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SEASON COMPLETE
################################################################################ Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Southern Maine’s Leighton Earns ECAC New England Rookie of the Year Freshman Forward Also Earns Second Team All ECAC Honors
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) picked up her fifth Rookie of the Year honor earning the ECAC Division III New England Rookie of the Year. Recently named the 2010 New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA), Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA), Little East Conference Rookie of the Year and D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region, Leighton was also named to the ECAC New England second team. The only rookie on the ECAC New England all-region, Leighton led Southern Maine in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game while shooting a solid 45.4 percent (186-for-410) from the field. She also dished out 60 assists (2.0 apg) and nabbed 1.6 steals per game. A versatile post-player, Leighton also showed some range in her freshman year shooting 37.3 percent (19-for-51) from three-point range, while leading USM at the free throw line knocking down 80.8 percent (101- 125) from the charity stripe. Posting 10 double-doubles in her freshman campaign, Leighton helped Southern Maine to its 24th appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. Scoring at least 20 points in 12 games, Leighton set a career high of 27 points against UMass Dartmouth in January and grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds in a LEC tournament game against UMass Dartmouth in February. She was named to both the Little East Conference and MWBCA first teams and to their respective all-rookie teams. Leighton finished the season in the top 20 of several USM single season records. Her 482 points in 30 games is ranked 12th and her 16.4 points per game average is the 16th best single season average. The 5-9 forward’s 266 rebounds is ranked 16th, while her 54 blocked shots are 17th overall. Southern Maine finished its season with a record of 21-9 earning its NCAA Division III record 30th consecutive season with at least 20 wins. Making its 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and 24th trip in the last 25 seasons, Southern Maine advanced to the second round.
ECAC Division III New England Women’s Basketball All-Region Team Player of the Year: Caroline Stedman, G, Amherst Rookie of the Year: Curran Leighton, F, Southern Maine First Team Player Yr. Pos. School Caroline Stedman So. G Amherst Kendrae Walker Jr. C Albertus Magnus Jessica Chapin Sr. G Brandeis Colleen Hart Jr. G Tufts Melissa Teel Jr. C Western Connecticut Second Team Player Yr. Pos. School Ceciley Chisholm Sr. C Endicott Curran Leighton Fr. F Southern Maine Julia Baily So. G Tufts Nicole Wurdeman So. F/C Babson Alison Cappelloni Sr. G/F Colby Third Team Player Yr. Pos. School Vanessa Bosques So. G Daniel Webster Shelby Bradford Sr. F Husson Iman Davis Sr. G Emmanuel Terry Duffy Sr. F Colby-Sawyer Danielle Jenkins Sr. C Salem State
################################################################################ Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Southern Maine's Leighton Earns D3Hoops.Com Regional Rookie of the Year Freshman Forward Also Earns Second Team All Region Honors
GORHAM, Maine -- Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) picked up her fourth Rookie of the Year honor earning the D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region Rookie of the Year. Recently named the 2010 New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA), Maine Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (MWBCA) and Little East Conference Rookie of the Year, Leighton was also named to the All- Northeast Region second team. She is the lone freshman player to earn all- Northeast region honors and one of just four freshmen named to an all-region team in the eight regions awarded. Leighton led Southern Maine in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game while shooting a solid 45.4 percent (186-for-410) from the field. She also dished out 60 assists (2.0 apg) and nabbed 1.6 steals per game. A versatile post-player, Leighton also showed some range in her freshman year shooting 37.3 percent (19- for-51) from three-point range, while leading USM at the free throw line knocking down 80.8 percent (101-125) from the charity stripe. "Curran had an outstanding freshman season in one of the most competitive conferences and regions in the country," noted veteran head coach Gary Fifield. "She is a very gifted athlete who has tremendous potential as she grows in her knowledge and understanding of the game." Posting 10 double-doubles in her freshman campaign, Leighton helped Southern Maine to its 24th appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. Scoring at least 20 points in 12 games, Leighton set a career high of 27 points against UMass Dartmouth in January and grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds in a LEC tournament game against UMass Dartmouth in February. She was named to both the Little East Conference and MWBCA first teams and to their respective all-rookie teams. Southern Maine finished its season with a record of 21-9 earning its NCAA Division III record 30th consecutive season with at least 20 wins. Making its 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and 24th trip in the last 25 seasons, Southern Maine advanced to the second round.
D3Hoops.com All-Northeast Region Team Player of the Year: Caroline Stedman, G, Amherst Coach of the Year: G.P. Gromacki, Amherst Rookie of the Year: Curran Leighton, F, Southern Maine First Team Player Yr. Pos. School Caroline Stedman So. G Amherst Colleen Hart Jr. G Tufts Nicole Wurdeman So. F Babson Julia Baily Sr. F Tufts Melissa Teel Jr. C Western Connecticut Second Team Player Yr. Pos. School Jessica Chapman Sr. G Brandeis Iman Davis Sr. G Emmanuel Curran Leighton Fr. F Southern Maine Alison Cappelloni Sr. F Colby Melissa Martinelli Sr. C Coast Guard Third Team Player Yr. Pos. School Vanessa Bosques So. G Daniel Webster Shelby Bradford Sr. F Husson Lauren Yanofsky Sr. F Bates Caitlyn Laflin Sr. F Maine-Farmington Danielle Jenkins Sr. C Salem State
################################################################################ Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Leighton Named New England Women’s Basketball Association Rookie of the Year
GORHAM, Maine – After a remarkable freshman campaign, University of Southern Maine Huskies’ rookie forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) has earned another post-season accolade, earning the 2009-2010 New England Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (NEWBA) Rookie of the Year award. Recently named both the 2010 Little East Conference (LEC) and Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Year, Leighton led the Huskies to their 24th appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. The 5-9 forward led Southern Maine in scoring and rebounding averaging 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Shooting 45.4 percent (186-for-410) from the field, Leighton also led the conference in scoring and was second in blocked shots with 1.8 per game. She also dished out 60 assists (2.0 apg) and nabbed 1.6 steals per game. A versatile post-player, Leighton also showed some range in her freshman year shooting 37.3 percent (19-for-51) from three-point range, while leading USM at the free throw line knocking down 80.8 percent (101-125) from the charity stripe. Leighton amassed 10 double-doubles during the season en route to earning both Little East Conference and MWBCA first team honors and all-rookie team accolades. The forward scored at least 20 points on 12 occasions recording a season-high 27 points at LEC opponent UMass Dartmouth in January. Leighton set a career-mark of 18 rebounds during the LEC championship tournament also against UMass Dartmouth in February. Southern Maine finished its season with a record of 21-9 earning its NCAA Division III record 30th consecutive season with at least 20 wins. Making its 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and 24th trip in the last 25 seasons, Southern Maine advanced to the second round.
