PROVIDENCE, R.I.    -  Outscoring their opponents 48-35 in the second half, and 24-7 in the final 10 minutes of the game, the University of Southern Maine Huskies rallied to defeat the Rhode Island College Anchormen 74-68 in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at The Murray Center.  With the win, Southern Maine is tied for second place in the Little East Conference at 8-4.
 
Sophomore Evans Sterling (New Sharon, Maine/Mt. Blue) and freshman Carter Galley (Owls Head, Maine/Kents Hill) each had 13 points to lead the Huskies' balanced scoring attack. Sterling was 6-for-11 from the field while Galley was 6-for-12 with five rebounds. Senior Thomas Whelan (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) had 12 points, six assists, and six rebounds, while freshman Gabe Lash (Waldoboro, Maine/Medomak Valley) had 11 points, a team-high eight rebounds, and two assists.  Lash scored eight of his 11 points in the second half.
 
Xavier Mendez led RIC with a game-high 21 points, adding 21 rebounds for a massive double-double. Loudon Chupas had 14 points, while Tyriek Weeks added 12 points and six rebounds.  CJ Wilson had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (13-8, 8-4 Little East)
Rhode Island College (11-10, 7-5 Little East)
 
Today's game marked the 150th meeting between the University of Southern Maine Huskies and the Rhode Island College Anchormen.  Rhode Island College leads the overall series 81-67; however, Southern Maine defeated the Anchormen 101-86 at home earlier in the season for the season-sweep. The Huskies and Anchormen split the 2024-2025 season series with each team winning at home.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Huskies trailed by as many as 15 points, 49-34, with four minutes expired in the second half, Southern Maine was able to make the comeback outscoring the Anchormen 48-35 in the second half after being outscored 33-26 in the first half. After shooting 33.3 percent in the first half, the Huskies shot 48.3 percent (14-for-29) from the field in the second half, and held RIC to 32.2 percent shooting in the second half.
• Trailing by 11, 61-50, with 10:24 to play after a three from RIC's Chupas, Southern Maine got a jolt of offense from senior Stephen Gabriel III with a three to start a 12-0 run over the next 3:51 to sneak ahead of the Anchormen 62-61 with 6:00 left in regulation. Five different players scored in the run for the Huskies which was capped by two free throws from freshman Cohen Galley (Owls Head, Maine/Oceanside).
• RIC retook the lead, 63-62, on its next possession as Wilson made a pair of free throws, but Lash put the Huskies ahead for good with three at the 5:15 mark off of an assist from Cohen Galley. After one of two free throws from RIC's Xavier Mendez made it a 65-64 game, Lash continued to provide the Huskies with timely scoring making a driving layup again on a feed from Cohen Galley for a 67-64 Husky lead with 4:17 left in regulation.
• Neither team scored a field goal over the next few possessions and the Anchormen made it a one-point game 67-66 as Bom and Wilson each made one of two free throws. With the lead trimmed to a single point, freshman Carter Galley (Owls Head, Maine/Oceanside) cut back door on his defender, and Lash found the open man for the bucket and a 69-66 lead with 1:55 to play. After a pair of empty possessions for RIC despite and offensive rebound, Gabriel III was able to put USM up by two-possessions, 71-66, with a pair of free throws with 41 seconds to play. RIC's Mendez made two free throws of his own two plays later to make it a one-possession game 71-68, but the Huskies got enough from the free throw line down the stretch for the 74-68 win.

 
 
Inside The Statistics:

• Southern Maine shot 40.7 percent (24-for-59) from the field for the game while RIC shot 37.3 (25-for-67).  The Huskies made 19-of-23 free throws compared to 12-for-20 for the Anchormen.
• Gabriel III drew a pair of offensive fouls late in the second quarter and scored all six of his points in the second half, helping Southern Maine to the win.
• Led by 13 points from Carter Galley, Southern Maine outscored RIC's bench 26-1.

 
Up Next:
The Huskies remain on the road and travel to Eastern Connecticut (11-8, 3-7 LEC) on Saturday (1:00 pm).  Southern Maine returns home to face Plymouth State on Wednesday, February 11 (7:30 pm) in LEC action.
           
 
-cac-