################################################################################
SEASON COMPLETED
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Monday, March 27, 2006
Marble Named ECAC Division III Women's New England Player of the Year
Marble and Myles Earn ECAC Division III New England Honors
GORHAM, Maine - Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
and junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) of the University
of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team each were named to the ECAC
Division III Women's New England Basketball All-Star First Team that was
released late Friday afternoon.
In addition, Marble, a 2006 Kodak/WBCA Division III All-American, was
tabbed as the ECAC Division III Women's New England Player of the Year.
Selections were made following a vote by ECAC coaches.
"Meg and Ashley were instrumental in our success this season," commented
veteran USM head coach Gary Fifield. "Aside from their statistical
achievements, they have been leaders for us on and off of the court. They are
both very versatile players who were able to make key plays at both ends of the
floor for us throughout the season and throughout the NCAA tournament. They are
both very deserving of these honors."
Marble led the Huskies in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.2
points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She shot an outstanding 54.0 percent (209-
for-387) from the field. She posted 15 double-doubles during the season, and
earned numerous post-season accolades, including being named the Little East
Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season. Marble also was
named the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year and
was selected as a D3hoops.com First Team All-American.
Myles, Southern Maine's second leading scorer and rebounder, averaged 13.4
points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She shot 46.9 percent (179-382) from the
floor. The 5-foot-11 forward, who was named second team All-ECAC last season,
led Southern Maine in blocked shots (35) and steals (67) and was fourth on the
team in assists with 70. A three-time first team All-Little East Conference
selection, Myles finished her career with 1,325 points, 641 rebounds and 238
assists. Myles' career points total is seventh all time in USM history.
Southern Maine finished the 2006 season with a 32-2 mark attaining a
school-record for wins in a season while capturing its tenth consecutive Little
East Conference championship. The Huskies, making their 20th appearance in the
NCAA tournament, advanced to the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball
National Championship game.
2006 ECAC Division III Women's New England Basketball All-Stars
First Team
F Ashley Marble Southern Maine Jr.
C Meg Coffin Bates Jr.
C Estrella Kuilan Salem State Sr.
F Megan Myles Southern Maine Sr.
F Caitlin Malcolm Brandeis Jr.
Second Team
F Eileen Flaherty Bowdoin Jr.
F Justine Pouravelis Bowdoin Sr.
G Allison Flynn Norwich Sr.
F Courtney Parvin Springfield Sr.
F Hannah Stubbs Wesleyan Sr.
Honorable Mention
F/G Alyssa Burns Maine Maritime Jr.
F Kari Simpson Maine-Farmiongton Jr.
C Jonee Billy Mt. Holyoke Sr.
Player of the Year
Ashley Marble, Southern Maine
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Saturday, March 18, 2006
(Courtesy of Mark Jacobs, Springfield College Sports Information)
Hope College Downs Southern Maine, 69-56,
To Capture NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- In front of a sellout crowd at Springfield College's
Blake Arena, the Hope College Flying Dutch captured the 2006 NCAA Division III
Women's Basketball Tournament Championship, defeating the Huskies from the
University of Southern Maine, 69-56.
It is the second NCAA Division III Women's Basketball title in Hope's
program history, as the Flying Dutch last won in 1990, but first under 10-year
head coach Brian Morehouse. In winning the NCAA crown, Hope ran off an
impressive 30-game winning streak while posting a school-record 33 wins on the
campaign, as the Flying Dutch snapped Southern Maine's 24-game winning streak.
Coach Morehouse, in the post-game press conference said, "Springfield
College has been an extremely tremendous host,...I could not imagine more of a
well-run tournament." He later added about the game, "All I had to do was push
a couple of buttons and the players did all of the hard work. I love my
players, I love my coaches, and this season has been a great journey."
Hope was led by senior guard Bria Ebels (Holland, Mich.), who was named the
Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. Ebels did it all for the Flying Dutch in
the win over Southern Maine, scoring a team-best 18 points while adding six
rebounds, four assists, and four steals. In the two Final Four games, Ebels
scored 33 points and totaled nine steals on the way to being named the MOP of
the weekend.
Joining Ebels on the All-Tournament Team this weekend was Hope junior guard
Julie Henderson (Grand Haven, Mich.), Southern Maine junior forward Ashley
Marble (Topsfield, Maine) and senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine), and
Scranton junior guard Taryn Mellody (Dunmore, Pa.).
Southern Maine ends its outstanding 2005-2006 season with a 32-2 overall
mark as this was the Huskies' second-straight trip to the Final Four, and fifth
during under head coach Gary FiField's 19-year tenure.
Myles led all scorers in the championship contest with 23 points as she was
just one rebound short of a double-double, with nine caroms. Marble grabbed a
game-high 15 rebounds while adding eight points before fouling out late in the
game. Marble averaged a total of 16 rebounds on the weekend as she collected 17
last night (Mar. 17) against Hardin-Simmons. Myles scored 23 points in both
games for the Huskies this weekend.
The first half of this championship tilt was neck-and-neck, as neither team
led by more than six points as the score was 33-30 in favor of the Flying Dutch
heading into the locker room. The beginning stages of the second half were no
different, as Southern Maine pulled to within one (41-40) with 12:09 left in
regulation off of a Marble lay-up.
At that moment, however, the tide of the game switched to Hope's favor, as
the Flying Dutch went on an extended 21-12 run over the next 10 minutes of play
to build a 10-point lead, at 62-52, with just 2:09 left on the clock. That
second-half run would seal the championship for Hope, as the Flying Dutch won by
a final of 13 points, 69-56.
Commenting on the championship game in the post-game press conference,
Myles added, "It hurts to end your career on a loss and so close to what you
dream of, but as coach said, we can't let one game define the season. I feel
fortunate to be a part of something so special."
FiField, commenting about Hope College, said, "They are as good a Division
III team as I have ever seen,...they could beat a lot of Division I teams, they
are that good."
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Friday, March 17, 2006
Myles, Marble Lead USM to Title Game
Huskies Defeat Hardin-Simmons, 74-65
Southern Maine Plays Hope College on Saturday for the Championship
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The University of Southern Maine is one win away
from its first national championship.
Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little HS) had a double
double with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds, and junior All-America
forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland HS) added a double-double with
22 points and a game-high 17 rebounds as top-ranked Southern Maine held off
upset-minded Hardin-Simmons (Abilene, Texas) 74-65 in a semifinal round game of
the 25th NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Friday at Springfield
College's Blake Arena.
The Huskies, who placed third in the national tournament last year, will
face Hope College, a 59-56 winner over the University of Scranton, in Saturday's
championship game. It is the third time in USM history that the Huskies have
reached the NCAA National Championship game finishing as runners-up in 1998 and
2000.
Southern Maine (32-1) set a school record for wins and ran its winning
streak to 24 games, but it wasn't easy.
Unranked Hardin-Simmons, the Cinderella team in this year's tournament,
trailed by nine at half-time (32-23) and appeared on its way to a lopsided
defeat after falling behind by 18 (45-27) with 16:23 left in the game.
The Cowgirls didn't quit and staged a remarkable comeback outscoring the
Huskies 26-10 over an 8:55 stretch to pull within two at 55-53 when sophomore
guard Rachel Cisneroz (DeLeon, Texas/DeLeon) connected on a three-pointer with
7:28 left in the game.
Southern Maine received a big lift from junior guard Katie Sibley
(Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) who scored on a pair of driving lay-ups that
increased the lead to 61-55 at the 4:39 mark.
Marble hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to put the Huskies ahead
64-57 on their next possession before Cisneroz fired home a trey to cut the
margin to four (64-60) with 3:48 left.
Myles made a jumper for a six-point advantage before junior guard Lyssa
Dennard (Decatur, Texas/Decatur) grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a lay-
up to bring the Cowgirls within 66-62 with 1:36 remaining.
Myles then took over and drilled a clutch three-pointer with the shot clock
winding down with 43.2 seconds left for a 69-62 lead before adding a free throw
15 seconds later for a 70-62 cushion.
Hardin-Simmons sophomore guard Rachael Singletary (Weatherford,
Texas/Weatherford) connected on a long three-pointer with 20 seconds left before
Sibley made four free throws in the final 18.3 seconds to send the Huskies to
the championship game for the first time since 2000.
"At the half, we as a coaching staff felt that Hardin-Simmons was going to
make a run," said veteran Southern Maine coach Gary Fifield. "They are too good
of a team to not make a run and I knew that we would have to weather it. When
they cut the lead from 18 to 2, I got nervous, but we did weather it and I can't
be prouder of the team.
"The chemistry and focus of this team is outstanding. They have worked hard
all year," he added.
As for Marble who was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
(WBCA) Division III All-America Thursday night, it was game she'll never forget.
"Basketball in Maine is a way of life and we have support from little kids
through grandparents."
Hardin-Simmons coach Shanna Briggs felt her team displayed a lot of
character in giving the Huskies (who had a 29.1 winning margin coming into the
game) a scare. "We had a great run and we came up short, but our girls gave
everything they had to fight back and make it a game. We didn't play our best in
the first half, but we battled back. We showed the heart we have played with in
the tournament and even before that. Southern Maine is a great team."
Sibley finished with 13 points, making all five free throws as the Huskies
made 15-of-19 charity shots (78.9%). Southern Maine also shot 42.9% from the
field and out-rebounded the Cowgirls by a 48-33 margin. Junior forward Shannon
Kynoch (South Burlington, Vermont/South Burlington HS) gave the Huskies a lift
off the bench scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds in 19 minutes of
action.
Senior center Sonya West (Plano, Texas/McMurry) led four Hardin-Simmons
players in double figures with 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for a
double double. Junior center Melissa Henley (Baird, TX) added 11 points while
Cisneroz while junior guard Lindsay Thompson (Eula, TX) provided a spark off the
bench with 10 points after making 4-of-6 shots from the field, including a pair
of three-pointers.
The Cowgirls (24-6) will play Scranton in the third-place contest Saturday
at 12:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Ashley Marble Named Kodak/WBCA Division III All-American
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland
HS) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball has been
named to the ten-member Kodak/WBCA Division III All-American squad that was
announced Thursday night at a banquet for the final four teams participating in
the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championship Finals this Friday and Saturday
at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass.
Marble is the first USM player to receive WBCA All-American honors since
Joanna Brown was selected for the 1998 team, and just the fifth in the storied
history of the USM program since the WBCA began the awards in 1983. The other
WBCA All-Americans from USM include Maureen Burchill in 1983 and 1985, Diana
Duff in 1989 and Laura Pate in 1991.
Joining Marble on the 2006 All-American team are junior Eileen Flaherty of
Bowdoin College, senior Erika Eisenhut of Union College, junior Taryn Mellody of
the University of Scranton, senior Megan Silva of Randolph-Macon College, senior
Leigh Sulkowski of Washington and Jefferson, senior Sara Heitkamp of Capital
University, senior Kelly Manning of Washington University (Mo.), junior Kelsey
Duoss of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and senior Anna Heikenen of the
College of St. Benedict.
It was also announced that Silva had been selected as the WCBA Division III
Player of the Year and Hope College head coach Brian Morehouse had been named as
the Division III Russell Athletic/WBCA Division III Coach of the Year. USM head
coach Gary Fifield was the recipient of the Coach of the Year Award last year
and was among the finalist this year.