2010 New England Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Yearly Awards Coach of the Year: Judy Blinstrub, Babson College Player of the Year: Melissa Teel, Western Connecticut State University Rookie of the year: Curran Leighton, University of Southern Maine First Team Nicole Wurdeman So. F Babson College Shelby Bradford Sr. F Husson University Melissa Teel Jr. C Western Connecticut Jessica Chapman Sr. G Brandeis University Colleen Hart Jr. G Tufts University Second Team Danielle Jenkins Sr. C Salem State Caitlyn Hynes Sr. C Bowdoin College Lauren Yanofsky Sr. F Bates College Melissa Martinelli Sr. C Coast Guard Alison Cappelloni Sr. F Colby College
################################################################################ Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Leighton, DeMillo Represent USM on MWBCA All-State Team Leighton Named 2010 MWBCA Rookie of the Year
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team have each been honored by the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association with post-season accolades. DeMillo is earning second team All-MWBCA honors for the second consecutive season. The 5-7 guard also earned second team All-Little East Conference honors finishing the season as USM’s second leading scorer and top playmaker averaging 11.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. A long-distance threat, DeMillo sank 67 three-pointers this season shooting 31.2 percent from beyond the arc. Setting the school record for three-pointers in a season during the 2008-2009 season with 76, DeMillo has 156 in her career and is currently fifth in USM record books. The 2010 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year, Leighton is also earning the honor from the MWBCA after leading USM in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. The 5-9 forward, who also earned first team All-Little East Conference and MWBCA honors, averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 steals per game while shooting a solid 45.4 percent (186-for- 410) from the field. Recording 10 double-doubles in her rookie season, Leighton was also named to both the LEC and MWBCA All-Rookie teams. Leighton was named the Little East Rookie of the Week eight times during the season, most recently on March 8 after averaging 16.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in the Huskies two NCAA tournament games. Leighton was also named the MWBCA Rookie of the Week eight times and the New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) four times and Player of the Week twice. Southern Maine completed its 2009-2010 season with a record of 21-9, earning its 30th consecutive 20-win season. The Huskies earned their 16th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament and advanced to the second round tournament.
2010 Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-State Teams First Team Shelby Bradford Sr. Husson University Alison Cappelloni Sr. Colby College Curran Leighton Fr. University of Southern Maine Caitlyn Laflin Sr. University of Maine, Farmington Caitlin Hynes Sr. Bowdoin College Second Team Lauren Yanofsky Sr. Bates College Leah Rubega Sr. Bowdoin College Kelly Paradis So. University of New England Rachael Mack So. Colby College Kaylie DeMillo Jr. University of Southern Maine All-Rookie Team Curran Leighton Fr. University of Southern Maine Diana Manduca Fr. Colby College Allie Beaulieu Fr. Bates College Kaitlin Donahue Fr. Bowdoin College Beth Suggs Fr. University of New England Player of the Year: Shelby Bradford, Husson Rookie of the Year: Curran Leighton, Southern Maine Coach of the Year: Lori Gear-McBride, Colby
################################################################################ Saturday, March 6, 2010
2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament No. 1 Amherst College Sinks Southern Maine 76-49
AMHERST, MASS. – Sophomore center Lem Atanga McCormack (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) scored a game-high 20 points to lead the no. 1 ranked Amherst College Lord Jeffs to a 76-49 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship tournament. With the win, Amherst College advances to the “Sweet Sixteen” round of the tournament and remains undefeated at 29-0. The Huskies conclude their season with a record of 21-9. Amherst will face the winner of the Williams vs. DeSales game played later this evening. McCormack helped the Lord Jeffs to a hot start shooting an outstanding 8- for-11 from the field including a 2-for-3 mark from three-point range. Junior center Sarah Leyman (Walpole, Mass.) added 10 points and seven rebounds. Junior center Sarah Leyman (Cincinatti, Ohio/Seven Hills Upper) and freshman guard Marcia Voigt (Skillman, N.J./Montgomery) each scored nine points. Southern Maine freshman forward >Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) paced the Huskies with a team-high 12 points and eight rebounds. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) added 10 points. Amherst did a bulk of the damage in the first half as the Lord Jeffs came out on fire scoring the first seven points of the game, knocking down a blistering nine of its first 11 field goals (81.8 percent) in the opening ten minutes and continued to roll to a 42-19 lead at the break. McCormick, who was 7-for-8 from field in the first half, scored 16 of the Lord Jeffs 42 first half points while Stedman scored all of her 10 in the opening stanza. Conversely, Southern Maine was ice cold from the floor, shooting just 25.9 percent on a 7- for-27 mark from the field. Amherst finished the half shooting 58.6 percent (17-for-29) from the field. In the second half, Southern Maine was able to keep pace with Amherst, but was unable to recover from their first half deficit, as the Lord Jeffs never led by less than 19 points. ################################################################################ Friday, March 5, 2010
2010 NCAA Division III First Round Southern Maine Defeats RPI 74-63, Advances in NCAA Tournament
AMHERST, Mass. – Four players scored in double-digits to lead a balanced attack as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers 74-63 in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament at Amherst College’s LeFrak Gymnasium Friday evening. With the win, Southern Maine advances to the second round of the NCAA Championship and improves its overall record to 21-8. Rensselaer Polytechnic concludes its season with a 17-11 record. USM’s win marks the 19th time in their 24 trips to the NCAA National tournament that it has advanced to at least the second round. Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) each posted their ninth double-doubles of the season in the win providing USM with a formidable inside presence. Leighton led all scorers with 20 points and 13 rebounds (both game-high totals), while Johnson netted 15 points and grabbed 11 boards. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) knocked down 5-of-7 from three point range tossing in 19 points, five rebounds and a team high five assists. Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) added 13 points and a season-high six rebounds. Sophomore guard Laura Esterlin (Ventura, Calif.) paced the Engineers with 15 points on a 6-for-8 mark from the field. Senior guard Whitney Coleman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) and sophomore forward Hillary McKinley (Quinebaug, Conn.) each scored 12 points. Trailing 18-13 with 7:46 to play in the first half, Southern Maine outscored the Engineers 15-6 to close the half including a pivotal 10-0 run paced by eight straight points from Leighton to lead 28-24 at the break. In the second half, double its lead to go ahead by eight, 42-34, with 12:16 to play before RPI rattled off a 7-1 run to trail by a basket 43-41 with 10:19 on the clock. McKinley started the run with a pair of lay-ups and junior guard Allison Connor (Hudson, N.Y.) closed the run with a three. Southern Maine responded, however with a 14-5 run to grab its largest lead of the game 57-46 with 7:02 on the clock. DeMillo and Leighton each scored six points in the run, including a pair of backbreaking three-pointers from DeMillo. RPI’s Coleman cut her team’s deficit eight, 59-51, with her second three- pointer of the game with 4:11 on the clock, but it was as close as the Engineers would get. Coleman scored seven of her 12 points in the final five minute of the game, as USM sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) contained the 2010 Liberty League Player of the Year to just five points in the first 35 minutes of the game and holding Coleman to six points below her average. The Huskies led by as many as 15 points in the final seconds of the game finished and outscored RPI 15-10 in the final four minutes. Southern Maine will face the winner of Amherst College vs. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts game that will be played at 6 p.m. today. ################################################################################ Monday, March 1, 2010
