GORHAM, Maine   –  Sophomore Lucy Wiles (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) and senior Jaycie Christopher (Skowhegan, Maine) each scored 18 points as the No. 25 University of Southern Maine Huskies rolled to a 74-51 win over the UMass Boston Beacons in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gymnasium.
 
Christopher was close to a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists for the Huskies, shooting 7-for-12 from the field.  Wiles was 7-for-14 from the floor for her 18, adding four rebounds, and two assists.  Graduate student Liz Cote (Conway, NH/Kennett) had nine points and four assists on 3-for-5 shooting from three, while senior Avah Ingalls (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) had eight points, five rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot. Sophomore Dakota Shipley (Bath, Maine/Brunswick) added seven points, a game-high 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.
 
Mia Molinari led the Beacons with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Jordis Tautalatasi had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, four steals and a blocked shot. Sabanna Berrios added eight points.
 
The Records:
UMass Boston (11-8, 5-5 Little East)
No. 25/ARV Southern Maine (18-1, 10-0 Little East)
 
Today's game marked the 90th meeting between the UMass Boston Beacons and the University of Southern Maine Huskies. Southern Maine leads the overall series 79-11. Southern Maine earned a 64-47 win at UMass Boston earlier this season. The Huskies are 9-1 against UMB in their last 10 meetings.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• With its lead cut to six, 16-10, after a layup from UMB's Tautalatasi with 1:16 to play in the first, Southern Maine scored the final six points of the frame on threes from senior Julia Kratzer (Gorham, Maine) and Wiles to take a 22-10 lead headed into the second quarter.  Southern Maine shot 50.0 percent (8-for-16) from the field in the first, and 4-for-7 from three. Wiles paced USM with seven points.
• Christopher led the way for the Huskies to start the second scoring 11 points as USM outscored the Beacons 13-7 in the first 5:13 of the frame to lead 35-17 with 4:47 to go until the half on a three. Both teams traded baskets the rest of the way.  Cote hit a three with 38 seconds to go for a 45-24 Husky lead, but Tautalatsi hit a layup to beat the buzzer on a steal and an assist from Hialeah Turner-Foster as the Beacons trailed 45-26 at the half.
• Southern Maine outscored the Beacons 13-2 in the first 4:33 of the third, snagging their largest lead of the game, 58-28, on an offensive rebound and putback from Ingalls at the 4:53 mark. Shutting the door on the Beacons, the Huskies were 6-for-10 from the field in the run as Wiles (7) and Ingalls (6) combined for all 13 points. After the third, the Huskies carried a 61-36 lead into the final quarter.
• Christopher and junior Emma Stred (China, Maine/Erskine Academy) scored the first five points of the fourth on a three and an offensive rebounds and put-back, putting USM up 29, 65-36, with 7:16 to go. After some traded baskets, back-to-back threes from Tautalatasia, and a jumper from Kayla Jackson had the Beacons on a 8-0 run and down by 21, 67-46, with 4:25 to, but freshman Lexi Morin (Brunswick, Maine) hit a baseline jumper to stop the Huskies' scoring drought, and the Huskies closed out the game up 7-5 in scoring in the final minutes for the 74-51 game. 

 
Inside The Statistics:

• Southern Maine finished the game shooting 44.3 percent (27-for-61) from the field and 41.7 percent (10-for-24) from three points range. UMass Boston shot 38.2 percent (21-for-55) and went 3-for-8 from three.
• Southern Maine had a 39-33 advantage in rebounding and led 15-12 in offensive rebounds, scoring 18 second-chance points. 
• UMass Boston outscored USM in the paint 28-22, and scored 21 points off of 16 USM turnovers. The Huskies forced the Beacons into 20 turnovers, and scored 11 points off of Beacon miscues.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine hosts Keene State College on Saturday, January 31 (1:00 pm) in the second annual NAMI Maine/Wade Millett Memorial Foundation Games. The Huskies are then on the road at Rhode Island College on February 4 (5:30 pm) and Eastern Connecticut on February 7 (3:00 pm).
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