Marble, a 5-foot-9 forward, has played in all 32 games this season,
averaging 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. She is shooting 54.3 percent
(197-of-363) from the floor, including 45.5 percent (30-of-66) from beyond the
three-point arc, and 72.2 percent (130-180) from the foul line.
Among the other awards that Marble has received for her outstanding play
during the 2005-06 season are the Little East Conference Player of the Year, the
Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Player of the Year, and the
D3Hoops.com Northeast Region Player of the Year. She was named to all three
organizations first all-star teams. She also was named Little East Conference
Player of the Week on three occasions and the Most Outstanding Player in the LEC
championship tournament.
Southern Maine, 31-1 overall and riding a 23-game win streak, will play in
the NCAA Division III national semifinals Friday afternoon (4:00 p.m.) against
Hardin-Simmons College. The winner advances to the national championship game
on Saturday (3:00 p.m.).
2006 Kodak/WBCA Division III All-Americans
Name School Year Pos
Kelsey Duoss University of Wisconsin-Stout Jr. C
Erika Eisenhut Union College (NY) Sr. G
Eileen Flaherty Bowdoin Colletge Jr. C
Anna Heikenen College of St. Benedict Sr. F
Sara Heitkamp Capital University Sr. G
Kelly Manning Washington University (Mo.) Sr. G/F
Ashley Marble University of Southern Maine Jr. F
Taryn Mellody University of Scranton Jr. G
Megan Silva Randolph-Macon College Sr. G
Leigh Sulkowski Washington & Jefferson Sr. G
Player of the Year
Megan Silva, Senior, Guard, Randolph-Macon College
Russell Athletic/WCBA Division III Coach of the Year
Brian Morehouse, Hope College
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Wednesday, March 16, 2006
Marble, Myles and Fifield Earn D3hoops.com Honors
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
and senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) of the University
of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team each were named to the
D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region Team released Tuesday.
Players were nominated by and voted upon by the sports information
directors at the schools within the region.
Gary Fifield, in his 19th season at the helm of the USM women's basketball
team, was selected as the Northeast Region Coach of the Year.
Marble, who was recently named one of the 40 finalists for the NCAA
Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team, was selected as the
Northeast Region Player of the Year by D3hoops.com and was selected to All-
Northeast Region First Team. Myles, a three-time Little East Conference first
team selection, was named All-Northeast Region Third Team.
"Meg and Ashley have been leaders for us both on and off of the court,"
commented Fifield. "Their hard work and execution at both ends of the floor
have been vital to the team's success this season and throughout their careers.
They are both very deserving of their awards."
Marble leads the Huskies in rebounding and scoring, averaging 17.3 points
and 9.5 rebounds per game. She is shooting a team-leading 54.3 percent (197-
363) from the field, including 45.5 percent (30-for-66) from three-point range.
From the charity stripe, Marble is shooting 72.2 percent (130-180).
Myles, Southern Maine's second leading scorer and rebounder averaging 12.8
points and 5.6 rebounds per game, is shooting a solid 47.5 percent (163-343)
from the floor. She leads Southern Maine in blocked shots (35) and steals (64)
and is fourth on the team in assists with 68.
Fifield, a 12-time Little East Conference Coach of the Year, recently was
named the WBCA Region One Coach of the Year. Last year, Fifield was selected as
WBCA's Division III National Coach of the Year.
Southern Maine (31-1) will play Hardin-Simmons University (24-5) in the
2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship semifinals
Friday (March 17) at 4:00 p.m. at Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield
College in Springfield, Mass.
D3hoops.com Women's All-Northeast Region Team
First team
Pos Name School Yr. Hometown
G Sarah Barton Bates So. Portsmouth, N.H.
G Andrea Comen Clark Sr. Holden, Mass.
F Ashley Marble Southern Maine Jr. Topsfield, Maine
F Eileen Flaherty Bowdoin Jr. Fairfield, Conn.
C Meg Coffin Bates Jr. Westford, Mass.
Second team
Pos Name School Yr. Hometown
G Natalie Moyer Coast Guard So. Oklahoma City, Okla.
G Jaime Capra Brandeis So. Old Bridge, N.J.
F Caitlin Malcolm Brandeis Jr. Windsor Locks, Conn.
F Courtney Parvin Springfield Sr. Brackney, Pa.
F Justine Pouravelis Bowdoin Sr. Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Third team
Pos Name School Yr. Hometown
G Allison Flynn Norwich So. Salem, Mass.
G Colleen Hession Williams Sr. Northampton, Mass.
F Megan Myles Southern Maine Sr. Auburn, Maine
F Cheyenne Noble Wentworth Tech Jr. Murrysville, Pa.
F Maggie Miller Williams Jr. Wellesley, Mass.
Player of the Year: Ashley Marble, Southern Maine
Coach of the Year: Gary Fifield, Southern Maine
################################################################################
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Southern Maine's Fifield Named WBCA Region One Coach of the Year
GORHAM, Maine -- University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball
head coach Gary Fifield has been named the Russell Athletic/WBCA Division III
Region One Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
(WBCA). The announcement was made Tuesday in a press release by the WBCA.
Fifield and seven other Regional Coach of the Year winners are now
finalists in the national level of the selection process for the WBCA's National
Coach of the Year award. The winners of the WBCA National Coach of the Year
for each division will be honored on Tuesday, April 4 at 12 p.m. (CST) during
the Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year Luncheon in the Hynes Convention
Center Ballroom, which is part of the 2006 WBCA National Convention.
In his 19th season at USM, Fifield has been named the WBCA Region One
Coach of the Year on four occasions, earning the honor in 1992, 1998 and 2002.
Fifield has guided the Huskies to a 31-1 overall record, tying the school record
for wins in a season, including a perfect 14-0 regular season record in the
Little East Conference, the team's tenth consecutive LEC tournament championship
and its fifth berth in the NCAA "Final Four" (1988, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006).
Southern Maine, winners of 23 consecutive games, will play Hardin-Simmons
University in the national semifinals Friday (March 17) afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
The NCAA Division III national semifinals and finals are being hosted by
Springfield College in Springfield, Mass.
During his 19 seasons with the Huskies, Fifield has guided his teams to a
489-78 (.862 winning percentage) record, 17 shared or outright Little East
Conference regular season titles and 16 LEC tournament championships, including
the last 10 straight. His teams have advanced to postseason play every year
that he has been the head coach.
Among his numerous awards, Fifield has earned or shared the LEC Coach of
the Year award 12 times (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003
2004, 2005 and 2006). In 2003, Fifield was inducted into the New England
Basketball Hall of Fame.
Prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, Fifield lead the nation in
winning percentage among active NCAA Division III women's basketball coaches who
have five or more seasons of experience (18 seasons, 457-77, .856 winning
percentage). His 400th career win came during the 2003-2004 season when the
Huskies defeated Bates College.
Southern Maine has continued its winning tradition in the 2005-2006
season, winning the LEC regular season title and capturing its tenth consecutive
tournament crown with a 71-55 win over Eastern Connecticut State University in
the championship game. The Huskies also extended their NCAA Division III record
with their 26th consecutive season of 20-or-more wins. The Huskies began their
record-setting run under former USM coach Richard "Doc" Costello during the
1980-81 season.
Fifield began his coaching career at Canaan Memorial High School in 1974
guiding the boys' team to a 31-31 mark over three seasons. He moved on to South
Royalton High School as the boys' coach from 1977-82, and again in 1986-87,
compiling a 74-34 record. In between, he served as an assistant men's coach for
one season at Dartmouth College and the men's head coach at Vermont Technical
College for three seasons, rolling up a 41-33 record.
RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Division III
Regional Coach of the Year Winners Listed by Region
Region 1
Gary Fifield, University of Southern Maine
Region 2
Phillip Kahler, Saint John Fischer College
Region 3
Deena Applebury, University of Mary Washington
Region 4
Michael Strong, University of Scranton
Region 5
Carroll LaHaye, Randolph-Macon College
Region 6
Kris Huffman, DePauw University
Region 7
Nancy Fahey, Washington University
Region 8
Brian Niemuth, Simpson College
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Monday, March 13, 2006
WBCA Announces Finalists for NCAA Division III All-America Team
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland
HS) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team is among
the 40 finalists announced Monday by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
(WBCA) for its 2006 Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team for NCAA Division
III.
The finalists, who are voted upon by the WBCA member coaches in each of the
eight WBCA geographic regions, are now in the running for selection to the
10-member All-America team that will be announced Thursday night at the NCAA
Division III Banquet of Champions.
Joining Marble as finalists from Region One are Meg Coffin of Bates
College, Eileen Flaherty of Bowdoin College, Estrella Kuilan of Salem State
College and Caitlin Malcolm of Brandeis University.
Marble, a 5-9 forward, has earned numerous honors throughout the season and
was recently named the 2006 Little East Conference and Maine Women's Basketball
Coaches Association (MWBCA) Player of the Year. Marble, who also earned first
team All-LEC and MWBCA All-State honors, was named the Most Outstanding Player
in the LEC championship tournament after helping the Huskies to their tenth
consecutive crown. She led USM to a pair of wins last weekend, including a
56-53 win over in-state rival Bowdoin College, in the NCAA Sectional Tournament
to help the Huskies earned their second straight trip, and fifth all-time, to
the NCAA Division III "Final Four".
Marble leads USM in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.3 points and
9.5 rebounds per game. She is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor (197-of-
363), including 45.5 percent (30-of-66) from three-point range. From the free
throw line, Marble is converting 71.4 percent of her attempts (120-of-168).
Southern Maine is currently 31-1 overall and will play Hardin-Simmons
University (24-5) in the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National
Championship semifinals at 4:00 p.m. at Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield
College in Springfield, Mass.
The 40 finalists by region are listed below.
WBCA NCAA Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team Finalists
Region 1
Player Institution Class Position
Meg Coffin Bates College Jr. Center
Eileen Flaherty Bowdoin College Jr. Center
Estrella Kuilan Salem State College Sr. Center
Caitlin Malcolm Brandeis University Jr. Center
Ashley Marble University of Southern Maine Jr. Forward
Region 2
Emily Bango University of Rochester Jr. Guard
Kathy Baum Saint John Fischer College Sr. Guard
Erika Eisenhut Union College Sr. Guard
Melissa Hartman Saint John Fischer College Sr. Center
Annie Verdino SUNY-Geneseo So. Forward
Region 3
Deborah Bruen University of Mary Washington Jr. Forward
Elizabeth Hickey University of Mary Washington So. Center
Randi Jones Marymount Sr. Guard
Stephanie Machin Montclair State University Jr. Forward
Chireese Paradise Bernard M. Baruch College So. Guard
Region 4
Kelly Applegate Moravian College Jr. Center
Eli Cook Messiah College Sr. Guard
Elizabeth Jordan King's College Sr. Forward
Allison Matt University of Scranton Jr. Guard
Taryn Mellody University of Scranton Jr. Guard
Region 5
Meia Daniels Howard Payne University So. Guard
Staci Humphrey Greensboro College Jr. Guard
Marsha Kinder Bridgewater (Va.) College Sr. Guard
Tarra Richardson McMurry University So. Center
Megan Silva Randolph-Macon College Sr. Guard
Region 6
Nikki Altenweg Baldwin-Wallace College Sr. Guard
Liz Bondi DePauw University Sr. Forward
Bria Ebels Hope College Sr. Guard
Sara Heitkamp Capital University Sr. Guard
Leigh Sulkowski Washington & Jefferson Sr. Guard
Region 7
Danielle Beehler Washington University Sr. Forward
Karlyn Dehn Ripon College Sr. Center
Kelsey Duoss University of Wisconsin-Stout Jr. Center
Kelly Manning Washington University Sr. Guard/Forward
Jill Trenz Wheaton College So. Center
Region 8
Anna Heikenen College of St. Benedict Sr. Forward
Katie Maquire Buena Vista University Sr. Guard
Bri Honahan Gustavus Adolphus College Jr. Center
Lauren Stroot California Lutheran University Sr. Forward
Megan Vig Carleton College Sr. Forward
################################################################################
Saturday, March 11, 2006
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship - Sectional Final
Final Four Bound, Southern Maine Tops Bowdoin 56-53
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
led all scorers with 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead the University of
Southern Maine Huskies to a 56-53, come-from-behind victory over the Bowdoin
College Polar Bears in the Sectional Final (fourth round) of the 2006 NCAA
Division III Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament Saturday night
before a standing-room only crowd at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
With the win, the Huskies advance to the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's
Basketball Finals at Springfield College's Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass.
