM outscored Plymouth State 36-16 in the paint.
Up Next:
Southern Maine remains on the road and will travel to Eastern Connecticut on Saturday (1:00 pm).
-cac-