Three Huskies Earn Little East Conference Recognition Leighton Named 2010 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year
GORHAM, Maine – Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine), sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team were recognized by the Little East Conference (LEC) for their outstanding play with post-season honors. The Little East Conference announced its all- conference selection on Tuesday. Nicholas was named to the LEC All-Defensive team, while DeMillo earned second team all-conference honors. Leighton earned numerous honors for Southern Maine, being named the 2010 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year. The 5-9 forward was also selected to the all-conference first team and the all-rookie team. Sliding into a starting role in her second season, Nicholas provided the Huskies with high-pressure defense at the guard position this season. The 5-6 guard averaged 7.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a conference leading 4.5 steals per game. Grabbing 126 steals through 28 games, Nicholas broke a 28- year-old school record for steals in a game when she had 13 thefts to her credit in a 55-31 win over UMass Boston on January 26, 2010. Nicholas had 16 games with at least four steals during the season. “Renee is an exceptional athlete who plays hard defensively for each minute that she is in the game,” noted veteran head coach Gary Fifield. “Her defensive pressure has helped us to easy baskets on the offensive side of the ball.” The Huskies second leading scorer, DeMillo is earning all-conference recognition for the third time in her career. The 5-7 guard was named to the LEC All-Rookie team in 2008 and earned first team all-conference honors as a sophomore in 2008. DeMillo averaged 11.6 points per game for USM while shooting 30.2 from three-point range, knocking down 62 three-point field goals. DeMillo also chipped in with a team-leading 3.1 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. A long-range threat, DeMillo has 151 three-pointers in her career and is fifth all-time in school history. Her career 32.6 percent mark from beyond the arc currently has her 10th in career records. “Kaylie has developed into a solid all-around player,” commented Fifield. “She has stepped up other areas of her play and has been vital to our success during her career.” Leighton, a 5-9 forward, made an immediate impact on the Huskies’ season starting in all 28 games and leading team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Leighton led the LEC in scoring averaging 16.4 points per game shooting 46.3 percent (173-for-374) from the field, while averaging 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Leighton posted nine double-doubles in her freshman season establishing career highs of 27 points and 18 rebounds. She scored at least 20 points 11 times during the season. The rookie forward was named the Little East Conference rookie of the week seven times during the season and the LEC Player of the Week once. She also earned Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Week honors eight times and New England Women’s’ Basketball (NEWBA) Rookie of the Week honors four times. She was the NEWBA Player of the Week twice. “Curran is a tremendous athlete who can make things happen on both ends of the floor,” said Fifield. “She has developed her understanding of the game throughout the season and has continued to improve her play.” Southern Maine will be making its 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship when it faces Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the first round of the tournament on Friday, March 5 (4:00 p.m.) The Huskies will face RPI in Amherst, Mass. at Amherst College’s LeFrak Gymnasium.
2010 Little East Conference Women’s Basketball All-Conference Teams First Team Kristin Degou Senior Guard Keene State College Heather Lee Junior Guard Western Connecticut Curran Leighton Freshman Forward Southern Maine Jessica Moriarity Junior Guard Eastern Connecticut Karli Spera Junior Guard Western Connecticut Melissa Teel Junior Center Western Connecticut Second Team Tanisha Carter Freshman Forward Eastern Connecticut Kaylie DeMillo Junior Guard Southern Maine Amanda Kania Junior Forward Plymouth State Rachel Riley Sophomore Forward Rhode Island College Nicole Simmler Senior Forward Keene State College All Defensive Team Kristin Degou Senior Guard Keene State Jessica Moriarty Junior Guard Eastern Connecticut Renee Nicholas Sophomore Guard Southern Maine Denise Scott Senior Guard Rhode Island College Melissa Teel Junior Center Western Connecticut All Rookie Team Courtney Burns Freshman Forward Rhode Island College Tanisha Carter Freshman Forward Eastern Connecticut Lynley DeAmato Junior Guard UMass Dartmouth Lauren Kelleher Freshman Center Eastern Connecticut Curran Leighton Freshman Forward Southern Maine Player of the Year Melissa Teel Junior Center Western Connecticut Defensive Player of the Year Jessica Moriarty Junior Guard Eastern Connecticut Rookie of the Year Curran Leighton Freshman Forward Southern Maine Coach of the Year Kim Rybczyk, Western Connecticut State University Team Sportsmanship Award Plymouth State University
################################################################################ Monday, March 1, 2010
Leighton Sweeps MWBCA and NEWBA Rookie of the Week Awards
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has been named the New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) and Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 28, 2010. It is the fourth time this season that Leighton has been named the NEWBA Rookie of the Week and the ninth time she has earned the honor from the MWBCA. The forward has also been named the NEWBA Player of the Week twice this season. Leighton averaged 19.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.67 blocks and 1.0 steals per game during the Little East Conference tournament. The 5-9 forward shot 53.8 percent (21-for-39) from the field and 86.6 percent (13-for- 15) from the free throw line to lead USM to the championship game of the LEC tournament. Leighton netted 21 points and grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds in Southern Maine’s 64-54 win over UMass Dartmouth in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday. In the semifinals on Friday, Leighton recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds as USM edged Eastern Connecticut 48-46. She closed out the week with a 21-point, eight-rebound performance against Western Connecticut in the championship game. Leighton leads Southern Maine in scoring and rebounding averaging 16.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She is shooting 46.3 percent (173-for-374) from the floor, 38.8 percent (19-for-49) from three-point range and 82.6 percent (95-for-115) from the free throw line. She is averaging 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. Southern Maine will be making its 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship when it faces Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the first round of the tournament on Friday, March 5 (4:00 p.m.) The Huskies will face RPI in Amherst, Mass. at Amherst College’s LeFrak Gymnasium. ################################################################################ Monday, March 1, 2010
NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament Southern Maine, Earns At-Large Bid, Faces R.P.I. In First Round of NCAA Tournament Huskies and Engineers Will Travel to Play at Amherst College