The win was the Huskies' 23rd consecutive victory of the season and 52nd
straight at home, and tied the school record for wins in a season. USM, 31-1
heading into the national semifinals, is making its fifth trip to the Division
III final four. Bowdoin, which had its 17-game winning streak snapped,
concludes its season with a record of 27-3.
Southern Maine will play Hardin-Simmons on Friday, March 17 at either 4:00
or 6:00 p.m. The national championship game will be played on Saturday, March
18 at 3:00 p.m. following the third place game at 12:30 p.m. In the other
national semifinal will be Scranton University and Hope College.
In a closely contested game that featured eight tie scores and 14 lead
changes, the Huskies were able to pull off the final surge to earn the victory.
After an offensive rebound and a layup from Bowdoin junior forward Eileen
Flaherty (Fairfield, Conn./Lauralton Hall) with 1:44 remaining on the game-clock
gave the Polar Bears a 53-52 lead, Southern Maine's used a key basket by Marble
and a steal from senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) to
seal the win.
On the Huskies next possession after Flaherty's bucket, Marble hustled her
way to her sixth offensive board and then powered her way for the put-back to
retrieve the Huskies' lead 54-53. Bowdoin sophomore Marissa Berne (Falmouth,
Maine/Catherine McAuley) missed a three on the Polar Bears next play and Marble
grabbed the defensive rebound with 50 seconds remaining. Bowdoin was able to
bottle up the Huskies offense and forced a shot clock violation to regain
possession with 15 seconds left.
With the clock winding down, Bowdoin junior guard Katie Cummings (Summit,
N.J./Oak Knoll) drove the length of the floor and attempted a pass into the
paint, but Myles stepped into the lane and picked off the pass. Forced to foul,
Bowdoin put Myles to the line and she calmly drained both free throws to put the
Huskies ahead 56-53 with five seconds to play. Bowdoin senior guard Vanessa
Russell (Tewksbury, Mass./Governor Dummer) attempted a long-range three, but it
was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
In the opening half, Southern Maine jumped out to an early 7-1 advantage
before Bowdoin countered with a 20-7 run to take a 21-14 lead eight minutes into
the game. Flaherty had five points during the run and junior guard Julia Loonin
(New York, N.Y./Berkeley Carroll) added a pair of three-point shots.
Southern Maine came back with a 10-1 run of its own to regain the edge, 24-
22, on a layup by Marble. Marble had seven of the Huskies' 10 points during the
run.
Two ties and two lead changes occurred over the next four minutes before
Bowdoin went on a 7-2 spurt, capped off by a Flaherty three-pointer, to take a
36-31 lead. Two free throws by Marble with one second remaining left Bowdoin
with a 36-33 lead at the break.
Marble was the only player in double-figures for the Huskies, scoring her
25 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 effort from
the free throw line. Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) added
seven points and two assists for the Huskies while Myles chipped in with six
points, seven rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots. Senior guard Donna
Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine/Erskine Academy) and junior guard Katie Sibley
(Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) added five points each, while Sibley passed
off a team-high four assists.
Flaherty paced the Polar Bears with 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds,
including five offensive boards. Senior forward Justine Pouravelis (Old Orchard
Beach, Maine/Old Orchard Beach) tallied a double-double with 12 points and a
team-high 11 rebounds. Cummings chipped in with nine points while Loonin added
eight points.
Both teams had solid defensive efforts to disrupt each other's offense.
Bowdoin finished the game shooting 32.2 percent (20-for-62) while the Huskies
fared slightly better shooting 37 percent (17-for-46). Southern Maine, however,
shot 6-of-14 from three-point range (42.9 percent) while Bowdoin, making six
threes as well, shot just 26.1 percent from beyond the arc attempting 23 three-
pointers in the contest. Southern Maine bested the Polar Bears on the free
throw line sinking 84.2 percent of its attempts (16-for-19) compared to 58.2
percent (7-for-12) from Bowdoin.
################################################################################
Friday, March 10, 2006
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship - Third Round
Southern Maine Downs Bridgewater College, 68-55
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
recorded her 25th career double-double scoring 21 points and grabbing 12
rebounds, both game-high totals, to lead the University of Southern Maine
Huskies to a 68-55 win over the Bridgewater (Va.) College Eagles in the third
round of the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament
Friday night at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win is the 22nd consecutive for the Huskies who improve to 30-1 with.
Bridgewater concludes its season with a record of 24-7. Southern Maine will
host the Bowdoin College Polar Bears Saturday (March 11) at 7:00 p.m. in the
Sectional Finals with the winning team advancing to the Division III National
Semifinals. Bowdoin defeated the University of Mary Washington Eagles
62-54 in the first game of the evening. Southern Maine defeated Bowdoin 64-55
in November at the Hill Gymnasium.
Marble was one of four USM players to score in double-figures as the
Huskies shot 43.6 percent (24-for-55) from the floor for the game. Senior
forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) played a solid all-around game
with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior guard
Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) was 3-for-6 from three-point range en route
to a 11-point, four-assist performance. Junior forward Shannon Kynoch (South
Burlington, Vermont/South Burlington) came off of the bench for the Huskies to
score 10 points and grab four rebounds.
Senior guard Marsha Kinder (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) led the Eagles
with 17 points, while junior guards Shannon Scales (Chesterfield,
Va./Commonwealth Christian) and Katy Herr (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) tossed
in 13 and 11 points each. Herr also had a team-high seven rebounds and four
steals.
With teams battling back and forth over the opening 12 minutes, the Huskies
clung to a slim 17-14 advantage (8:38 to play). Southern Maine broke open the
game with a 17-2 run to close out the half and take a 34-16 lead at the break.
Myles, who scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half, including five in the
run, sparked the Huskies.
In the second half, Marble controlled the paint for the Huskies, scoring
back-to-back lay-ups on assists from Frost and junior guard Katie Sibley
(Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) to put Southern Maine ahead by 22 (38-16) with
18:46 remaining. Marble scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half. The
Huskies continued to maintain a 16-20 point advantage for a majority of the half
before Bridgewater mounted a furious comeback bid in the final five minutes of
action.
Four consecutive free throws from Eagle freshman guard Tori Ruckman
(Verona, Va./Fort Defiance) starting at the 4:38 mark sparked Bridgewater to a
10-0 run over the next minute and a half to trail the Huskies by 11 (63-52).
Kinder and Scales connected on three-pointers in the run for the Eagles.
Myles halted Southern Maine's drought with a driving baseline jumper for
her only two points of the half to keep the Huskies ahead, 65-52, with 1:31 to
play. However, the Eagles' Kinder came right back knocking down her third
three-pointer of the night to cut the USM advantage to 10 (65-55) with 1:13
left.
Forced to foul, Bridgewater put USM senior guard Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills,
Maine/Erskine Academy) and she calmly connected on both to give the Huskies a
12-point cushion (67-55) with just over a minute left. The Huskies then
successfully ran out the clock on the Eagles with Marble making one of two free
throws for the 68-55 final.
Bridgewater finished the game shooting 29.3 percent (17-for-58) from the
field and 22.7 percent from three-point range. The Eagles were just 1-of-13
from beyond the arc in the opening half before connecting on 4-of-9 three-
pointers in the second half to finish with a 5-for-22 mark. Southern Maine out-
rebounded the Eagles 42-33.
################################################################################
Monday, March 6, 2006
Tickets for NCAA Sectional Round Games On Sale Wednesday
GORHAM, Maine - Advanced sale tickets for this weekend's NCAA Division III
Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Sectional round games being played at
the University of Southern Maine will go on sale this Wednesday (March 8) in the
lobby of the Costello Sports Complex on the Gorham campus. Tickets will be
available for both Friday and Saturday games.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens.
Children under 2 years of age will be admitted for free. Tickets will be on sale
from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Wednesday. Advanced sale of tickets will be on
Wednesday ONLY. All sales are cash only and there will be a limit of four
tickets per person. All sales are final. No telephone orders will be accepted.
Remaining tickets for Friday's Sectional semifinal games between the
University of Mary Washington and Bowdoin College (5:30 p.m.) and the University
of Southern Maine and Bridgewater (Va.) College (7:30 p.m.) will go on sale at
the door Friday starting at 3:30 p.m.
Remaining tickets for the Sectional Final game on Saturday (7:00 p.m.) will
go on sale at 5:00 p.m. at the door on Saturday.
################################################################################
Monday, March 6, 2006
Marble, Myles and Fifield Earn MWBCA Honors
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
and junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) of the University
of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team each were named to the Maine
Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) All-State first team in a vote by
member coaches.
Marble, who was recently named the Little East Conference Player of the
Year, was also selected as the MWBCA Player of the Year, while Southern Maine
head coach Gary Fifield was named the MWBCA Coach of the Year.
"Meg and Ashley have been an important part of our success during the
season," commented Fifield. "Aside from their statistical achievements, they
have been leaders for us on and off the court. They are both very deserving of
their awards."
Marble leads the Huskies in both rebounding and scoring averaging 16.9
points and 9.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a team-leading 53.3 percent
(180-for-338) from the field. Marble was named the MWBCA Player of the Week
three times (Jan. 16, Dec. 5 and Nov. 28). Marble was named to the MWBCA All-
Rookie Team in 2004.
Myles, Southern Maine's second leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 13.0
points and 5.5 rebounds per game, is earning MWBCA honors for the third
consecutive season. Myles was named to the MWBCA All-State second team in both
2005 and 2004. Myles, who is shooting a solid 49.4 percent (158-320) from the
floor leads Southern Maine in blocked shots (31) and steals (60) and is fourth
on the team in assists with 62.
Southern Maine hosts the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball
Tournament Sectional semifinals and finals Friday and Saturday (March 10-11).
The Huskies will face Bridgewater (Va.) College on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the
Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
2006 Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-State Team
First Team All-State
Ashley Marble Univ. of Southern Maine Junior Topsfield, Maine
Meg Coffin Bates College Junior Westford, Mass.
Megan Myles Univ. of Southern Maine Senior Auburn, Maine
Eileen Flaherty Bowdoin College Junior Fairfield, Conn.
Kari Simpson UMaine Farmington Junior Wells, Maine
Second Team All-State
Justine Pouravelis Bowdoin College Senior Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Alyssa Burns Maine Maritime Academy Junior Dixfield, Maine
Julia Knights Maine Maritime Academy Junior Brookton, Maine
Sarah Barton Bates College Sophomore Portsmouth, N.H.
