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Gabe lash vs UNE Driving
James Liebowitz
Lash had a career-best 21 points and seven assists (adding five rebounds) in a critical LEC win over Rhode Island College
86
Rhode Island Col. RHODE IS 7-5, 3-1
101
Winner Southern Me. SOUTHERN 7-6, 2-2
Rhode Island Col. RHODE IS
7-5, 3-1
86
Final
101
Southern Me. SOUTHERN
7-6, 2-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Rhode Island Col. RHODE IS 38 48 86
Southern Me. SOUTHERN 50 51 101

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Christina Cracolici, Director of Athletic Communications

Southern Maine Downs Rhode Island College 101-86

Five Player in Double Figures for Southern Maine


GORHAM, Maine   -  Senior Thomas Whelan (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) had a game-high 30 points to lead five players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies earned a 101-86 win over the Rhode Island College Anchormen in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium.
 
Whelan was 7-for-15 from the field and a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line for the game-high total. Freshman Gabe Lash (Waldoboro, Maine/Medomak Valley) had a career-high 21 points and seven assists for the Huskies, adding five rebounds.  Sophomore Noah Dowling (North Narrabeen, Australia/Saint Augustine's) added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.  Sophomore Evans Sterling (New Sharon, Maine/Mt. Blue) and freshman Carter Galley (Owls Head, Maine/Oceanside) each had 12 points.  Sterling added nine boards, while Galley had five.
 
All five RIC starters were in double-digit scoring led by 18 points each from Noe Bom and Xavier Mendez.  Tyriek Weeks had 17 points, while CJ Wilson added 16.  Loudon Chupas had 10.  Mendez added eight rebounds, while Wilson had five boards and four assists.
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (7-6, 2-2 Little East )
Rhode Island College (7-5, 3-1 Little East)
 
Today's contest marked the 149th meeting between the University of Southern Maine Huskies and the Rhode Island College Anchormen.  Rhode Island College leads the overall series 81-68. The Huskies and Anchormen split the 2024-2025 season series with each team winning at home.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
  • In a back-and-forth constest, Weeks hit a three with 13:17 to go in the first to have RIC up 14-11 before the Huskies used a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to snag the lead 26-16 with 8:08 to go.  Whelan started the run with two free throws as four Huskies contributed to the run, including threes from Lash and Galley.
  • Mendez scored the next four points of the game for RIC on a jumper and two free throws to bring the game back to 26-20, but USM again used a big run, 17-7, over the next four minutes to swell its lead to 43-27.  Dowling scored nine of his 14 points in the run, including a three at the 3:34 mark for the 16-point advantage.
  • RIC closed the gap to nine, 38-47, with 41 seconds until the halftime break on a three from Mike Paquette, but Whelan answered right back with a three of his own to keep USM ahead in double-figures 50-38 at the break.
  • RIC opened the second half on a 9-0 run to make it a one-possession game, 50-47, with 16:26 left. Chupas, Wilson, Weeks and Mendez all contributed to the Anchormen run, including two more free throws from Mendez to make it a three-point game. The Huskies responded with five straight, including a three from Dowling to lead 55-47, but RIC continued to hang around and trailed by just three, 60-57, with 12:07 to go on an and-one play from Mendez.
  • Lash responded for USM with a traditional three-point play of his own, and the Huskies outscored RIC 11-4 over the next two minutes to lead by 10, 71-61, with 10:00 to go.  Lash hit a three to give the Huskies the 10-point lead.
  • After Lash's three, the Huskies stayed in front, and led by 11, 83-72, on a jumper from Galley at the 5:33 mark.  RIC cut its deficit by more than half with a 10-3 run over the next 2:30 minutes and trailed 86-82 on a layup from Chupas. However, the Huskies shut the door on the game with a 9-2 run to lead 95-84 with 1:08 left before RIC put USM on the foul line for the 101-86 final.
 
Inside The Statistics:
  • Southern Maine shot a strong 54.8 percent (34-for-62) from the field for the game, and made 13-of-25 from three (52 percent).  RIC shot 48.5 percent (32-for-66) but made just 8-of-25 from long-range.
  • Both teams took care of the ball with RIC committing just nine turnovers to USM's seven. 
  • RIC had a slim 33-31 lead in rebounds. 
 
Up Next:
Southern Maine hits the road and travels to  VTSU-Castleton on Saturday, January 10 (3:00 pm) in Little East Conference action. The Huskies return to Hill Gym on Wednesday, January 14 (4:00 pm) against UMass Dartmouth and then again versus Eastern Connecticut on Saturday, January 17 (3:00 pm).
           
 
-cac-
 
 
 
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