GORHAM, Maine – For the 16th consecutive season and 24th time since joining the NCAA in 1985, the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team will be playing in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. The Huskies received an at-large bid (Pool C) bid from the NCAA. The announcement was made Monday afternoon. The Huskies will face Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineers on Friday, March 5 in a regional hosted by Amherst College at LeFrak Gymnasium in Amherst, Mass. USM will play RPI at 4 p.m. on Friday. Southern Maine enters the tournament with a 20-8 overall record. Southern Maine is one of two Little East Conference schools to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. The Huskies finished the season as the LEC tournament runner-up and tied for second in the regular season with a 10-4 conference mark. The Huskies have participated in the NCAA tournament every year since 1995 and 24 of the last 25 seasons since moving from the NAIA to the NCAA in 1985. RPI earned its first bid to the NCAA tournament since 2001 after capturing the Liberty League tournament title. The Engineers entered the tournament as the third seed and upset top-seeded Skidmore College 70-67 in the championship game to earn their conference’s automatic bid to the tournament. It is the second time in the school’s women’s basketball history that the team has earned a bid to the championship tournament. The host Amherst College Lord Jeffs earned the New England Small College Athletic Conference’s (NESCAC) automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after defeating Colby College 69-54 in the championship game. Amherst is one of two teams that enter the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record as the Lord Jeffs are 27-0. Amherst will face Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in their first round game on Friday at 6 p.m. MCLA upset Worcester State in the final of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tournament. MCLA is 18-9. Southern Maine is led by freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.). Leighton, a 5-9 forward, leads the Huskies in scoring and rebounding averaging 16.4 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game. She is shooting 46.3 percent (173-for-374) from the field, 38.8 percent (19-for-49) from three-point range and 82.6 percent (95-for-115) from the free throw line. Leighton is also among the team leaders in assists (2.1 apg), steals (1.5 spg) and blocked shots (1.9 bpg). Sophomore guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine), is USM’s second leading scorer averaging 11.6 points per game and a team-leading 3.1 assists per game. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) is averaging 9.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Shooting an outstanding 54.5 percent (108-for-198) from the field, Johnson has recorded nine double doubles this season. Rounding out the starting line-up for Southern Maine is sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine). Nicholas averaged 7.6 point per game, while Paradis chips in at 7.5 points per game. Nicholas leads the Huskies in steals averaging a remarkable 4.5 per game. The 5-6 guard established a new single-game record for steals during the season, grabbing 13 steals against UMass Boston in January. RPI is paced by graduate student Whitney Coleman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.). The Liberty League Player of the Year, Coleman was named the tournament’s MVP. Coleman is averaging 17.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. She is also the team’s leaders in assists (107) and steals (26). Also averaging in double-figures for the Engineers is junior guard Allison Connor (Hudson, N.Y.). Connor averaging 10.7 points, shooting 32.7 percent from three-point range. NCAA Division III Regional Tournament First Round Games, Friday, March 5 (at Amherst College, Amherst, Mass.) Game 1: Southern Maine (20-8) vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (17-10) 4 p.m. Game 2: Amherst College (27-0) vs. Mass. College of Liberal Arts (18-9) 6 p.m. Second Round Game, Saturday, March 6 (at Amherst College, Amherst, Mass.) Game 3: Game One Winner vs. Game Two Winner 5 p.m. NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament Who: University of Southern Maine vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Amherst College vs. Babson College When: Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, 2010 Where: Amherst College, Amherst, Mass. LeFrak Gymnasium Southern Maine Team Info: Record: 20-8 overall, 10-4 Little East Conference (Second Place) Head Coach: Gary Fifield, Vermont ’75, ’82, 22nd Season (561-96, .853 winning percentage) 16th Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance, 24th in last 25 years since moving from NAIA to NCAA in 1995 All-Time Record in NCAA Tournament Play is 43-24 (.641 winning percentage) Best Finishes: Second Place 1998, 2000 and 2006; Third Place in 2005; Fourth in 1988 Last Year (2009): Lost to Emmanuel College 55-49 in the first round. Scoring Leaders: Curran Leighton, Fr., F, 16.4 ppg; Kaylie DeMillo, Jr., G, 11.6 ppg; Haley Johnson, Sr., F, 9.3 ppg Rebounding Leaders: Curran Leighton, Fr., F, 8.8 rpg; Haley Johnson, Sr., F, 8.7 rpg; Renee Nicholas, So., G, 4.5 rpg Assist Leaders: Kaylie DeMillo, Jr., G, 3.1 apg; Nicole Paradis, Sr., G, 3.0 apg; Renee Nicholas, So., G, 2.5 apg ################################################################################ Saturday, February 27, 2010
2010 Little East Conference Championship Western Connecticut Grabs First Little East Conference Championship Since 1994 Colonials Defeat Southern Maine 61-46
DANBURY, Conn. – Junior forward Melissa Teel (Hamden, Conn.) scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the top-seeded Western Connecticut State University Colonials to a 61-46 win over the third-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies to capture their first Little East Conference tournament championship since the 1994 season. With the win the Colonials improve to 22-5 and earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. Southern Maine falls to 20-8 overall and will await a possible berth into the NCAA tournament. The NCAA will announce its tournament bracket on Monday (approximately 12 p.m.). Teel was an outstanding 9-for-13 from the field and added four blocks and three assists. The 6-2 forward was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Freshman guard Taylor Nkonki (Middletown, Conn./Waterford) netted 12 points knocking down 4-of-4 from three-point range and junior guard Karli Spera (Waterford, Conn.) chipped in with 10 points. Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) paced the Huskies with 21 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) added 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. In a closely contested first half, Western Connecticut struck last to take a narrow 31-28 lead as Spera canned a clutch three-pointer deep from the top of the key on the Colonials final possession of the half. Western Connecticut broke open the game with a 14-4 run starting with 16:41 to play. Leading 39-32, the Colonials received scoring contributions from four different players led by Teel’s scored five points to grab a 15-point, 51-36, lead with 9:46 to play. After the decisive run, the Huskies were unable to inch any closer than 11 points the rest of the half as Western Connecticut claimed the title. ################################################################################ Friday, February 26, 2010
2010 Little East Conference Semifinal Game No. 2 Huskies Win Barn Burner Defeat Eastern Connecticut 48-46