Essie McKinnon Univ. of New England Senior South Portland, Maine
All-Rookie Team
Toby Martin Thomas College Freshman Wayne, Maine
Jill Anelauskas Bowdoin College Freshman Medfield, Mass.
Alli Gamache Univ. of New England Freshman Dudley, Mass.
Jackie Powers Bates College Freshman Andover, Mass.
Val Beckwith Bates College Freshman Woburn, Mass.
Player of the Year
Ashley Marble Univ. of Southern Maine Junior Topsfield, Maine
Rookie of the Year
Toby Martin Thomas College Freshman Wayne, Maine
Coach of the Year
Gary Fifield Univ. of Southern Maine
################################################################################
Sunday, March 5, 2006
USM to Host NCAA Sectional Tournament
Huskies Entertain Bridgewater (Va.) College
Bowdoin to Face the Univ. of Mary Washington
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine has been selected as one
of four sites to host Sectional semifinal and final games in the 2006 NCAA
Division III Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament this Friday and
Saturday (March 10 & 11) at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
The Huskies, 29-1 overall and champions of the Little East Conference, will
host Bridgewater (Va.) College (24-6) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the second of
two games to be played at Hill Gymnasium. Bowdoin College (28-2), champions of
the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), will play the
University of Mary Washington (29-1) at 5:30 p.m. Mary Washington finished as
the runner-up in the Capital Athletic Conference and received an at-large bid
into the NCAA tournament. The winners of Friday's two games will play at 7:00
p.m. on Saturday for the right to advance to the National Semifinals and Finals
March 17-18 at Springfield College.
Host sites for the Sectional Round of the 2006 NCAA Division IIII Women's
Basketball National Championship Tournament were announced Sunday afternoon by
Cathie Schweitzer, Director of Athletics at Springfield College and chairperson
of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee, and Donnie Wagner,
Assistant Director of Championships and NCAA liaison to the selection committee.
Other schools hosting Sectional Round games are the University of Scranton
(28-1) of the Freedom Conference, DePauw University (28-1) of the Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference and Pacific Lutheran University (24-3) of the
Northwest Conference. Scranton will host Rochester University, Baldwin-Wallace
and Williams College. DePauw will host Wheaton (Ill.), Washington University
and Hope College, while Pacific Lutheran will host Hardin-Simmons, Wisconsin-
Stout and Randolph-Macon.
NCAA Division III Sectional Round Schedule
Sectional Semifinal Games, Friday, March 10
Game One: Bowdoin (28-2) vs. Mary Washington (29-1) 5:30 p.m.
Game Two: Bridgewater (Va.) (24-6) at Southern Maine (29-1) 7:30 p.m.
Sectional Final, Saturday, March 11
Game Three Winner of Game One vs. Winner of Game Two 7:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Southern Maine Defeats Norwich 72-42, Moves on to Sweet Sixteen
Marble, Myles Combine for 47
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little
HS) and junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland HS) combined to
score 47 points as the University of Southern Maine Huskies pulled away from the
Norwich University Cadets in the second half for a 72-42 victory in a second
round game of the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship
Tournament Saturday night at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win is the 21st consecutive for the Huskies who improve to 29-1 and
advance to the Sectional Round of the tournament for the fourth consecutive
year, and 15th time overall. Norwich concludes its season with a record of
25-5.
Myles led all scorers with 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field,
including an outstanding 5-for-7 effort from three-point range, while grabbing
four rebounds, dishing off two assists, blocking two shots and making three
steals.
Marble tossed in 23 points for the Huskies and grabbed a game-high eight
rebounds to help the Huskies to a 38-29 advantage on the boards against the
taller Cadets. Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais HS) was the only
other USM player to score in double-figures chipping in 11 points.
Junior center Sarah Chap (Stockbridge, Vermont/Whitcomb HS) led the Cadets
with 14 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Kristi Powlovich (Jericho,
Vermont/Mount Mansfield HS) added 10 points and four rebounds. Freshman forward
Monica Selander (Caribou, Maine/Caribou HS) chipped in with seven points, four
rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and a steal.
Struggling through a rough offensive stretch in the first half while
shooting 31.3 percent from the field (10-for-32), the Huskies led the Cadets
31-19 at the half. After jumping out to a 10-2 lead, making five of their first
seven shots in the first four minutes of the game, the Huskies' shooting cooled
as they made just five of their next 25 shots over the final 16 minutes of the
opening half.
The second half was different story, however, as the Huskies came out on
fire scoring eight unanswered points led by back-to-back three-pointers by Myles
to quickly assume a 39-19 lead with 18:04 showing on the clock. Myles scored 15
of her 23 points in the second half and knocked down four of her six shots from
long range.
A jumper from Chap cut the deficit to 18, 39-21, but it was as close as the
Cadets would get the rest of the way as Southern Maine continued to click
offensively. Following Chap's basket, the Huskies outscored the Cadets 14-4
over the next five minutes to take a 53-25 lead with 12:40 remaining. Marble
and Myles each scored six points in the run.
The Cadets responded to cut the lead to 19 points (58-39) with 6:22 left in
the game following with an 11-4 run keyed by a three-pointer from freshman guard
Kayleigh Shappy (Burlington, Vermont/Burlington HS) and capped by a pair of free
throws by Selander. The Huskies responded with a 12-3 run over final six
minutes, including a pair of solid post moves from junior forward Lauren
Samuelson (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS), for the 72-42 final.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 38.6 percent (22-for-57) from the
field, but was 55.6 percent from three-point range (10-for-18) and 78.3 percent
(18-for-23) from the free throw line. Norwich shot 35.7 percent (15-for-42)
from the floor.
################################################################################
Friday, March 3, 2006
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship First Round
Southern Maine Sinks Maine Maritime, 81-41
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds,
both game-high totals, to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to an
81-41 win over the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners in a first round game of the
2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Friday night
at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
The win is the 20th straight for the Huskies who improve to 28-1 overall.
The Mariners conclude their season with a record of 23-6. Southern Maine
advances to play in the second round of the tournament and will face Norwich
University tomorrow (March 4) at 7:00 p.m. at the Hill Gymnasium. Norwich
advanced to the second round with a 76-63 win over the University of Maine
Farmington.
Marble scored 18 of her 25 points in the first half as the Huskies jumped
out to a 40-22 lead. The Huskies shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the field
in the opening half. Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
scored seven of her nine points in the half and hustled her way to three steals.
Southern Maine started the game connecting on its first three shots to take
a quick 6-0 lead in the first 1:30 of the game before the Mariners used a
30-second time out to regroup. A three-pointer and a lay-up from senior forward
Meghan Marshall (Madawaska, Maine) to book-end a jumper by USM junior guard
Katie Sibley (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) cut the Husky lead to three, 8-5,
with 16:21 remaining in the half, but the Huskies answered 9-0 run over the next
two and a half minutes to go ahead by 12.
Myles ignited the run with a jumper, and then found Sibley for a lay-up for
a quick three-point swing, before Marble rattled off five straight points on a
three-pointer and an offensive rebound and a put-back to put USM up 17-5 with
13:31 to play.
From their the Huskies continued to build their lead and led by as much as
20 in the first half with 50 seconds to play, before a scramble underneath the
basket led to a short jumper from Maine Maritime Academy's Kaitlyn Leeman
(Baileyville, Maine) off of an offensive rebound for the 40-22 halftime score.
In the second half, Maine Maritime was unable to get any closer than 18
points, 42-24, on its first offensive possession, following a jumper from junior
guard Shelly Gott (Tremont, Maine), as Southern Maine's offense continued to
have its way, outscoring Maine Maritime 21-9 in the first 10 minutes to lead
63-31 with 10:01 on the clock. Marble scored all seven of her second half
points in the Huskies 21-9 run.
The Huskies controlled the game the rest of the way and led by as many as
41 points, 75-34, with four minutes to play following a pair of free throws from
sophomore guard Angela Santa Fe (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) en route to the
81-41 final.
Sibley finished the game with nine points and a team-high four assist for
the Huskies, while junior forward Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington,
Vermont/South Burlington) also added nine points to go along with five rebounds.
Junior forward Alyssa Burns (Dixfield, Maine) led the Mariners offensively
with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and grabbed nine rebounds,
while Marshall added 11 points and five rebounds.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 52 percent (26-for-50) from the
field and 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from three-point range. The Mariners shot
33.3 percent (16-for-48) from the field and were hampered by 22 turnovers.
################################################################################
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
NCAA Women's Basketball Tickets On Sale Thursday
GORHAM, Maine -- Advanced sale tickets for this weekend's first and
second round NCAA women's basketball tournament games being played at the
University of Southern Maine will go on sale this Thursday at the Athletic
Department Office in the Costello Sports Complex on the Gorham campus.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Tickets
will be on sales from 8:00 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday. All sales are cash only
and there will be a limit of eight tickets per person. No telephone orders will
be accepted.
Remaining tickets for Friday's first round games between the University of
Maine Farmington and Norwich University (6:00 p.m.) and the University of
Southern Maine and Maine Maritime Academy (8:00 p.m.) will go on sale at the
door starting at 4:30 p.m.
Remaining tickets for the second round game (7:00 p.m.) go on sale at 5:00
p.m. Saturday.
################################################################################
Tuesday, February 28. 2006
Marble, Myles and Fifield Earn Little East Conference Recognition
GORHAM, Maine -- University of Southern Maine junior forward Ashley Marble
(Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) has been named the 2006 Little East Conference
Player of the Year while senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward
Little) earned first-team all-conference honors and veteran head coach Gary
Fifield was recognized as the LEC Coach of the Year in a vote by conference
coaches.
Earning her second consecutive Player of the Year honor, Marble led the
Huskies and the conference in points per game (16.4 ppg) and was first on the
team and second in the conference in rebounding (9.4 rpg). Additionally, Marble
was named LEC First Team All-Conference and to the LEC All-Defensive team.
Marble also is among the conference leaders in field goal shooting
percentage (53.4%), free throw shooting (70.4%) and steals per game (1.71 spg).
Her efforts have helped the Huskies to a number-one national ranking and their
10th consecutive Little East Conference Tournament Championship. Averaging 17
points and nine rebounds in the semifinal and championship games of the LEC
tournament, Marble was recently named the LEC Tournament's Most Outstanding
Player. During the season, Marble was named the LEC Player of the Week three
times.
Marble joins USM alumnae Joanna Brown and Allison Gagnon as repeat Little
East Conference Player of the Year honorees. Brown earned the honor three times
(1998, 1997 and 1996) while Gagnon earned the award twice (1993, 1992).
Myles, Southern Maine's second leading scorer and rebounder, earned first-
team all-conference honors for the third consecutive year. She ranks among the
league leaders in several statistical categories including points (fourth -12.8
ppg), rebounds (ninth - 5.5 rpg), field goal shooting percentage (fifth -
49.8%), assists (15th - 2.04 apg) and steals (7th-1.93 spg). Myles has scored
in double-figures 19 times this season, including a season and career-high 30
points in USM's 74-63 win over Eastern Connecticut (December 10).
"Ashley and Meg have been integral to our success this season," commented
Fifield. "They both play hard on every possession and have been leaders for us
on the court. They are both very deserving of their awards."
In his 19th season with the Huskies, Fifield earned his fifth consecutive
Coach of the Year honor, and 12th overall, after guiding the Huskies to a sweep
of the regular-season and conference tournament titles. Fifield's career
coaching record now stands at 484-78 (.861) overall and 201-19 (.913) against
LEC opponents.
