GORHAM, Maine  1/29/11– Senior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) knocked down a three-pointer with two seconds remaining to break a tie ball game and deliver the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 72-69 win over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine.

            The win is the eighth straight for the Huskies who improve to 13-6 overall and 8-1 in the Little East Conference.  Southern Maine snapped Keene State's four-game winning streak and the loss drops the Owls' record to 10-10 overall and 3-6 in the conference. 

            DeMillo's clutch three-pointer was her third of the game as the 5-7 guard finished the game with 13 points, four rebounds and five assists.  Junior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) and junior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) each scored 18 points for the Huskies.  Garland was lights out from three-point range knocking down 5-of-7 from beyond the arc en route to her career-high total.  Cochran helped USM control the paint on a 7-for-14 effort from the field, while snagging a game-high 12 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season. 

            Junior forward Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn./Windsor Locks) led all scorers with 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.  Cirillo, who recorded her eighth double-double of the season, finished the game 11-for-15 from the field.  Junior guard Meghan Farrell (Chester, Vt./Green Mountain) and junior guard Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) each scored 14 points for the Owls, while Farrell registered a double-double with 10 rebounds. 

            In a closely contested game that featured three lead changes and nine tied scores, DeMillo's 191st career three-pointer was the deciding factor.  Trailing the Huskies by two, 67-65, following an offensive rebound and a lay-up from USM senior forward Becky Dixon (Gardiner, Maine) with 2:37 to play, KSC's Cirillo came up with a steal and drove the length of the court to knot the score up for the eighth time, 67-67, with 1:41 on the clock. 

            After a missed possession on each end of the court, the Huskies' Cochran calmly sank two free throws with 43 seconds remaining for a narrow 69-67 lead.  However, the Owls' Farrell picked up a loose ball and scored the lay-up on the her team's next possession for the ninth tie score, 69-69 with 25 seconds to play. 

            On the next possession, USM used a time-out and freshman guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) penetrated the Owl defense and kicked the ball out for her sixth assist of the game to a waiting DeMillo for the three.  KSC had a long last-second attempt at the basket, but was unable to connect. 

            Keene State host Rhode Island College next Saturday (1:00 p.m.).  

(Courtesy USM Sports Information)