Southern Maine Will Face Western Connecticut in LEC Championship DANBURY, Conn. – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) notched her ninth career double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a hard-fought 48-46 win over the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors in the second semifinal game of the 2010 Little East Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Friday night at Feldman Arena in Danbury, Conn. Southern Maine, the third seed in the tournament, improves to 20-7 with the win. It is the 30th consecutive season that the Huskies have won at least 20 games. The loss drops Eastern Connecticut, the second seed in the tournament, to 17-9. Eastern Connecticut will await the announcement on Monday from the NCAA for a potential NCAA National Championship tournament berth. Southern Maine will face top-seeded Western Connecticut in the championship game on Saturday (4:00 p.m.). Leighton scored 12 of her game-high 15 points in the second half as the Huskies overcame a four-point halftime deficit. The 5-9 forward finished the game 5-for-11 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) and senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) each chipped in with seven and eight points respectively, while Johnson grabbed six rebounds and Paradis nabbed six steals. Junior forward Amanda Pierlioni (Plainville, Conn.) led the Warriors with 14 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Brittany Whiteley (Windsor Locks, Conn.) tossed in 10 points and junior guard Jessica Moriarity (East Haven, Conn.) played a solid all-around game with seven points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. The first half was a game of runs as Southern Maine raced out to an 11-3 lead in the opening eight minutes of the game. Paradis scored four of her seven points in the opening run, while Leighton netted her lone three of the game. The Warriors stormed back however, outscoring USM 18-4 over the final 11:45 of the half to take a 21-17 lead at the break. Five different Warriors contributed to the scoring, led by five points from freshman guard Samantha Riccio (Avon, Conn.) and four points from Moriarty. In the second half, the Warriors extended their lead to six and held their lead 25-19 on a lay-up from freshman forward Tanisha Carter (East Hartford, Conn./East Catholic) with 16:41 to play, before the Huskies swung the momentum in their favor with a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the game since the first half, 26-25, with 15:11 to play. Leighton started the run sinking a pair of free throws and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) scored five of her seven points canning a long three-pointer from the wing followed by a driving a jumper. After the Huskies 7-0 run, both teams traded blows back and forth as the final 15 minutes of the game saw 10 lead changes and eight tie scores. With just over three minutes to play, Leighton gave USM a two-point lead with a turn- around jumper in the paint, before ECSU’s Whiteley knotted the score up for the eighth and final time with a pair of free throws with 2:48 to play. On the next USM possession, Leighton again game through for the Huskies with another clutch basket in the paint and the Huskies came up with a huge defensive stop as Paradis grabbed her game-high sixth steal of the night. In its ensuing possession, USM extended its lead to four points, 48-44, following a pair of DeMillo free throws, before Pierlioni cut the Warrior deficit to two, 48-46, with a tough lay-up in traffic with 45 seconds to play. USM turned the ball over on a shot clock violation and the Warriors regained possession with 10 seconds remaining. Southern Maine was able to halt any idea of a last-minute winner by the Warriors, playing defense and allowing Eastern Connecticut only a contested look at the basket as time wound down. As the buzzer sounded, Southern Maine’s Johnson cleared the glass as the Huskies held on for the win. ################################################################################ Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Little East Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Leighton, Johnson Power USM to 64-54 Win Over UMass Dartmouth
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) combined for 36 points and 30 rebounds, each recording their eighth double-double of the season, to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 64-54 win over the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs in the first round of the 2010 Little East Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. The third-seeded Huskies advance to face second-seeded Eastern Connecticut State on Friday (7:30 p.m.) and improve to 19-7 with the win. Southern Maine and Eastern Connecticut split the regular season series and finished tied for second in the LEC with 10-4 conference records. Western Connecticut, the top seed in the tournament, is hosting the semifinal and final games at Feldman Arena in Danbury, Conn. UMass Dartmouth, the sixth seed in the tournament, concludes its season with a 10-16 mark. Leighton led all scorers with 21 points on a solid 7-for-13 effort from the field and a 7-for-8 mark at the free throw line. The 5-9 forward grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and added six assists and four blocked shots. Johnson tossed in 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists on a stellar 6-for-8 shooting performance. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 12 points. Senior forward Kaylin Nelson (New Bedford, Mass.) led the Corsairs with 17 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Stephanie Houtman (New Bedford, Mass.) and junior guard Lynley DeAmato (Melrose, Mass.) each scored 12 points, while Houtman matched Nelson for team-high rebounding honors with seven. Southern Maine raced out to an 11-0 in the opening five minutes of the game and seemed in control holding the Corsairs scoreless until one of two free throws from Houtman put UMass Dartmouth on the 11-1 with 15:06 on the clock. Leighton scored the Huskies’ first eight points of the game, while DeMillo capped the opening burst with the first of her three three-point field goals. However, the scrappy Corsairs barreled their way back into the game with a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to knot the score up at 13-13 with 10:13 to play. Four Corsair players contributed to the scoring in the run, led by five points from Nelson. Both teams battled back and forth over the next several possession and the Corsairs trailed the Huskies by just three points, 18-15, with 8:42 to play before Southern Maine embarked on a 15-4 run over the six and a half minutes to grab its largest lead of the game, 33-19, with 2:18 remaining in the half. This time the Huskies displayed balance as five players figured into the mix led by four points each from sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine). Nicholas finished the game with six points, five assists, four rebounds and eight steals, while Paradis added seven points. UMD junior Tashauna Ashmeade (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) scored the final basket of the half for a 33-21 USM lead at the break. In the second half, USM maintained between a 12-14 point advantage in the opening minutes, before the Corsairs pulled themselves to within two possessions of the Huskies. After Leighton found a cutting Johnson for a lay-up to put the Huskies up 37-23, the Corsairs rattled off eight straight points to trail 37-31 with 15:14 to play. DeAmato scored six of her 12 points in the run. The two teams traded shots over the next four minutes and the Corsairs were within striking distance, 45-37, with 11:06 remaining following a lay-up from Nelson before the Huskies shut the door on any upset bid with a 7-0 run. Paradis kick started the USM run three from the wing and Johnson and Leighton scored the final four points on a 10-foot jumper at the top of the key and a pair of free throws respectively for a 52-37 lead with 10:02 to play. The Corsairs were unable to get any closer than 10 points the rest of the half as the Huskies led by as many as 13 points, 62-49, with 1:22 on the clock. ################################################################################ Monday, February 22, 2010
Leighton Earns MWBCA and LEC Rookie of the Week Honors Huskies Forward Also Named NEWBA Player of the Week
