GORHAM, Maine – Freshman
Lucy Wiles (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) scored 14 points to lead three players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans 67-57 in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium.
Wiles was 4-for-11 from the field (1-for-2 from three) and 5-for-6 from the free throw line for her team-high total. She added five assists and three steals. Graduate student
Liz Cote (Conway, N.H./Kennett) had 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting (3-for-7 from three) with four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Sophomore
Lita Guslens (Iskile, Latvia) had a career-high 10 points off of the bench on a strong 5-for-7 effort, adding four rebounds and two steals. Freshman
Dakota Shipley (Bath, Maine/Brunswick) led the Huskies with seven rebounds, and added eight points.
Emily Dingmon led all scorers with 15 points off of the bench, adding six rebounds and two assists. Stasia Epler earned a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, while Arianna Coombs tossed in 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting as a reserve.
The Records:
VTSU-Castleton (5-11, 1-6 LEC)
Southern Maine (8-8, 4-3 LEC)
SERIES HISTORY: Today's game marked 14
th meeting between the Huskies and the Spartans. The series is now tied at 7-7 Southern Maine swept the Spartans during the 2023-2024 season, and has now won three straight.
How It Happened:
- After a slow start, Southern Maine led the Spartans 17-11 at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies were held scoreless in the first two minutes before a Wiles layup tied the game up at two with 7:41 on the clock. After a Spartan jumper made it a 4-2 game, the Huskies used a 10-2 run over the next 3:29 to lead 12-6 with 3:23 to play. A Dingman layup and a three from Epler made it a one-point game, 12-11, but Shipley scored the final five points of the quarter, including a buzzer-beating three for the 17-11 USM advantage.
- The Spartans responded in the second half, scoring the first six point to tie the game up at 17 with 7:32 on the clock. Adams booked ended the run with a pair of layups.
- After going 0-for-3 with four turnovers to start the second quarter, Southern Maine found its offense and rattled off 12 consecutive point to take the lead 29-17 with 1:55 left until the halftime break. The Huskies were 5-for-7 from the floor in the run, including 2-for-3 from three. Guslens had six of her 10 points, while Wiles and senior Maria Degifico each hit threes. The Spartans were 0-for-5 during that stretch with four turnovers.
- Coombs put the Spartans down 32-21 with just over 30 seconds with two free throws, but USM senior Maddy York (Nobleboro, Maine) converted a layup on the Huskies' final possession as the Huskies took a 34-21 lead at the break.
- USM took its largest lead of the game in the third quarter, 46-28, on Guslens' tenth points of the contest off of a feed from Degifico at the 4:35 mark. The Huskies stayed comfortably in front of the Spartans the rest of the quafter, and VTSU-Castleton's Mckearnin hit a buzzer-beating three to cut the deficit to 15, 51-36, heading into the fourth.
- Going back-and-forth to start the third, a jumper from Cote kept USM in front by 18, 60-42, with 6:59 to play before the Spartans used a 12-4 spurt over the next 5:19 of action to make it a 10-point game 64-54. Led by four points each from Dingmon and Schuylar Nolan, the Spartans were 4-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line in the rally, while the Huskies went 2-for-6 from the floor. The Huskies were able to hang on as Wiles made 3-of-4 free throw down the stretch for USM, and Epler hit a last-shot three for the 67-57 final.
Inside The Stats:
- Southern Maine shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63) from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range (7-for-21). The Spartans shot 33.3 percent (20-for-60) and 3-for-19 from three (15.8 percent). The Spartans had a sizeable advantage on the free throw line making 14-of-18, while the Huskies made six of their nine total attempts.
- The Huskies had 10 steals in the game, and scored 14 points off of VTSU-Castleton turnovers.
Up Next:
The Huskies host Plymouth State University on Wednesday, January 22 (5:30 pm) in a conference tilt before returning to the road on Saturday, January 25 (1:00 pm) for a game against Keene State.
-cac-
