'GORHAM, ME. 2/18/06 - The Keene State College women's basketball team concluded its regular season with an 88-29 Little East Conference loss to the University of Southern Maine at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Me. on Saturday. 

KSC (15-10, 9-5 LEC) will take the fourth seed in the upcoming LEC tournament due to its 1-3 record over Western Conn. and Eastern Conn.  The Owls dropped both games to WCSU (60-46 and 49-44) and split against ECSU, falling 67-65 and winning 75-67 in overtime.  Western Conn. earned the number two seed, while Eastern Conn. took the third seed with victories over UMass-Dartmouth and Plymouth State, respectively, today.  Keene State will host fifth-seed Plymouth State University in an opening round game on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).  KSC swept its two games against PSU this season. 

Currently ranked number-one in the latest D3hoops.com poll, Southern Maine (24-1) secured the top seed in the tournament with its 14-0 LEC record.  The Huskies will host eighth seed UMass-Dartmouth. 

Freshman Michelle Boudreau (Readsboro, Vt.) was the only double-figure scorer for the Owls with 11 points. 

Six players scored in double-figures for the Huskies. Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Me.) led a balanced offense with 20 points.  Katie Frost (Calais, Me.) had 12 points, Katie Sibley (Boothbay, Me.), Megan Myles (Auburn, Me.), and Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Me.) chipped in with 11 points apiece, while Stacey Kent (Northwood, N.H.) finished with 10 points.  Marble grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. 

The Huskies came out strong, bursting to a 15-point advantage (22-7) seven minutes into the game.  The Owls were never able to respond, falling behind 48-16 at the half.

KSC shot just 22.9% from the floor and were out-rebounded 48-28 in the game. 

It was the largest margin of defeat (59) for an Owl women's basketball team, breaking the previous mark set January 30, 1982 when they lost 91-34 (57 points) to Bentley College.

Keene State dropped both games to USM this season.