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has been named the Little East Conference (LEC) and the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 21, 2010. The 5-9 forward was also selected at the New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) Player of the Week. Leighton’s current accolades mark the eighth time this season that she has been selected as the Little East Conference (Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 2, Feb. 8, Feb. 15 and Feb. 21) and MWBCA (Nov. 24, Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 2, Feb. 8, Feb. 15 and Feb. 21) Rookie of the Week. It is the second time this season that Leighton has earned NEWBA Player of the Week honors. She has earned NEWBA Rookie of the Week honors three times. Leighton averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game as Southern Maine earned a pair of Little East Conference victories. The Dover, N.H. native shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) from the field and 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from the free throw line during the week. Leighton had 20 points, five rebounds and three steals in a 52-43 road win at UMass Boston. In a 58-57 win over Eastern Connecticut, Leighton scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the second half, shooting 7-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. She scored eight of USM’s final 13 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Southern Maine hosts the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) in the Little East Conference tournament play off game. The Huskies finished the regular season tied for second place and are the third seed in the tournament. UMass Dartmouth finished the regular season tied for sixth place and are the sixth seed in the tournament. ################################################################################ Saturday, February 20, 2010
Leighton Nets Game-High 21; Southern Maine Slips Past Eastern Connecticut 58-57
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) scored 14 of her 21 points in the second half, including eight of the Huskies’ final 13 points, to lead the University of Southern Maine to a thrilling 58-57 win over the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. The win is the fifth straight for USM, which improves to 18-7 overall and 10-4 in the Little East. The loss snaps a two-game win streak for the Warriors who fall to 17-8 and 10-4 in the conference. Southern Maine will be the third seed in the Little East Conference tournament and will host sixth seeded UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) Eastern will be the second seed in the upcoming LEC tournament and will receive a first round bye. The Warriors will host either USM or UMass Dartmouth on Friday, February 26 (7:30 p.m.). Leighton finished the game 7-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw lie to lead three USM players in double figures. The 5-9 forward also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and added a blocked shot despite playing just 25 minutes due to foul trouble. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 11 points and four rebounds, while senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn.) tossed in 10 points, five rebounds and two steals. Junior guard Brittany Whiteley (Windsor Locks, Conn.) led the Warriors with a team-high 18 points on an outstanding 7-for-10 mark from the field. Whiteley added a game-high five assists. Freshman forward Tanisha Carter (East Hartford, Conn./East Catholic) was 6-for-7 from the field for 15 points, while junior forward Amanda Pierlioni (Plainville, Conn.) added 10 points and seven rebounds. With the exception of the first basket of the game, the Huskies trailed Eastern Connecticut the entire opening half and by as many as eight points, before closing out the half with 7-0 run to steal the momentum from Eastern Connecticut and nab a 34-33 halftime lead. DeMillo was instrumental in the Huskies first half rush, scoring all seven of her team’s points on a pair of free throws, a three-pointer and a buzzer-beating lay-up after a Johnson defensive rebounds and outlet pass. The second half saw six tied scores and eight lead changes as both teams battled back and forth. Neither team led by more than two baskets, for the final 20 minutes of the contest, with Southern Maine grabbing the largest lead, 47-43, at the 10 minute mark following a jumper from Leighton. USM led by three, 52-49, following one of two free throws from DeMillo with 5:50 to play, before Eastern scored four straight points to take its final lead of the game, 53-52, with 4:01 remaining. Sophomore forward Piper Chapman (Falmouth, Mass.) and Carter each scored two points. Leighton quickly regained the advantage for the Huskies sinking a pair of free throws on the Huskies ensuing possession, and Johnson came up with two big stops over Eastern’s next two possessions with a blocked shot and a defensive rebounds and steal, before canning a pair of free throws of her own to put USM up 56-53 with 2:30 to play. Both teams traded points over the next possessions as Whiteley sunk two free throws and Leighton scored in the paint for a 58-55 USM lead with 1:00 to play, before Whiteley scored a driving lay-up to put Eastern within one with just 38 seconds remaining. During its final possession, USM missed the basket and turned the ball over on a shot clock violation and Eastern regained the ball, but a potential game- winner on a tough look at the basket by junior guard Jessica Moriarity (East Haven, Conn.) was off the mark and Leighton corralled the rebound as the Huskies held on for the win. ################################################################################ Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Leighton Nets 20, Huskies Defeat UMass Boston 52-43
BOSTON – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 52-43 win over the UMass Boston Beacons in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at the Clark Athletic Center in Boston. Southern Maine improves to 17-7 overall with the win and improves its Little East Conference record to 9-4. With its 15th consecutive loss, UMass Boston falls to 4-20 and remains winless in the LEC at 0-13. Leighton was 9-for-16 from the field en route to the game high total and added three steals. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) added nine rebounds, a game-high eight rebounds and four assists, while sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) turned in a solid all-around performance with nine points, nine steals, six rebounds and five assists. Junior forward Cammy Brown (Malden, Mass.) led the Beacons with 12 points off of the bench. Brown was a solid 5-for-7 from the field while grabbing five rebounds. Freshman guard Bethany Rossoll (Colorado Springs, Colo./Thomas B. Doherty) added nine points. Southern Maine took control of the game in the first half, holding the Beacons to just six first half field goals (6-for-22), a 27.3 shooting percentage and forcing UMass Boston into 17 first half turnovers. The Huskies took a commanding 29-14 lead at the break led by nine points from Leighton and seven from Nicholas. The Huskies maintained their lead throughout the second half, leading by as many as 18 points. The Huskies led by 16, 50-34, with 6:14 to play before the Beacons strung together 9-0 to trim their deficit to seven, 50-43, with 2:33 to play. UMass Boston received scoring contributions from three different players in the run, including four points from Brown. During the Beacon run, Southern Maine went 0-for-5 from the field in the final six minutes of the second half, recording its final field goal at 6:14 of regulation on a lay-up from junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine). The Beacons were unable to get any closer than seven points however, missing on three possessions and turning the ball over once. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 43.4 percent (23-for-53) from the field, despite making just 1-of-13 from three point range. UMass Boston shot 37.0 percent (17-for-46) from the field, committing 30 turnovers. Southern Maine hosts Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) in its final regular season home game. UMass Boston will face Western Connecticut on the road on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Monday, February 15, 2010
Leighton Sweeps LEC, MWBCA and NEWBA Rookie of the Week Honors