Southern Maine, currently 27-1, is making its 12th straight appearance in
the NCAA Tournament and its 20th trip to the tournament since moving to the NCAA
in 1985. The Huskies open play in the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball
National Championship Tournament hosting Maine Maritime Academy Friday (March 3)
at 8:00 p.m.
2005-06 Little East Conference Women's Basketball Awards
Player of the Year
Ashley Marble, Senior, Forward, University of Southern Maine
Rookie of the Year
Kate Brunet, Freshman, Guard, Eastern Connecticut State University
Coach of the Year
Gary Fifield, University of Southern Maine
First Team All-Conference
Player Class Position Institution
Kerri Augenstein Senior Guard UMass Dartmouth
Bri Barnes Junior Guard Keene State College
Sarah Begnoche Junior Forward Keene State College
Ashley Marble Junior Forward University of Southern Maine
Sandy Mosley Junior Forward Eastern Connecticut State
Megan Myles Senior Forward University of Southern Maine
Second Team All-Conference
Player Class Position Institution
Jamie Angell Senior Guard Rhode Island College
Lydia Coverdale Junior Guard UMass Boston
Kari Geisler Junior Forward Rhode Island College
Ally Greenwood Sophomore Guard Western Connecticut State
Lindsey Karsmarski Senior Guard Eastern Connecticut State
LEC All-Defensive Team
Player Class Position Institution
Kerri Augenstein Senior Guard UMass Dartmouth
Brittany Downing Sophomore Guard Western Connecticut State
Colleen Feeney Sophomore Forward Rhode Island College
Ashley Marble Junior Forward University of Southern Maine
Stacey Morse Senior Forward Keene State College
LEC All-Rookie Team
Player Class Position Institution
Kate Brunet Freshman Guard Eastern Connecticut State
Tyla Martin Freshman Guard Rhode Island College
Nicky Morey Freshman Guard Eastern Connecticut State
Joanna Piascik Freshman Forward UMass Dartmouth
Stacey Roberts Freshman Forward Western Connecticut State
################################################################################
Monday, February 27, 2006
USM to Host First and Second Round of NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
Huskies Entertain Maine Maritime in the First Round
UMaine Farmington Plays Norwich University
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Huskies, champions of the
Little East Conference, will host first and second round games in the 2006 NCAA
Division III Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament this Friday and
Saturday (March 3 & 4) at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
Southern Maine (27-1) will play Maine Maritime Academy (23-5) on Friday at
8:00 p.m. in the second of two first round games. The University of Maine
Farmington (24-4), champions of the North Atlantic Conference, will play Norwich
University (23-4), winners of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, at 6:00
p.m. on Friday. The two winners will play at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday for the
right to advance to the Sectional Finals March 10-11. Earning an at-large bid,
Maine Maritime fell to UMaine Farmington 55-53 in the championship game of the
North Atlantic Conference.
Pairings for the 63-team field were announced Monday morning by Cathie
Schweitzer, Director of Athletics at Springfield College and chairperson of the
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee, and Donnie Wagner, Assistant
Director of Championships and NCAA liaison to the selection committee.
Other schools in the Northeast Region to earn automatic berths were Salem
State College
(23-4), champion of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference;
Springfield College (22-6), champion of the New England Women's and Men's
Athletic Conference; Bowdoin College (24-2), champion of the New England Small
College Athletic Conference; and Colby-Sawyer College (23-4), champion of the
Commonwealth Coast Conference.
At-large teams selected from the Northeast Region include Bates College
(19-8), Wesleyan University (18-7) and Williams College (21-5) of the New
England Small College Athletic Conference and Brandeis University (19-4) of the
University Athletic Association.
NCAA Division III Regional Tournament
First Round Games, Friday, March 3 (at the University of Southern Maine)
Game One: Norwich (23-4) vs. UMaine Farmington (24-4) 6:00 p.m.
Game Two: Maine Maritime (23-5) at Southern Maine (27-1) 8:00 p.m.
Second Round Games, Saturday, March 5 (at the University of Southern Maine)
Game Three: Game One Winner vs. Game Two Winner 7:00 p.m.
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament
Who: University of Southern Maine vs. Maine Maritime Academy
UMaine Farmington vs. Norwich University
When: Friday & Saturday, March 3-4, 2006
Where: Warren G. Hill Gymnasium, Gorham, Maine
Team Info: Southern Maine 27-1 overall, 14-0 Little East Conference (1st place)
Little East tournament champion (tenth consecutive year)
Head Coach: Gary Fifield (Vermont '74, 19th season)
12th straight NCAA tournament appearance, 20th in the last 21 years
since moving from NAIA to NCAA in 1985.
All-time record in NCAA tournament play is 36-20.
Best finishes - 2nd place in 1998 and 2000; 3rd place in 2005;
4th place in 1988
Last year - Defeated Maine Maritime 83-67 in first round;
Defeated Ithaca 55-52 in second round; Defeated Bates 67-64 (OT) in
third round; Defeated Springfield 80-69 in fourth round; Lost to
Millikin 66-60 in National Semifinals; Defeated Scranton 55-53 in
Third Place Game.
Scoring Leaders: - Ashley Marble, Jr., F, 16.4 ppg; Megan Myles, Sr., F, 12.8
ppg; Katie Frost, Sr., G, 8.5 ppg; Donna Cowing, Sr., G, 8.1 ppg;
Shannon Kynoch, Jr., F, 7.2 ppg
Rebounding Leaders - Marble, 9.4 rpg; Myles, 5.5 rpg; Kynoch, 4.9 rpg
Assist Leaders - Frost, 5.0 apg; Cowing, 2.7 apg; Myles, 2.0 apg;
Katie Sibley, Jr., G, 2.0 apg
Pool A: Conferences and Teams Receiving Automatic Qualification:
Alleghany Mountain Collegiate Conference Medaille
American Southwest Conference McMurry
Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference Hood
Capital Athletic Conference Marymount (Virginia)
Centennial Conference Muhlenberg
City University of New York Athletic Conference Bernard Baruch
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Wheaton (Illinois)
Commonwealth Conference Messiah
Commonwealth Coast Conference Colby-Sawyer
Empire 8 St. John Fisher
Freedom Conference Scranton
Great Northeast Athletic Conference Norwich
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Manchester
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Simpson
Lake Michigan Conference Lakeland
Liberty League William Smith
Little East Conference Southern Maine
Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Salem State
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hope
Midwest Conference Carroll
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Concordia-Moorhead
New England Small College Athletic Conference Bowdoin
New England Women's and Men's Athletics Conference Springfield
New Jersey Athletic Conference The College of New Jersey
North Atlantic Conference UMaine Farmington
North Coast Athletic Conference Denison
Northwest Conference Pacific Lutheran
Ohio Athletic Conference Capital
Old Dominion Athletic Conference Randolph-Macon
Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Gwynedd-Mercy
Skyline Conference Mount-St. Mary (N.Y.)
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Maryville (Mo.)
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Cal Lutheran
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference DePauw
State University of New York Athletic Conference Oswego State
University Athletic Association Washington University (Mo.)
USA South Athletic Conference Greensboro
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Wisconsin-Stout
Pool B Berths: Chapman; Maryville (Tenn.); Rockford and Washington and Jefferson
Pool C (at-large) Berths: Baldwin-Wallace; Bates; Brandeis, Bridgewater
(Virginia); Calvin; Cortland State; Franklin; Hardin-Simmons; Howard-Payne;
Maine Maritime; Mary Washington; Moravian; New York University; Oglethorpe;
Puget Sound; Richard Stockton; Rochester; St. Benedict; Trinity; Wesleyan
(Connecticut); and Williams
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Saturday, February 25, 2006
Little East Conference Championship Game
Southern Maine Downs Eastern Connecticut 71-55 to Win
10th Consecutive Little East Conference Tournament Championship
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
scored a game-high 21 points to lead the top-ranked University of Southern Maine
Huskies to their 10th consecutive Little East Conference Tournament Championship
with a 71-55 win over third-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors
Saturday afternoon at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
With the win, the Huskies secured an automatic berth in the 2006 NCAA
Division III women's basketball tournament. The Huskies improved to 27-1 by
winning their 19th consecutive game. Eastern Connecticut drops to 21-7.
Myles connected on 6-of-14 from the floor and was a perfect 8-for-8 from
the free throw line to lead the three USM players in double figures. Junior
forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland), who was named the
tournament's Most Outstanding Player, tossed in 17 points and grabbed a game-
high seven rebounds. Junior forward Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington,
Vermont/South Burlington) chipped in with 12 points with a solid performance off
the bench. Junior guard Katie Sibley (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and
senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) each netted nine points.
Junior forward Sandy Mosley (Goshen, Conn./Wamogo Regional) led the
Warriors with 14 points and six rebounds while sophomore guard Kathy Shaw
(Tolland, Conn./Tolland) added 12 points and five rebounds with some stellar
work off of the bench for the Warriors. Senior center Katie Kline (North
Brookfield, Mass./North Brookfield) added nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 mark
from the field.
In the first half, both teams struggled early offensively, managing just 19
points combined in the first eight minutes. USM led by a point (10-9) with
12:29 showing after a free throw from sophomore guard Trish Sylvain (Weare,
N.H./New Hampton).
However, the Huskies were able to take control of the game with a 13-0
spurt over the next five minutes. Kynoch keyed the USM run knocking down two
free throws. Myles followed with a three-pointer from the top of the key for a
quick five-point swing. Kynoch then came up with a steal and added a
conventional three-point play converting a lay-up on an assist from junior guard
Lindsey Welch (Nokomis, Maine/Nokomis) and converting the free throw. Kynoch
then found Myles for a lay-up and then made one of her own to put the Huskies
ahead 23-9 with 7:43 remaining in the half.
USM held the Warriors to just 10 more points in the half to take a 36-19
lead into the half time break.
Mosley opened the second half for the Warriors knocking down a jumper after
a steal by Kline to cut the USM advantage to 15 (36-21), but the Huskies
countered with five unanswered points on a three-pointer by Frost and a lay-up
from Myles giving the Huskies a 41-21 lead with 18:24 left.
The Huskies increased their lead to 25 points (61-36) over the next 10
minutes as Marble took control scoring 13 of the Huskies next 20 points on three
lay-ups, four free throws and a three-pointer.
The Warriors cut into the USM lead, outscoring the Huskies 17-6 over the
next seven minutes to trail 67-53 with 1:24 left in the game. Freshman guard
Nicky Morey (Columbia, Conn./Windam) scored five of her six points to lead the
Eastern Connecticut charge, but it was too little to late as USM's Myles made
four consecutive free throws down the stretch for the 71-55 final.
Southern Maine shot a solid 44.9 percent (22-for-49) for the game and was
81.5 percent from the charity stripe (22-for-27). Eastern Connecticut connected
on 42.6 percent of its shots (20-for-47), but was hampered by 25 turnovers in
the game.
The 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship
Tournament pairings will be announced on Monday morning (February 27). The
Huskies will be making their 12th consecutive appearance, and 20th appearance
overall, in the tournament.
