KEENE, N.H. 2/5/05 - The upset bid of the Keene State College women's basketball team fell short with a 56-47 Little East Conference loss to nationally ranked University of Southern Maine at Spaulding Gym on Saturday.

Ranked third in the D3 Hoops Poll and 12th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA poll, the LEC leading Huskies (18-2, 9-0 LEC) stretched their winning streak to 16 games with the win. KSC 12-9 (6-4) suffered its fourth loss in the last five games.

Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.) had 18 points, including four three-pointers, and Sarah Begnoche (Millville, Mass.) finished with 11 points and seven rebounds to lead the Owls.

Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Me.) had 18 points and eight rebounds to top the Huskies. Keene State jumped out to a 13-5 lead on one of three first half three-pointers by Hopkins. After Cathy Mechare's (Falls Village, Conn.) trey put KSC up 21-14 at the 6:10 mark, USM answered with a 9-0 run capped off by a three-pointer by Ashley Marble that put Huskies up 23-21 with 3:04 left in the half. A lay-up by Caitlin Jamiel (Cranston, R.I.) with 11 seconds left on the clock gave KSC a 28-27 halftime lead.

Hopkins and Marble each finished with 11 first half points for their respective teams.

Southern Maine pulled away from the Owls early in the second half. Consecutive baskets by Shannon Kynoch (So. Burlington, Vt.) gave the Huskies a 10 point (46-36) lead. KSC got the deficit down to six points (48-42) with 5:20 to play but would get no closer. Southern Maine had a 40-29 advantage on the boards.

USM, which holds a 17-6 series lead, has won all 18 LEC games they have played against KSC since the 1997-98 season.

The Owls will travel to Plymouth State on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).