KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College women's basketball team went without a field goal for over eight minutes in the first half and was held to 32 percent shooting overall in the game – including a 2-for-15 mark from three – as the University of Southern Maine won for the first time since their season opener by a 59-43 final in Little East Conference action Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Records

• Keene State:  3-5, 0-1 LEC
• Southern Maine:  2-6, 1-0 LEC

How It Happened
The Owls went ahead 5-0 on a three-point play by Rylee Burgess and bucket by Aryanna Murray in the opening three minutes (the second consecutive game building a 5-0 lead), but then did not score again from the field until Samantha Lee's three-pointer with 8:41 left in the second quarter as USM at one point scored 12 consecutive points to surge in front before three free throws by Hailey Derosia with no time left in the first made it a four-point game (12-8) after one.  KSC expanded their run to 10-0 early in the second to retake the lead as Murray made it 15-12 at the 7:14 mark, but then another drought commenced as they went three minutes without a basket, allowing the Huskies to jump back ahead by three.  They wound up never trailing again as Keene State shot season-low percentages from the field and three-point range.  Tied at 21 after Murray's triple with 2:26 remaining, Michelle Rowe, who scored a game and career-high 24 points (8-9 FG, 1-2 3-PT, 7-7 FT) while grabbing seven rebounds, closed the half with five in a row as Southern Maine went in front 26-21.  Rowe had 11 points in the half, making 3-of-4 shots from the floor and all five of her free throws.  The Huskies made 11-of-13 free throws in an opening 20 minutes where both teams shot under 30 percent.

It did not get much better for Keene State early in the third, as the Huskies came out of the locker room and extended their burst to 14-2 within the first four minutes to push their edge into double-figures (35-23) for the first time, and the Owls got within single digits just once after that on Jenny Freedman's layup that made it 38-29 with 4:27 to go in the third.  Franny Ramsdell connected from three about a minute later to make it a 12-point game after KSC missed a chance to get within seven, and the Huskies wound up taking a 46-33 advantage through three after Jackie Luckhardt's circus, floating three beat the buzzer.  USM put the Owls out of the game for good by scoring seven of the first nine points in the fourth to make it 53-35.  KSC scored just eight points in the final 6:48, and did not score at all in the last 4:24 after Jackie Alibrandi's jumper drew them within striking distance at 53-43.  The Owls hurt themselves by committing 23 turnovers and making just 9-of-18 from the free throw line.  They are shooting 55.6 percent from the charity stripe this season and 45 percent during their current three-game slide.  KSC shot at least 40 percent from the field in each of their first five games this season, but has been below that mark in each of the last three games.  Today was the first time they were never within single-digits in the fourth quarter of a loss, and it came against a USM team that flipped the script after losing six straight while shooting a league-worst 29 percent as a team and 21.5 percent from three (7th in league).  They shot 38 percent (20-for-53) today, including a 13-for-29 mark in the second half where they outscored KSC 33-22.  USM also made 15-for-18 from the foul line and won on the glass 39-28.

Keene State was paced by 10 points apiece from Murray (4-10 FG, six rebounds) and Derosia (3-7 FG, 4-5 FT).  Alibrandi had six points and six assists, but the Owls fell to 2-3 at home.  They were also hampered by foul trouble all day, as Derosia fouled out and Rylee Burgess and Samantha Lee each had four, three in the first half.

Inside the Paint

• Murray has scored in double-figures in two of the last three games, shooting 11 for 21 overall and 6-for-11 from three and grabbing 10 rebounds in the process.
• Burgess and Lee have been an efficient post duo for the Owls thus far this season, combining to shoot 53 percent from the floor (52-for-98) and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Since winning four straight in the series by an average of 14 points per game, KSC has lost six of eight in the series and been held under 50 points in seven of those contests.

Up Next

• Keene State visits Plymouth State University (1-4, 0-1 LEC) for a league game on Wednesday, December 8.  Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.  The Panthers have lost three straight, all by at least 10, including a 67-57 result at Western Connecticut State University this afternoon.
• Southern Maine entertains Rhode Island College (5-4, 1-0 LEC) in Gorham, Maine on the same night (5:30 p.m.).