GORHAM, Maine    –  Freshman Brady Saunders (Brewer, Maine) had a team-high 19 points to lead four players in double-digit scoring as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Plymouth State University Panthers 83-62 in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gym.
 
Saunders was 7-for-12 from the field for his team-high total, adding two rebounds and three assists.  Sophomore Tommy Whelan (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) had 17 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, shooting 7-for-10 from the floor, including a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. Seniors Cody Hawes (Carmel, Maine/Hermon) and Chance Dixon (Lake Worth, Fla./Santaluces) each had 16 points.  Hawes added six rebounds and four assists, while Dixon had five assists and four rebounds. 
 
Plymouth State's Kyler Bosse led all scorers with 27 points on 13-for-30 shooting. Bosse led the Panthers in rebounding with nine, and had three assists and a steal. Christian Barr added seven points, three steals and two rebounds for PSU.
 
The Records:
Plymouth State (8-16, 4-11 Little East)
Southern Maine (13-11, 8-7 Little East)
 
Today's game marked the 152^nd meeting between the Plymouth State University Panthers and the University of Southern Maine Huskies.  Southern Maine trails the all-time series 73-79.  The Huskies have won five of the last six over PSU, and earned a 75-67 win on the road earlier this season (January 17). 
 
 
How It Happened:

• Bosse and Barr combined to score the first six points of the game as the Panthers raced out to a 6-0 lead early.  Led by Saunders the Huskies rallied with a 16-3 run to led 16-9 with 13:37 remaining in the half.  Saunders scored the Huskies first eight points of the game, and Southern Maine went 4-for-6 from three to start the game.
• Southern Maine led by eight, 19-11 with 12:29 to play on one-of-two free throws from Dixon, but Plymouth State turned in a run of its own (14-5) to surge ahead for a 25-24 lead with 7:36 until half.  Four different players scored for the Panthers in the run led by five points from Jayden Montgomery.
• With the score 25-24 both teams traded baskets and the lead.  A three from Hawes at 4:09 gave the Huskies a 32-31 advantage, before Bosse scored six straight for the Panthers for a 37-32 lead with 2:40 to go.  The Huskies rallied with four straight on back-to-back buckets from Whelan and Hawes, before Bosse again scored for the Panther with 41 seconds to go until the half and a 39-36 PSU lead.  Whelan tied the game with a corner three on USM's last possession of the half.  PSU had two looks at a go-head basket before the buzzer sounded, but Whelan blocked the first attempt and the follow up three was off target.
• USM took control of the game in the first five minutes of the second half, outscoring the Panthers 17-4 to lead 56-43 with 14:57 remaining.  Southern Maine went 8-for-11 from the floor in the first five minutes, as Whelan scored nine and Saunders scored six points in the run.
• USM remained comfortably ahead and grew its lead to 19, 70-51, on a layup from sophomore Joe Longoria (New Braunfels, Texas) with 8:19 to go.  Plymouth State trimmed its deficit to 15, 70-55, on a layup from Riley Marsh, but USM put the game out of reach with a 6-0 swing on threes from Dixon and Saunders for a 21-point advantage, 76-55, with 3:36 to go.  From there PSU never got closer than 18 points for the 83-62 final.

Inside The Stats:

• Southern Maine led in rebounding 38-35, but the Panthers had 15 offensive rebounds to Southern Maine's six.  PSU had 13 second chance points, compared to the Huskies' three.
• The Huskies shot an outstanding 57.9 percent (33-for-57) from the field, including 58.1 percent (18-for-31) in the second half.  Plymouth State shot 36.6 percent (26-for-71) in the game.  PSU opened the game shooting 42.9 percent in the first half (15-for-35), but shot just 30.6 percent (11-for-36) in the second half.  The Panthers were 2-for-11 from three, while USM was 12-for-26.
• With his 16 points, Hawes has 939 points, 591 rebounds, 330 assists, and 126 steals in his 101-game career. His is tied for 10^th in career games played. 
• Dixon's 16 points gives him 1139 points, 223 rebounds, 150 assists and 83 steals in his 82-game career. His 1139 points are currently 22^nd in USM career records.  Dixon's second three in tonight's game gave him 204 in his career.  A career 37.23 shooter from three-point range (204-for-548), Dixon is second all-time in career threes.  Joe Cawley (1988-1992) is the record holder at 230. 
• Whelan's double-double is the third of the season and the third of his career. 

 
Up Next:
The Huskies close out their regular season at home on Saturday, February 17 (3:00 pm) against Vermont State University Castleton. Southern Maine will prepare for the 2024 Little East Conference tournament beginning Tuesday, February 20. Time and opponent to be determined.
-cac-