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Friday, February 24, 2006
Little East Conference Semifinal #2
USM Beats Keene State 65-40, Advances To LEC Championship Game
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
recorded her 23rd career double-double with scoring 17 points and grabbing 11
rebounds - both game-high totals - to lead the top-seeded University of Southern
Maine Huskies to a 65-40 win over the Keene State College Owls in the second
semifinal game of the 2006 Little East Conference Tournament Friday night at
Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
The win is the 18th straight for the Huskies who improve to 26-1 overall,
and marks Southern Maine's 47th consecutive victory on its home court. Keene
State concludes its season with a 16-11 record. Southern Maine will face the
Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors on Saturday (February 25) at 4:00
p.m. in the championship game. The Huskies have won nine consecutive LEC
tournament titles dating back to 1997. The Warriors, the third seed in the
tournament, advanced to the championship game with a 59-55 win over second seed
Western Connecticut State.
Marble knocked down 7-of-15 shots from the floor to lead two USM players in
double figures. Senior guard Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine/Erskine Academy)
added 13 points for the Huskies, while senior guard Katie Frost (Calais,
Maine/Calais) and senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
chipped in with eight points each. Frost also tied her career high with 10
assists.
Junior guard Bri Barnes (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) led the Owls with 14
points, including four three-pointers while junior forward Sarah Begnoche
(Millville, Mass./Blackstone-Millville) added 13 points and five rebounds.
In a low-scoring first half, the Huskies used a stingy defense, forcing 14
Keene State turnovers, to take a 33-14 lead into the halftime break. Marble
netted 13 of her points in the half.
Ahead by 10, 24-14, with 2:05 remaining in the opening stanza, Southern
Maine held the Owls scoreless down the stretch and scored nine unanswered
points, capped by a touchdown pass assist from Frost to Cowing. Cowing who
caught the ball on the run scored a lay-up in acrobatic fashion to give the
Huskies the momentum heading into the second half.
In the second half, back-to-back three pointers from Barnes book-ending a
lay-up from USM's Marble, cut the deficit to 17, 37-20, with 16:55 showing, but
it was as close as Keene State would get the rest of the way as the Huskies
outscored Keene State 22-9 over the next eight minutes to lead 59-29 with 7:09
to play. Southern Maine received points from seven different players during the
eight-minute span, including five points from Cowing. From there the Huskies
cruised to the 65-40 final as Keene State never got any closer than 22 points
with just under three minutes remaining.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 46.2 percent from the field
(24-52) and scored 21 of its 65 points off of Keene State miscues as the Owls
committed 25 turnovers in the game. Southern Maine's Myles had five steals in
the game as the Huskies stripped the Owls of the ball 17 times. Keene State
shot just 37.5 percent (15-for-40) for the game and was out-rebounded 33-27.
################################################################################
Friday, February 24, 2006
Little East Conference Semifinal #1
Eastern Conn. Rallies, Holds Off Western Conn. 59-55
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior Katie Kline (North Brookfield, Mass.) and junior
Sandy Mosley (Goshen, Conn.) combined for 32 points as the third-seeded Eastern
Connecticut State University Warriors withstood a late rally by the second-
seeded Western Connecticut State University Colonials for a 59-55 victory in the
first semifinal game of the 2006 Little East Conference Women's Basketball
Championship Tournament being played at the Warren Hill Gymnasium on the campus
of the University of Southern Maine.
The win moves the Warriors into Saturday's 4:00 p.m. championship game
against the winner of the second semifinal between top-seeded Southern Maine and
fourth-seeded Keene State College. The Warriors, winners of three straight, are
now 21-6 overall and making their first trip to the championship game since
2004. Western Connecticut, which had its five-game winning streak snapped,
finishes the season 15-12.
Kline finished with a team-high 18 points and grabbed a game-high 10
rebounds before fouling out with 1:15 to play. Mosley had 14 points, and
sophomore Kelli Mahder (Wethersfield, Conn.) contributed 10 points.
Western Connecticut sophomore Ally Greenwood (East Hartford, Conn.) would
lead all scorers in the game with 20 points. Junior Mallory Stevens (Seymour,
Conn.) would chip in 11 points, and freshman Alyssa McGhee (Hartford, Conn.)
would finished with 10 points.
Trailing by three (33-30) at the break, the Warriors opened the second half
with a 21-6 run over the first 11 minutes to take a 51-39 lead. Kline had seven
points and Mosley added a layup and a three-pointer during the run. Senior
Lindsey Karsmarski (Meriden, Conn.) also added a pair of three-pointers.
Western Connecticut, led by Greenwood, chipped away at the margin to pull
within one (56-55) with 57 seconds to play. Stevens ignited the comeback bid
with a layup and a pair of free throws before Greenwood scored six consecutive
points to pull the Colonials within two (51-49).
After Mosley and Greenwood traded hoops, freshman Nicky Morey (Columbia,
Conn.) converted 6 of 8 free throws over the final 2:52 to keep the Warriors in
the lead. She made two charity tosses to make it 55-51 before McGhee made two
freebies with 1:15 to play to pull the Colonials back within two.
Morey made the front end of a 1-and-1 to push the lead back up to three.
Greenwood sliced through the ECSU defense for what proved to be the final
Colonial points with 57 seconds to play to cut the lead to one. Morey made both
ends of a 1-and-1 with 27 seconds to restore ECSU's three-point lead. She one
free throw with eight seconds to play to account for the final score.
In the first half, it was a tale of two runs. With the score tied at 12-12
following three Karsmarski free throws, the Colonials went on a 19-6 run over
the next eight minutes to take a 31-18 advantage.
Over the final six minutes, the Warriors would outscore the Colonials 12-2
to pull within three, 33-30, at the break. Combined with their run to open the
second half, the Warriors would outscore the Colonials, 33-8, over a span of 17
minutes.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Southern Maine Dominates UMass Dartmouth 92-29
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) scored a
game-high 15 points to lead five players in double figures as the top-ranked
University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the eighth-seeded University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs, 92-29, in the first round of the Little East
Conference tournament Tuesday night at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham
campus.
The win is the 17th straight for the Huskies who improve to 25-1. The win
also was the Huskies' 46th straight at home, and 60th straight game over an LEC
opponent. The loss concludes the Corsairs season at 10-16.
Frost scored 12 of her game-high 15 points in the first half as the Huskies
were on fire from long range, draining 10-of-13 three-pointers for an
outstanding 76.9 percentage from beyond the arc. Frost and senior forward Megan
Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) each knocked down 3-fo-4 attempts from
three-point in the opening half. Myles scored all 13 of her points in the first
half.
Senior guard Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine/Erskine Academy) added 10
points on a perfect 4-for-4 mark from the field. Freshman forward Stacey Kent
(Northwood, N.H./Coe-Brown Academy) continued her stellar work off of the bench
for the Huskies scoring a career-high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting including a
3-for-5 mark from three-point range. Sophomore guard Dawn Ross (Gray,
Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) came off the bench and chipped in with 10 points and
three assists in 11 minutes of action.
Sophomore forward Lindsay Marsh (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) led the
Corsairs with 10 points, while senior guard Kerri Augenstein (East Greenwich,
R.I./Bay View Academy) added six points and a game-high seven rebounds.
The Huskies opened the game with an 11-0 run and never looked back, taking
a 57-16 lead into the break. Southern Maine shot a blistering 62.9 percent (22-
for-35) from the field in the opening half and took advantage of 20 first-half
turnovers committed by the Corsairs. The Huskies scored 34 points off of UMD
miscues. The 57 points in the half were a season-high for the Huskies.
In the second-half, the lead continued to grow as the Huskies led by as
many as 65 points while holding the Corsairs to 13 second-half points.
For the game, USM shot a 52.2 percent (36-for-69) from the field while
knocking down 14-of-24 three-pointers (58.3 percent). The 14 three-point field
goals were a season-high for the Huskies. UMass Dartmouth finished the game
shooting just 26.7 percent (12-for-45).
Southern Maine, the top seed in the tournament, will host the semifinal and
final round of the LEC tournament this Friday and Saturday (February 24-25).
The Huskies will play fourth-seeded Keene State College on Friday at 8:00 p.m.
Keene State advanced in the tournament winning its first round game, 75-64, over
Plymouth State University.
Third-seeded Eastern Connecticut State and second-seeded Western
Connecticut each won its first round game. Eastern Connecticut defeated Rhode
Island College, 69-48, while Western Connecticut edged the University of
Massachusetts Boston, 64-60. Eastern Connecticut will face off against Western
Connecticut on Friday at 6:00 p.m. in the first of two semifinal games.
The winners of the semifinal games will advance to play in the 2006 LEC
Championship game at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The tournament champion receives an
automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
################################################################################
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Southern Maine Downs Keene State 88-29
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior guard Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine/Erskine
Academy) knocked down six three-pointers en route to a career-high 20 points to
lead the number-one ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies to an 88-29
Little East Conference win over the Keene State College Owls Saturday afternoon
at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
The win is the 16th straight for the Huskies who improve to 24-1 overall
and concluded their LEC regular-season schedule undefeated for the third
straight year at 14-0. The win also marked the Huskies 45th consecutive win at
home and 59th straight over a conference opponent. With the loss, Keene State
dropped to 15-10 overall and 9-5 in the LEC.
Cowing scored her game-high 20 points on 6-for-9 effort from three-point
range to lead six Southern Maine players in double-figures. Her six three-point
field goals tied her for second best in USM single game records. The last USM
player to connect on six three-pointers in a game was former LEC Player of the
Year Julie Plant.
Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) added 12 points and a game-
high eight assists for the Huskies while senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn,
Maine/Edward Little) and juniors Katie Sibley (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region)
and Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) chipped in with 11 points each.
Marble notched her 22nd double-double of her career grabbing a game-high 12
rebounds. Freshman forward Stacey Kent (Northwood, N.H./Coe-Brown Academy)
rounded out the double-digit scoring adding a career-high 10 points, three
rebounds and two assists off of the bench for USM.
Freshman guard Michele Boudreau (Readsboro, Vermont/Drury) was the lone Owl
player to score in double-figures leading her team with 11 points off of the
bench, including a 3-for-3 mark from three-point range. Junior forward Sarah
Begnoche (Millville, Mass./Blackstone-Millville) chipped in with six points and
six rebounds.
Never trailing in the game, the Huskies raced out to a 16-2 lead in the
opening five minutes of the game. The Huskies used a high-pressure defense to
hold the Owls scoreless during a five-minute stretch to take a commanding
29-point lead, 37-8, with 7:45 showing on the clock. Cowing scored 17 of her 20
points in the opening half, knocking down 5-of-6 threes. The Huskies took
advantage of 15 first-half turnovers committed by the Owls scoring 17 of their
48 first-half points off of Keene State miscues.
In the second half, the Huskies' defense remained dominate by holding the
Owls scoreless over the six minutes of the second half while scoring 16 points
to go ahead 64-16. Keene State snapped its scoring drought registering its
first points of the second half on a three-pointer from senior guard Bekka
Hopkins (Oxford, Mass./Oxford) to trail 64-19 with 13:55 on the clock. From
there the Huskies allowed Keene to score just 10 more points the rest of the way
for the 88-29 final.
Southern Maine shot 47.6 percent (30-for-63) from the field for the game
and 44 percent from three-point range (11-for-25) and held a decisive 48-28 edge
on the boards. Keene State struggled offensively shooting 22.9 percent (11-for-
48) from the floor while committing 25 turnovers.