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has swept the Rookie of the Week honors from Little East Conference (LEC), Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) and New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) for the fourth time this season. Leighton earned the accolades for the week ending Sunday, February 14. This week’s honors mark the seventh time this season that Leighton has been named the LEC (Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec, 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 2, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15) and the MWBCA (Nov. 24, Nov. 30., Dec. 14., Jan. 11., Feb. 2, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15) Rookie of the Week. Leighton has been recognized by NEWBA on four occasions (Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15) and has been named both the NEWBA Player of the Week and LEC Player of the Week once (Jan. 11 and Feb. 8). Leighton averaged 22.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in wins over Plymouth State and Rhode Island College. The 5-9 forward scored 19 points and had eight rebounds against PSU. Against RIC at home, Leighton scored a game-high 25 points on an outstanding 11-for-15 effort from the floor with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Leighton finished the week shooting 56.7 percent (17-for-30) from the field, 80.0 percent (8-for-10) from the free throw line and 33.3 percent (2-for-6) from three-point range. Leighton currently leads the Huskies and the Little East Conference in scoring averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting 44.6 percent (136-for-305) from the field . She is second on the team in rebounding averaging 8.3 rebounds per game and steals nabbing 1.60 per contest. Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) at UMass Boston. ################################################################################ Saturday, February 13, 2010
Huskies Use Balanced Attack to Defeat Rhode Island College 76-62
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) led four players in double figures with 25 points and eight rebounds as the University of Southern Maine downed the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen 76-62 in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. The win is the third straight for the Huskies who improve to 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the Little East. Rhode Island College, which entered the game riding a six game winning streak, falls to 15-8 overall and 6-6 in the conference. Leighton was dominant in the paint shooting an outstanding 11-for-15 from the field, adding four assists and two blocked shots to compliment her eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) had 14 points and a game-high eight steals, while senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) each added 12 points. Johnson recorded her seventh double double of the season with 12 rebounds, while DeMillo had a game-high six assists. Sophomore forward Rachel Riley (Coventry, Rhode Island) paced the Anchorwomen with a strong 19 points and team-high 11 rebounds to notch her 10th double double of the season. Senior guard Denise Scott (Yonkers, N.Y./Lincoln) was the only other player in double figures for RIC netting 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Both teams battled back and forth in the opening nine minutes of the first half and a lay-up from RIC’s Riley pulled the score even at 13 with 11:15 to play. However, the Huskies outscored the Anchorwomen 25-8 to close out the half and enter the locker room up by 17, 38-21, at the break. The Huskies received scoring contributions from seven players in the pivotal run, including six points each from Johnson and DeMillo. Southern Maine ended the half shooting an outstanding 57.7 percent (15-for- 26) from the field, while playing solid defense, forcing RIC into 20 first half turnovers. The Huskies scored 25 of their first half points off of turnovers, led by six steals and nine points from Nicholas. USM opened the second half on an 18-10 run in the first six minutes to grab its largest lead, 56-31, with 13:52 to play. Leighton scored nine of her 25 points during the six-minute stretch. From there, Southern Maine cruised to the win, leading by as much as 20 points with 3:49 remaining. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 57.4 percent (31-for-54) from the field and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) from three-point range. Rhode Island College shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the floor and finished the game with 26 turnovers. Southern Maine travels to UMass Boston on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). Rhode Island College is at UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, February 9, 2010
DeMillo and Leighton Guide Huskies Past Plymouth State 67-60
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) and freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) combined to score 42 points and lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 67-60 win over the Plymouth State University Panthers in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Foley Gymnasium in Plymouth, N.H. With the win, the Huskies improve to 15-7 overall and 7-4 in the Little East Conference. The loss is the third in a row for the Panthers who fall to 14-7 overall and 4-7 in the conference. DeMillo canned a season-high seven three-pointers to net a game-high 23 points. The 5-7 guard was 7-for-16 from long range and added four rebounds. Leighton added 19 points on a 6-for-15 effort from the floor and grabbed a team- high eight rebounds. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) tossed in 11 points. Plymouth State sophomore forward Alicia Doucet (Manchester, N.H./Central) recorded a double-double with a team-high 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead three PSU players in double digits. Senior forward Laura Kent (Bellingham, Mass.) added 15 points, while junior forward Amanda Kania (Manchester, N.H./West) chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds. After a neck-and-neck first half, which saw seven lead changes, both teams entered the halftime break tied at 28. The Huskies’ Leighton gave USM a three- point lead after a layup with 18 seconds left in the half, before freshman guard Colleen O’Hara (Otego, N.Y.) sank a three with three seconds to play for the tie score. Southern Maine opened the second half on a 16-6 run to lead the Panthers 44-34 with 14:17 on the clock. Both DeMillo and Leighton scored six points in the run. The Panthers hung around and stayed with in a few possessions of the Huskies before fighting their way back to trail the Huskies by one with 1:18 in regulation. Trailing by eight, 56-48, following a three-pointer from DeMillo with 5:58 to play, Plymouth State outscored USM 12-5 over the next five minutes and nine seconds to trail 61-60. The Panthers rallied on the heels of five points each from Kent and Doucet in the run. The Huskies were able to gut out the victory however making six of eight free throws in the final minute of play. Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). Plymouth State hosts UMass Boston on Saturday (2:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Monday, February 8, 2010
Leighton Named LEC Player and Rookie of the Week Freshman Forward Also Named NEWBA Rookie of the Week
GORHAM, Maine – After a pair of standout performances over two games, University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) has earned a trio of accolades for the week ending February 7, 2010. Leighton earned honors from both the Little East Conference (LEC) and the New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA). The 5-9 forward was named both the Little East Conference Rookie and Player of the Week. It marked the sixth time this season that Leighton has been named the conference’s Rookie of the Week (Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 2 and Feb. 8) and the first time that she has been named the LEC Player of the Week (Feb. 8). Leighton was also selected as the NEWBA Rookie of the Week marking her third time being selected for the award (Nov. 30, Dec. 14, and Feb. 8) and fourth time that she has been recognized by NEWBA this season as she had been named the NEWBA Player of the Week once (Jan. 11). The Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) has also recognized Leighton on five occasions as its Rookie of the Week (Nov. 24, Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Jan. 11 and Feb. 1). In a 1-1 week for Southern Maine, Leighton averaged 23.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. In a LEC win over UMass Dartmouth, Leighton had 25 points and nine rebounds while matching her career-high in assists with five. She also added three blocks and two steals. Against Colby, Leighton scored 22 points, including a 3-for-4 effort from three- point range. She also had seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Leighton leads Southern Maine in scoring averaging 15.1 points per game. She is second in rebounding averaging 8.4 per game. Through 21 games, she is averaging 2.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. She is shooting 43.3 percent (119-275) from the field and 42.9 percent (15-35) from three-point range. She leads the Huskies at the free throw line shooting 81.3 percent (65- 80). Southern Maine travels to Plymouth State University on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). UMass Dartmouth hosts UMass Boston on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Saturday, February 6, 2010
