Contributions from Eleanor Folsom, Athletic Communications Student Employee

GORHAM, Maine –  Closing out the 2024-2025 season with six-game win streak, the University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team secured hosting rights for the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Little East Conference women's basketball championship tournament. The Huskies finished the 2024-2025 regular season with a record of 16-9, and 12-4 in the Little East Conference, earning the third seed for the tournament. 
 
Closing out the season with an impressive 78-55 win on the road over VTSU-Castleton, the Huskies have been a strong second-semester team with a record of 12-2 since returning from the semester break, including an impressive 74-68 win over nationally-ranked 2025 co-regular season champion UMass Dartmouth on February 15, ending a 14-game losing streak to the Corsairs.
 
 
Under the leadership of second-year head coach David Chadborne, the Huskies have built upon a strong foundation, with contributions from both new and returning players. Team leaders graduate student Liz Cote (Conway, NH/Kennett) and a dynamic freshman duo of  Lucy Wiles (Glenburn ME/Hampden Academy), and Dakota Shipley (Bath Maine/Brunswick) have lead the way for the Huskies this season. 
 
Averaging 60.6 points per game this season, Wiles lead the Huskies in scoring averaging 12.2 points per game, while Cote is on her heels averaging 11.0 points per game.  Shipley, who has had an outstanding second half of the season, is averaging 9.5 points per game.
 
As the third seed in the tournament, the Huskies will host sixth-seed UMass Boston on Tuesday, February 25 at 6:00 pm. The Beacons finished their regular season with an overall record of 10-15, and a 7-9 mark in Little East Conference action. Southern Maine swept UMass Boston in the regular season, earning a 71-67 win on January 8 at Fifield Court, and then taking a 69-43 win on the road on February 5.  Shipley, Cote and Wiles led the Huskies in their January victory, with Shipley scoring 19 points and grabbing nine boards.  Cote had 18 points, knocking down five threes, and Wiles dropped 16 points.  On the road, the Huskies trio again paced USM with Cote going 6-for-8 from three for 22 points.
 
UMass Boston finished its regular season with a pair of conference wins over Plymouth State (57-38) and VTSU-Castleton (83-54) to secure its spot in the tournament.  The Beacons are averaging 58.8 points per game, and have been led by 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game from sophomore Sabanna Berrios. Tatiannah Fevry and Hialeah Turner-Foster are averaging 8.0 and 8.1 points per game.
 
The Tuesday night quarterfinal game will mark the 88^th meeting between the Huskies and Beacons.  Southern Maine leads the overall series 76-11, and the Huskies are 6-4 against UMass Boston in their last 10 meetings. However, Southern Maine has won the last five consecutively.
 
2025 Little East Conference Women's Basketball Championship
Who: No. 6 UMass Boston at No. 3 Southern Maine
When: Tuesday, February 25 – 6:00 pm
Where: University of Southern Maine – Costello Sports Complex – Hill Gym
What: Quarterfinal round.
 
No. 3 Southern Maine (16-9, 12-4 Little East)
Championships: 20 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013)
LEC Tournament Record: 65-16 (.802), 81 appearances
Finals Appearances: 26    Finals Record: 20-6    Last Appearance: 2014
 
Players to Watch: Liz Cote, GR., Guard 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 43.0 3FG%; Lucy Wiles Fr., Guard 12.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 29.2 3FG%; Dakota Shipley, Fr. Forward 9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.8 spg, 35.1 3FG%.