GORHAM, Maine – Graduate student
Bryce Lausier (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) recorded his 13
th double-double of the season with 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to lead three players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Plymouth State University Panthers 91-72 in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gym.
Lausier was 6-for-13 (4-for-9 from three) for his team-high total, adding 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Juniors
Diego Colon (New Braunfels, Texas) and
Thomas Whelan (Bronx, NY/Fordam Prep) each had 18 points. Colon was lights out from three, making 6-of-8. Whelan shot 7-for-12 from the field, adding four assists, three steals and three rebounds.
Kevin Henry paced the Panthers with 27 points on 11-for-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and three assists. Torran Bosworth added 16 points, and Kevin Newton-Delgado chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Records:
Plymouth State (9-7, 3-5 Little East)
Southern Maine (7-10, 3-5 Little East)
Series History: Today's game marked the 153
rd meeting between the Plymouth State University Panthers and the University of Southern Maine Huskies. Southern Maine trails the all-time series 74-79; however, Huskies have won six of the last seven over PSU including tonight's contest.
How It Happened:
- Tied up at 13 after PSU's Henry connected on a jumper, Southern Maine went on a 12-2 run over the next 3:37 to lead 25-15 with 8:34 on the clock. The Huskies were 5-for-6 from the field in the run led by five points from sophomore Evan Willey (Casco, Maine/Bridgton Academy). From there, both teams traded baskets as the Huskies stayed in front by double-digits. Southern Maine went up by 11, 40-29, with 1:50 to play on a layup from sophomore Brady Saunders (Brewer, Maine) on an assist from Willey, but Bosworth scored the final points of the half with a three for a 40-32 score at the half.
- Both teams went back and forth to start the second half combing to score 34 points in the first 5:30. Scoring 12 of the Huskies' 19 points in the first five minutes of the second half, Colon's three made it a 59-47 Husky lead with 14:29 to play.
- Plymouth State battled back to make it a two possession game, 69-63, with 7:13 to play on a layup from Henry, but the Huskies scored six straight on buckets from Saunders, freshman Noah and Aidan Hebert (Gray, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) to return the lead to double-figures 75-63 with 5:44 on the clock. PSU's Yen hit a three on the Panthers' next possession to make it a nine-point game, 75-66, but the Huskies outscored PSU 16-6 in the final five minutes to take the game 91-72.
Inside The Stats:
- Southern Maine shot 56.1 percent (32-for-57) from the field and 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from three. Colon led the way for the Huskies with six threes on 6-for-8 shooting. Plymouth State shot 37.7 percent (26-for-69) from the field.
- Both teams had 36 rebounds. Plymouth State won the offensive rebounding battle collecting 12 to the Huskies four. The Panthers scored eight second chance points.
- Southern Maine's bench outscored the Panthers' bench 19-10. Freshman Evans Sterling (New Sharon, Maine/Mt. Blue) had eight of those points on 4-for-6 shooting.
Up Next:
The Huskies returns to the road and heads to nationally-ranked Keene State on Saturday, January 25 (3:00 pm). Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College on Wednesday, January 29 (7:30 pm).
-cac-