GORHAM, Maine - Senior forward Jamaal Caterina (Portland, Maine/Deering), sophomore guard Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine) and freshman guard Troy Jellison (Bangor, Maine) each scored 17 points to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies men's basketball team to a 77-74 win over the Keene State College Owls in Little East Conference action Saturday afternoon at Warren Hill Gymnasium in Gorham.

The win is the fourth straight for USM and its sixth in its last seven contests and improves its overall record to 9-9 and 4-3 in the Little East. Avenging a 106-83 loss earlier in the season, the Huskies snapped a 15-game losing skid to the Owls. Southern Maine last defeated Keene State 88-78 on January 22, 2000. The loss broke a four-game winning streak for Keene State which dips to 11-7 overall and 4-3 in the LEC.

Jellison was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field including a scoring 5-for-5 from three-point range establishing a career-high off of the bench for USM. Jellison, a 5-10 guard, also grabbed a career-high seven rebounds in an outstanding effort. Caterina notched his fourth consecutive double-double with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Whitaker was 5-for-8 from three point range with seven rebounds. Senior forward Drew Coppenrath (Barnet, Vt./St. Johnsbury Academy) added 11 points, all in a key second half stretch, and chipped in with seven rebounds.

Keene State junior forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt./Springfield) led all scorers with 19 point and tallied his seventh double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Senior forward Nick Drouin (Weare, N.H./John Stark Regional) added 17 point and six rebounds, while senior guard Matt Hickey (Mahopac, N.Y.) tossed in 13 points.

With the game closely contested throughout with 11 lead changes and nine ties, the Huskies were able to win it in the final eight minutes in large part to Coppenrath. Southern Maine trailed the Owls by four (58-54) with 7:26 on the clock after two free throws from Drouin, before Coppenrath, who had struggled from the field for most of game missing all seven of his field goal attempts, scored 11 of the Huskies final 20 points of the half. The 6-6 forward pulled his team two with a point of the Owls converting a traditional three-point play on a feed from Whitaker who snared one of his three offensive boards in the game. The Huskies then made the game's 11th lead change when Caterina made a short range jumper to put USM up by a point (59-58) with 6:24 to play. Both teams traded shots over the next 1:30 and Kathan forced the games ninth tie (62-62) sinking a pair of free throws with 4:56 remaining.

Jellison struck first sinking his fifth three-pointer of the game to give the Huskies a narrow 65-63 lead with 4:23 on the clock and both teams traded blows over the next four minutes and 18 seconds as the Huskies maintained a 75-74 advantage with five seconds to play after a Keene's Drouin sank three-pointer following a steal and an assist from Hickey. With three seconds on the clock, KSC was forced to foul, sending Coppenrath to the line. Coppenrath sank both free throws for USM and Drouin missed a half court three point attempt as the buzzer expired for the Huskies' 77-75 win.

Southern Maine returns to action on the road at Plymouth State University on Tuesday (Jan. 29) at 7:30 p.m. for an LEC game. Keene State College travels to Eastern Connecticut on the same day and time.

(Courtesy USM Sports Information)