KEENE, N.H. 12/11/10 – The Keene State women's basketball team dropped a 65-57 Little East Conference game to the University of Southern Maine at Spaulding Gym on Saturday afternoon.

Junior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Me.) scored 14 points and sophomore Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Me.) finished with 13 points, including several key free throws down the stretch, to lead USM (5-4, 1-1) to its first LEC win of the season.

Junior guard Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) had a game-high 19 points and sophomore guard Siobhan Carnell (Quincy, Mass.) added 13 points to lead KSC (3-5, 0-2 LEC)

The Owls took their largest lead of the first half (15-8) on a three-pointer by Laudano.   KSC held on to the lead until the closing minutes of the half.

USM outscored KSC 8-2 over the final two minutes to take a 31-26 halftime lead. After making a steal, senior Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Me.) went in for lay-up that put USM up 25-24 with 2:10 to go.  She later hit a three-pointer from the corner. Garland, who had 11 first half points, knocked down a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Huskies continued to build on their lead in the second half. A coast-to-coast drive and basket by junior Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Me.) followed by a three-pointer by freshman Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) made it 43-31 at the 13:31 mark.

The Owls cut the lead to two points (44-42) on a pair of free throws by Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.) with 8:31 to go.

The game was decided in the final minutes of play. After Laudano hit a pair of free throws to make it a one point game (57-56) with 1:48 to play, freshman Lindsay Fox (Oxford, Me.) hit a lay-up to make it 59-56 with 1:11 to go.

McNamara and Jordan hit throws in the closing seconds to give USM the win.       

Cirillo contributed 11 points and seven rebounds for KSC.

Nicholas finished with 12 points and junior Courtney Cochran (Waite, Me.) had a game high eight rebounds for USM.

KSC shot 33% from the field (15-46) while USM was 41% (21-51).  The Owls hit five of their 14 three-points (36%). USM connected on six of its 25 three-point shots (24%).

KSC is off until Jan. 2 when it plays Tufts at the Springfield College tournament.

USM's next game is Dec. 30 against Occidental College at the Disneyland Classic.