GORHAM, Maine  -  Sophomore forward Becky Dixon (Pittson,
Maine/Gardiner) scored a career-high 17 points off of the bench to lead the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 58-53 win over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Warren Hill Gymnasium in Gorham.

The win is the eighth straight for the Huskies who improve to 16-1 overall and remain undefeated in conference play at 7-0.  Keene State drops to 11-6 with the loss and 4-3 in the LEC.

In a game were finding the basket was a struggle for both teams, Dixon was zeroed in, knocking down 5-of-8 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line.  Senior forward Josalee Danieli (New Gloucester,Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) added 10 points as the only other USM player
in double-figures.  Sophomore guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine)chipped in with eight points and matched her career-high with eight assists.

Keene State sophomore forward Nicole Simmler (Oxford, Mass./Oxford)paced the Owls with 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds.  Senior guard Danielle Graveley (Schenectady, N.Y.) added nine points and sophomore guard Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) tossed in eight points.

Southern Maine used a solid defensive effort to build up a 16-point (31-15) lead at the half and led by 17 (56-39) with 5:10 remaining before withstanding an offensive push from the Owls for the 58-53 win.

USM held the Owls to just two points on a jumper from sophomore guard Alyssa Sapp (Hartford, Vt.) over the first seven minutes of the game forcing Keene State into eight turnovers and an 1-for-6 effort from the field.  During that same stretch USM scored 14 points, receiving
contributions from five different players.

Keene State continued to struggle for most of the half and did not cross the double-digit mark until junior guard Michelle Boudreau (Readsboro, Vt.)  canned a three-pointer with 5:19 on the clock.  KSC cut the USM lead to seven (22-15) on its next possession when Degou sank a three of her own, but USM rebounded to outscore the Owls 9-0 in the
final 4:49 of the game for the 31-15 lead.

In the second half USM maintained between a 12-17 point advantage for two-thirds of the stanza and was ahead 56-39 following a jumper from Dixon with 5:10 to play.  The Owls then outscored USM 11-0 over the next four minutes and 50 seconds to trail by six (56-50) led by five points each from Simmler and Degou.  USM missed its all three of its shots during the run and committed five of its 17 turnovers in the game.

Keene's Boudreau, who scored the Owls' 11th point in the run, failed to convert the second and USM senior forward Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington, Vt.) boarded the miss.  Forced to foul, Keene State put Husky junior guard Stacey Kent (Northwood, N.H./Coe-Brown Academy)
to the line and she calmly sank both free throws for a 58-50 USM lead with nine seconds to play.  Boudreau drained a last-second three for theOwls for the 58-53 final.   Kent finished the game with seven points, while Kynoch added four points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

USM finished the game shooting just 36.5 percent (19-for-52) from the field.  Keene State shot 34.5 percent (20-for-58).  USM held the advantage at the free throw line making 13-of-17 (76.5 percent) compared to a 5-for-8 mark (62.5 percent) for the Owls.

Southern Maine returns to action on the road at Plymouth State University on Tuesday (Jan. 29) at 5:30 p.m. for an LEC game.  Keene State College travels to Eastern Connecticut on the same day and time.

(Courtesy USM Sports Information)