GORHAM, Maine - The University of Southern Maine Huskies used a 23-7 run over the final nine minutes of the first half to break open a close game and run away with a 72-41 Little East Conference women's basketball win over Keene State College at the Warren Hill Gymnasium Saturday afternoon in Gorham.

The win is the seventh straight for the Huskies who improve to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the Little East. Keene State College, with its second consecutive loss, falls to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

With both teams battling back and forth in the opening minutes of play, both Keene State and Southern Maine were in a deadlock trading leads in the ninth minute of action. Keene State clung to a one-point margin at 19-18 following a lay-up from Caitlin Jamiel (Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) with 9:12 to go, but it would be the last lead of the game for the Owls as Southern Maine surged to take a 14-point lead into the halftime break. After falling behind, the Huskies dominated the next ten minutes of action, scoring 23 points while holding the Owls to just seven points on a dismal 3-for-12 effort from the floor to close out the half.

Juniors Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan) and Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) combined to score 18 of the Huskies 23 points in the deciding run. Jones finished the game with a game-high 17 points for Southern Maine and added six rebounds. Marble recorded a double-double on 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds. Marble also added three assists and two steals in a solid effort as the Huskies led 41-27 at the break.

Keene State pulled within 11 to open the second half following a three-pointer from Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass./Oxford), but the Huskies would quickly push the lead to 30, scoring 19 unanswered points over the next 10 minutes to take an staggering 60-30 lead with 9:34 left. The Owls cut the lead to 23, 61-38, with 5:22 remaining after Cathy Mechare Falls Village, Conn./Housatonic) capped an 8-1 run with a three. It was as close as Keene State would get however as the Huskies held the Owls to just three freethrows and no field goals over the final five minutes for the 72-41 win. Hopkins led the Owls with 13 points and was the lone Keene State player to reach double figures. Keene State's leading scorers Bri Barnes (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) and Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H./Lebanon), averaging 10.4 points apiece heading into today's games, were held to just six and four points respectively. The Huskies held a commanding 50-37 advantage on the glass, including a 22-13 margin on the offensive boards.

Southern Maine returns to action Tuesday, January 11 at Rhode Island College for a Little East Conference tilt at 5:30 p.m. Keene State also plays January 11 traveling to Western Connecticut State.

(Courtesy USM Sports Information)