The Huskies, the top-seed for the Little East Conference tournament, will
host the eighth-seeded UMass Dartmouth Corsairs on Tuesday (February 21) at 7:00
p.m. Following the results of today's final regular season contests, Keene
State is the fourth seed in the LEC tournament and will host the fifth-seed
Plymouth State University Panthers on the same date at 5:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Top Ranked Southern Maine Routs St. Joseph's 75-25
STANDISH, Maine -- Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward
Little) led four players in double-figures with a game-high 14 points as the
number one ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies cruised to a 75-25 win
over the St. Joseph's College (Maine) Monks Thursday night at the Harold Alfond
Center in Standish.
With the win Southern Maine improves its overall record to 23-1. The win
was the 15th straight for the Huskies and their 11th consecutive triumph over
the Monks. The Monks drop to 7-14 with their seventh straight loss.
Myles led all scorers with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field
while coming up with a game-high four steals. Junior forward Ashley Marble
(Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Senior guards Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine/Erskine Academy) and Katie Frost
(Calais, Maine/Calais) chipped in with 10 points each. Both Cowing and Frost
distributed the ball well for the Huskies passing off four and six assists,
respectively.
Junior guard Kaylin Regula (Windham, Maine/Windham) and freshman guard
Alysn Ludwig (Waldoboro, Maine/Medomak Valley) paced the Monks offensively with
six points each as the Huskies' defensive pressure limited St. Joseph's to just
10 field goals in the game.
With the score tied 7-7 through the first five minutes of the first half,
the Huskies used a 19-0 run over the next six minutes to take a commanding 26-7
lead with 9:19 showing on the clock. Myles and Marble combined to score 13 of
the Huskies' 19 points in the run. From there, the Huskies cruised to a 37-12
advantage at the break, limiting the Monks to just five points over the final
eight minutes of the half.
In the second half the Huskies continued its defensive pressure and holding
St. Joseph's to 13 points en route to the 75-25 win. The Monks' 25-point output
was a season low. This was the third time this season that the Huskies have
limited an opponent to less than 30 points.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting a solid 45 percent from the floor
knocking down 27-of-60 attempts, including an 8-for-17 mark (47.1 percent) from
three-point range. The Huskies received solid contributions from their bench
personnel led by junior forward Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington, Vermont/South
Burlington) and sophomore Angela Santa Fe (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy).
Kynoch netted eight points and grabbed six rebounds for the Huskies while Santa
Fe added seven points, two assists and three steals.
St. Joseph's struggled offensively shooting just 22.7 percent from the
field (10-for-44) while turning the ball over 33 times. The Huskies scored 24
of their 75 points off of St. Joseph's turnovers.
Southern Maine hosts Keene State College in its final regular season game
on Saturday (February 18) at 1:00 p.m. St. Joseph's College plays again on the
same date when it hosts the University of Maine Fort Kent for a 1:00 p.m. tip-
off.
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Southern Maine Overruns UMass Boston 90-51
GORHAM, Maine - Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) drilled
three three-pointers en route to a team-high 13 points as the number-one ranked
University of Southern Maine Huskies downed the University of Massachusetts
Boston Beacons 90-51 in Little East Conference action Tuesday night at Warren G.
Hill Gymnasium in Gorham.
The win is the 14th straight for the Huskies who improve to 22-1 overall
and remain undefeated in the Little East at 13-0. The win also marks Southern
Maine's 44th consecutive victory at home, and its 58th straight win over a
conference opponent. The Beacons fall to 9-15 overall and 3-10 in LEC action
with the loss.
Frost, who had a game-high seven assists, led four Southern Maine players
in double-figures as the Huskies offense was running on all cylinders, finishing
the game with a 62.5 percent shooting mark from the floor (35-for-56). Senior
forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) scored 12 points and passed
off four assists, while junior forwards Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington,
Vermont/South Burlington) and Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) each
scored 11 points for the Huskies. Marble added a game-high nine rebounds to
help the Huskies to a 41-27 advantage on the glass.
UMass Boston sophomore guard LaKeisha Tucker (Pawtucket, R.I./Providence
Country Day) led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds while junior
guard Lydia Coverdale (Malden, Mass./Malden) chipped in with 14 points and three
steals.
With the score tied 12-12 with 12:05 showing on the clock the Huskies used
an 18-0 run over the next four minutes to take a commanding 30-12 lead. Frost
scored six of her 13 points in the run, while guard Trish Sylvain (Weare,
N.H./New Hampton Prep) keyed the run connecting on a mid-range jumper for the
first of her season-high eight points.
The Huskies held the Beacons to just 12 more points in the half and scored
19 points off of UMass Boston's 15 first half turnover to take a 48-24 lead into
the break.
Southern Maine opened the second half outscoring the Beacons 12-5 over the
first four minutes to increase its advantage to 31, 60-29, with 16:11 remaining,
and never looked back en route to the win as the Beacons never got any closer
than 29 points the rest of the way.
The Huskies received 39 points from its bench personnel led by freshman
forward Stacey Kent (Northwood, N.H./Coe-Brown Academy). Kent matched her
career-high with nine points on 3-for-5 shooting.
UMass Boston finished the game shooting just 33.3 percent from the field
(17-for-51) and were hampered a 12-for-24 effort from the free throw line for a
50 percent mark.
Southern Maine returns to action Thursday (February 16) at St. Joseph's
College (ME) for a non-conference match up at 6:30 p.m. The Huskies final
regular season game is at home on Saturday against Keene State College at 1:00
p.m. UMass Boston returns to action on Saturday at Rhode Island College at 1:00
p.m.
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Saturday, February 11, 2006
Southern Maine Rolls Past Rhode Island 72-57
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the number-one ranked
University of Southern Maine Huskies overcame a tremendous first-half effort by
the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen to earn a 72-57 Little East Conference win
Saturday afternoon at the Murray Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
The win was the 13th straight for the Huskies who improve to 21-1 overall
and remain undefeated in the Little East with a 12-0 mark. Rhode Island dips to
10-13 overall with the loss and falls to 2-10 in the LEC. The victory was the
Huskies 57th consecutive win over a conference opponent.
Rhode Island College came out on fire in the first half, shooting a
remarkable 61.5 percent (16-for-26) in the first 20 minutes of the game to take
a 40-38 lead into the break. RIC senior forward Kari Geisler (Deerfield,
N.H./Pinkerton Academy) led the Anchorwomen's first-half charge scoring 14 of
her team-high 18 points in the opening stanza.
Finding themselves trailing at the break for just the second time this
season, the Huskies responded to the challenge by outscoring Rhode Island
College 20-4 in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Huskies' defense
would limit the Anchorwomen to just 17 second-half points.
Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) ignited the decisive run
for the Huskies knocking down a mid-range jumper from the top of the key to open
the half. Marble scored six of her 26 points in offensive outburst while Frost
and junior guard Lindsey Welch (Newport, Maine/Nokomis) each chipped in with
five points a piece as both guards knocked down their only three-pointers of the
game to give the Huskies their largest lead of the game 58-44 with 9:16 play.
Rhode Island College trimmed the USM advantage to nine points, 64-55, with
just under six minutes left in the game following a three-pointer from senior
guard Jamie Angell (Cranston, R.I./La Salle) for her only points of the day, but
Southern Maine countered with back-to-back offensive rebounds and lay-ups from
junior forward Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington, Vt/.South Burlington) and
Marble to retake a double-digit lead 68-55 with 4:26 to play.
From there the Huskies limited the Anchorwomen to just one more basket, a
lay-up from Geisler, just her second hoop of the half, with 4:06 remaining, to
secure the 72-55 win.
Marble led all scorers with a 10-for-22 effort from the floor while
notching her ninth 'double-double' of the season for the Huskies. Senior
forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) added 14 points, 10 in the
second half, and grabbed eight boards, while Kynoch finished the game with 11
points and two assists off of the bench. Frost and Welch each chipped in with
nine points a piece for Southern Maine.
Geisler was one of two Anchorwomen to reach double-figures in scoring
finishing the game with 18 points on 6-for 10 shooting while grabbing a game-
high 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Josalee Danieli (New Gloucester,
Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) added 10 points off of the bench for RIC, while
freshmen guards Maura Butts (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) and Tyla Martin
(Cumberland, R.I./Cumberland) chipped in with eight points each.
Southern Maine struggled offensively shooting just 36.8 percent from the
field (28-76) but was aided by 18 offensive rebounds, including six from Marble,
which led to 18 second-chance points. After opening the game with the hot hand,
RIC cooled in the second half shooting just 33.3 percent (8-for-24) to finish
the game with a 48 percent mark (24-50). The Anchorwomen also were hampered by
24 turnovers in the game while the Huskies managed to turn the ball over just
five times in the game.
Southern Maine plays its final two regular-season games at home. The
Huskies will square off against the University of Massachusetts Boston for their
next contest on Tuesday (February 14) at 5:30 p.m. The Anchorwomen are on the
road for their next contest traveling to the University of Massachusetts
Dartmouth on the same date for a 5:30 p.m. game.
################################################################################
Thursday, February 9, 2006
Southern Maine's Marble Named to Academic All-District One Team
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
of the number-one ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball
team has been selected to the 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District One
first team as voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors
of America (CoSIDA).
As a first-team Academic All-District One selection, Marble will be in
consideration for ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American(r) honors. The 5-9
forward carries a 3.72 grade point average and is studying for a degree in
health fitness. Last season, Marble was named to the Academic All-District One
third team.
The College Sports Information Directors of America selects Academic All-
America(r) teams in 12 programs: football, women's volleyball, men's soccer,
women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's
track & field/cross country, women's track & field/cross country, men's at-large
and women's at-large. A first team, second team and third team are selected in
both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and
NAIA) Divisions.
Marble, the 2005 Little East Conference Player of the Year, leads Southern
Maine in points and rebounds, averaging 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
This season, Marble has recorded eight double-doubles for Southern Maine and has
led the Huskies in both scoring and rebounding in 11 of 21 games. She has been
named the Little East Conference as well as the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches
Association Player of the Week three times this season.
Recently, Marble was named the Women's DIII News Player of the Month for
the month of January. During the month, Marble averaged 18.1 points and nine
rebounds in eight contests for the Huskies. She recorded her 20th career
'double-double' on January 21 with 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 97-67 win over
UMass Dartmouth, and established a new career-high with 29 points on 11-for-16
shooting in a 92-76 triumph over Little East Conference rival Eastern
Connecticut State University on January 28. On January 24, Marble became the
17th player in USM women's basketball history to record 1,000 career points with
eight points against UMass Boston in a 95-43 Southern Maine win.
Shooting a team-leading 53.9 percent (130-for-241) from the field, Marble
is ranked nationally by the NCAA in three statistical categories: scoring
(71st), rebounding (57th) and field goal percentage (35th).
Southern Maine is 20-1 this season and is undefeated in the Little East
Conference at 11-0. The Huskies travel to Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday
to play Rhode Island College at 1:00 p.m.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Huskies Earn 20th Win, Down Plymouth State 80-39
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Huskies women's
basketball team used a balanced offense and a relentless defense to defeat the
Plymouth State University Panthers, 80-39, in a Little East Conference game
Tuesday night at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.
The win was the 12th straight for the number one ranked Huskies and raised
their overall record to 20-1. The Huskies, atop the Little East Conference with
an 11-0 mark, have won their last 56 games against Little East opponents, and 43
straight games at home.
The 20 wins for the season extends the Huskies' NCAA Division III record
for consecutive seasons with 20-or-more wins to 26, dating back to the 1980-81
season.
Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) paced the Huskies'
offense scoring a game-high 15 points. Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield,
Maine/Woodland) added 13 points and shared team-high rebounding honors with
junior Shannon Kynoch (South Burlington, Vt.) as each grabbed seven caroms.
Kynoch and junior guard Katie Sibley (Boothbay, Maine) each contributed nine
points to the offense.
Southern Maine's defense held the visiting Panthers, now 9-12 overall and
4-7 in the conference, to an ice-cold 26.5 percent shooting (13 for 49) from the
floor and forced 34 turnovers. Junior Kaitlin Linehan (South Boston,
Mass./Savio Prep) led the Panthers with seven points and grabbed a game-high
nine rebounds.
After sophomore Meghan MacDonald (Salem, N.H.) opened the game with a
three-pointer from the wing for the Panthers, the Huskies responded with an 8-0
run to take the lead for good. Four different players contributed points.
The Panthers clawed back within two (9-7) after a pair of free throws from
senior Katie Susat (Glastonbury, Conn.) before the Huskies went on a 17-2 run
over a seven-minute span to open a 17-point gap (26-9) with eight minutes to
play in the half. The Huskies would enjoy a 40-19 advantage at the break.
The Huskies' margin continued to grow in the second half as the hosts went
on a 10-2 spurt to open the half. Senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine)
chipped in five of her seven points during the five-minute span.
Southern Maine's largest lead was 43 (71-28) following a Kynoch three-
pointer from the top of the key with 6:18 to play.
The Huskies finished the game shooting 44.8 percent (30 for 67) from the
floor, including 8-for-16 from beyond the three-point arc.
The Huskies will journey to Providence, R.I., on Saturday to play at Rhode
Island College. Plymouth State will travel to the University of Massachusetts
Boston on Saturday. Both games start at 1:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Monday, February 6, 2006
Marble Named Women's DIII News Player of the Month
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
of the number one ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball
team has been named the Women's DIII News Player of the Month for the month of
January.
Marble, the 2005 Little East Conference Player of the Year, averaged 18.1
points and nine rebounds a game for the Huskies in eight contests. During the
month, the 5-9 forward was twice named the Player of the Week in the Little East
Conference, earning the award consecutively on January 17 and January 23.
Marble recorded her 20th career 'double-double' on January 21st with 23
points and 14 rebounds in a 97-67 win over UMass Dartmouth, and established a
new career-high with 29 points on 11-for-16 shooting in a 92-76 triumph over
Little East Conference rival Eastern Connecticut State University on January 28.
On January 24, Marble became the 17th player in USM women's basketball history
to record 1,000 career points with eight points against UMass Boston in a 95-43
Southern Maine win.
"Ashley has been a catalyst for us all season," noted veteran head coach
Gary Fifield. "She has played consistently well for us at both ends of the
floor throughout the season and has had a remarkable month."
Marble leads Southern Maine in points and rebounds averaging 17.3 points
and 9.8 rebounds per contest. She has had eight 'double-double' efforts this
season. She is shooting 54.4 percent (124-for-228) from the field and is second
on the team in steals with 36 (1.8 per game).
Southern Maine is 19-1 this season and is undefeated in the Little East
Conference at 10-0. The Huskies return to action at home on Tuesday (February
7) at 5:30 p.m. against Plymouth State University. The Huskies are currently
riding a 55-game win streak over their conference opponents.
################################################################################
Saturday, February 4, 2006
Southern Maine Downs Western Connecticut 61-43
DANBURY, Conn. -- Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and a game and
season-high 11 rebounds to lead the number one ranked University of Southern
Maine Huskies to a 61-43 Little East Conference win over the Western Connecticut
State University Colonials Saturday at Feldman Arena in Danbury, Conn.
The win is the 11th straight for the Huskies who improve to 19-1 overall,
and remain undefeated in the LEC at 10-0. The win marked Southern Maine's 55th
consecutive victory over a conference opponent. The Colonials dip below .500
with the loss to stand at 10-11 overall and 5-5 in the LEC.
Myles connected on 7-of-13 from the field as one of two USM players to
score in double-figures. Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield,
Maine/Woodland) scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed five rebounds and came up
with five steals to pace the Husky attack. Senior guard Donna Cowing (Weeks
Mills, Maine/Erskine Academy) added seven points and five rebounds while senior
guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) chipped in with six points and a game-
high seven assists.
Sophomore guard Jessica Minotti (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) came off of the
bench to lead the Colonials with 11 points, while freshman guard Jennifer
Kancler (Columbia, Conn./Windham) and junior forward Mallory Stevens (Seymour,
Conn./Seymour) chipped in with nine and eight points respectively.
Western Connecticut jumped out to an early 9-3 lead with 15:12 remaining in
the opening half, before the Huskies used a 19-0 run to open up a 22-9 lead to
take control of the game with 6:04 on the clock. Marble scored 10 of her game-
high 20 points in the pivotal first half run on controlling the paint with four
of her five baskets coming off of lay-ups. Myles scored six of her 15 in the
run.
Southern Maine clamped down on defense in the final six minutes of the
half, allowing the Colonials just five more points to take a 31-14 lead at the
break.
In the second stanza, the Huskies continued to grow their lead and led by
as 27 points with 9:02 left in the game, outscoring Western Connecticut 22-12 in
the first ten minutes of the second half. Western Connecticut cut the deficit
to 17 points, 56-39, following a lay-up from Stevens with 2:06 on the clock to
cap a 13-6 Colonial run, but it was as close as they would get the rest of the
way as the held on for the win.
Southern Maine shot a solid 46.9 percent from the field connecting on
23-of-49 attempts from the floor, while limiting the Colonials to just a 32.7
percent mark from the field (16-49).
Southern Maine returns to action at home Tuesday (February 7) at 5:30 p.m.
against LEC opponent Plymouth State University. Western Connecticut travels to
Rhode Island College on the same day for a 5:30 p.m. conference game.
################################################################################
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Southern Maine Overpowers Eastern Connecticut, 92-76
GORHAM, Maine - Junior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, Maine/Woodland)
scored a game and career-high 29 points to lead four players in double-figures
as the number one ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies cruised to a 92-76
Little East Conference win over the Eastern Connecticut State University
Warriors Saturday afternoon at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
The win was the Huskies 54th straight over a conference opponent and
improves their overall record to 18-1 and 9-0 atop the LEC standings. The loss
snapped Eastern Connecticut's 10-game win streak, dropping its record to 15-3
overall and 7-2 in the conference. Southern Maine has defeated Eastern
Connecticut the last 10 times the two teams have met and taken 14 straight over
the Warriors at Hill Gymnasium.
Marble shot an outstanding 11-for-16 from the field en route her career-
high 29 points, besting her previous mark of 27 points in the national semifinal
game against Milliken University on March 18, 2005. Marble added a game-high
eight rebounds and chipped in with four assists and two steals for the Huskies.
Junior guard Katie Sibley (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) added 13 points
and three steals, while senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little)
tossed in 12 points, six rebounds and two assists. Junior guard Lindsey Welch
(Nokomis, Maine/Nokomis) came off the bench for the Huskies to tally a season-
high 11 points on a stellar 3-for-3 mark from three-point range.
Junior forward Sandy Mosley (Goshen, Conn./Wamogo Regional) came off the
bench to lead the Warriors with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field.
Freshman guard Christina Amato (Marlboro, Mass./Marlboro) added 11 points, four
rebounds and four assists for the Warriors, while senior forward Lindsey
Karsmarski (Meriden, Conn./Platt) and freshman forward Kate Brunet (Bristol,
Conn./Bristol Eastern) each chipped in with nine points.
Southern Maine scored the first 10 points of the game, including five
straight from Sibley, on a lay-up, a jumper and a free throw, en route to a
commanding 46-30 advantage at the half. Marble tallied 16 of her 29 points
while Myles dropped in 10 of her 13 in the opening stanza as the Huskies
established control.
In the second half, back-to-back lay-ups from Marble and one of two free
throws from senior guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) quickly pushed the
USM lead to 20, 50-30, with 19:13 remaining in the game. Frost finished the
game with nine points and a game-high five assists.
Eastern Connecticut cut the Southern Maine lead to 12, 51-39, with a 9-1
run over the next two-minutes, but the Huskies responded with eight straight
points to regain their 20-point edge, 59-39, six minutes into the half and were
never threatened the rest of the way, leading by as many as 30 points with five
minutes remaining.
Southern Maine shot a season-high 57.1 percent from the field knocking down
32-of-56 from the field, including a 7-for-13 mark from three-point range.
Eastern Connecticut shot a solid 45.2 percent from the floor connecting on
26-for-62 of its shots.
The Huskies return to action Saturday (February 4) on the road at LEC
opponent Western Connecticut for a 1:00 p.m. game. Eastern Connecticut plays
again Tuesday (January 31) at nationally-ranked Salem State College at 6:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Southern Maine Crushes UMass Boston, 95-43
BOSTON -- Senior forward Megan Myles (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) led
four players in double figures with 19 points and junior forward Ashley Marble
(Topsfield, Maine/Woodland) became the 17th player in school history to record
1,000 career points as the number one ranked University of Southern Maine
Huskies downed the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons 95-43 in a Little
East Conference match-up Tuesday night at the Clark Athletic Center in Boston.
With the win the Huskies improve to 17-1 overall and remain undefeated in
the conference (8-0). The win was Southern Maine's 53rd consecutive triumph
over a conference opponent. The loss dropped UMass Boston to 8-9 overall and
2-6 in the LEC.
Marble tallied her 1,000th-career point early in the first half, connecting
on the first of two free throws 6:59 into the game. She joins Myles as the
second USM player this season to teach the milestone this season. Marble
finished the game with eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks and three
steals.
Myles tallied game-high totals in scoring and rebounding, shooting 9-for-13
from the field and grabbing eight rebounds to lead the Huskies. Senior guard
Katie Frost (Calais, Maine/Calais) knocked down 3-of-6 from three-point range to
chip in 15 points and a game-high six assists, while junior guard Lindsey Welch
(Nokomis, Maine/Nokomis) and sophomore guard Angela Santa Fe (Derry,
N.H./Pinkerton Academy) each came off of the bench to score 11 and 13 points,
respectively. Southern Maine received 43 of its 95 points from its bench
personnel.
Sophomore center Alicia Querusio (Somerville, Mass./Somerville) led UMass
Boston with a team-high 13 points and six rebounds while junior guard Lydia
Coverdale (Malden, Mass./Malden) added 10 points, five rebounds, three assists
and three steals.
Trailing by a point, 14-13, with 13:15 remaining in the first half, the
Huskies used a 14-0 run over a five-minute span to secure the lead for good en
route to a 45-24 lead at the half. Junior forward Shannon Kynoch (South
Burlington, Vermont/South Burlington) started the run for Southern Maine making
two free throws after getting fouled on an offensive rebound to put the Huskies
ahead 15-14. Kynoch, who finished the game with eight points and six rebounds,
was followed by a lay-up from Marble and back-to-back three-pointers from Welch
for a quick 10-point swing. Frost and junior guard Katie Sibley (Boothbay,
Maine/Boothbay Region) capped the run with back-to-back lay-ups for a 27-14 lead
with 8:07 remaining in the half.
Southern Maine increased its lead to 21, limiting UMass Boston to just five
field goals over the final eight minutes of the half. Myles, Frost and Welch
scored a majority of their points in the first half. Myles collected 13 of her
game-high 19, while Frost and We |