Leighton Pours In 25 Leads Southern Maine Past UMass Dartmouth 63-56
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) poured in a game-high 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) added 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 63-56 Little East Conference win over the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. With the win, Southern Maine improves to 14-7 overall and 6-4 in the conference. The Corsairs fall to 8-13 and 3-7 in the Little East with the loss. Leighton was 7-for-15 from the floor and an outstanding 11-for-12 from the free throw line to lead the Huskies. It was her third straight game scoring at least 20 points for the Huskies and sixth game overall this season. Leighton also had five assists, three blocks and two steals. Johnson’s double double was her sixth of the season. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added eight points. Freshman guard Jessica Howlett (North Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) led three Corsairs in double figures with 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Senior guard Madison Malloy (Cranston, Rhode Island/Bay View Academy) added 12 points off of the bench, while junior guard Lynley DeAmato (Melrose, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points on a 4-for-8 mark from the field. After shooting 50.0 percent (11-for-22) in the first half and taking a 34- 24 lead at the break, Southern Maine rolled out to a 43-27 lead three minutes into the second half before allowing the Corsairs back into the game. USM took its largest lead of the game, 16 points, with 17:16 to play on a 9-3 run to open the second stanza. The Corsairs stormed back to within five, 43-38, over the next five minutes on an 11-0 run fueled by nine points from Howlett. With its lead trimmed to five with 12:57 to play, USM’s Johnson halted the scoring drought sinking a lay-up and making a free throw to convert a traditional three-point to put the Huskies up eight, 46-38, with 11:26 to play. The score bounced back and forth between six and eight points, before the Corsairs again made a run at the Huskies pulling to within a basket with just under six minutes to play. After a pair of free throws from Leighton put USM up 50-42, the Corsairs rattled off five straight points on a lay up from DeAmato and a traditional three-point play Malloy to trail 50-47 with 5:58 on the clock. The Huskies responded however with six straight points on a lay-up from Leighton and back-to-back buckets from Johnson. USM led by 11, 62-51, with 37 seconds to play, before the Corsairs outscored the Huskies 5-1 in the final 20 seconds to the 63-56 final. Southern Maine travels to Plymouth State University on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). UMass Dartmouth hosts UMass Boston on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Colby Defeats Southern Maine 64-54
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman guard Diana Manduca (Portland, Maine/Deering) scored a team-high 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting off of the bench to lead four players in double figures as the Colby College Mules held on for a 64-54 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies Tuesday night in a non-conference women’s basketball game in Hill Gymnasium at Gorham, Maine. The win is the first for the Mules over the Huskies since the 2001 season. Colby improves to 16-3 with the win, while the Huskies slip to 13-7 with the loss. Manduca led a balances attack with 14 points and added three steals. Senior forward Alison Cappelloni (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) and sophomore guard Aarika Ritchie (Lee, Maine/Lee Academy) each tossed in 12 points, while Cappelloni added six rebounds and a Ritchie passed off four assists. Sophomore forward Rachael Mack (Augusta, Maine/Cony) had 11 points and six rebounds. USM freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) led all scorers with 22 points on a 8-for-16 mark from the floor including a 3-for-4 effort from three- point range. Leighton added seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) had nine points, eight rebounds and four steals, while senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) tossed in eight points, six rebounds and five steals. Despite both teams shooting in the high twenties in the opening half, Colby was able to take a solid 33-24 halftime lead thanks in part to a 5-for-14 effort from three-point range. Manduca and Cappelloni each scored nine 14 points in the opening half. In the second half, the Mules used a 6-0 run to open up its largest lead of the game, 45-31, with 12:11 to play. Ahead by eight, 39-31, with 14:40 on the clock, the Mules used consecutive baskets from Ritchie, Manduca and sophomore forward Jill Vaughan (Wareham, Mass./Tabor Academy) to pull away from Southern Maine. The Mules maintained between an 11-to-13 point lead for the next six minutes before the Huskies battled back to within five points, 52-47, with 5:56 remaining. Following a three-pointer from senior guard Samantha Allen (Bridgton, Maine/Lake Region) to go ahead 52-39 with 8:15 to play, the Huskies scored eight straight points, including a pair of baskets from Nicholas. Colby’s Mack halted the run with a lay-up with 5:39 to play to put her team ahead 54-47 and after one of two free throws from Leighton, the Mules took a nine-point, 57-48, lead after a traditional three-point play from Ritchie with 4:33 to play. In the final four minutes of action, the Huskies twice cut the Colby advantage to two possessions, but each time the Mules responded with a three- pointer, first from Cappelloni and then from Manduca. Southern Maine hosts UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (1 p.m.) in a Little East Conference game. Colby College travels to Williams College on Friday (6:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Monday, February 1, 2010
Leighton Earns LEC Rookie of the Week Honors for Fifth Time
GORHAM, Maine – University of Southern Maine Huskies freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) has been named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, January 31, 2010. It is the fifth time this season that Leighton has earned the conference’s rookie of the week accolade. Leighton averaged 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game in two games for Southern Maine. The 5-10 forward shot 42.9 percent (12- for-28) from the field and 88.9 percent (8-for-9) from the free throw line. In a 55-31 win against UMass Boston, Leighton notched her team-leading seventh double double of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in just 28 minutes of action. In 24 minutes at Keene State, Leighton had 22 points on a 7-for-13 effort from the field. Leighton, who leads the Huskies in scoring average at 14.3 points per game, has been name the LEC Rookie of the Week on November 30, December 7 and 14, January 11 and February 1. She has also been named the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Week five times (Nov. 24, Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Jan. 11 and Feb. 1). Leighton has also been recognized by the New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) three times, earning rookie of the week honors twice (Nov. 30, Dec. 14) and player of the week once (Jan. 11). In the Little East Conference, Leighton is fifth in scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.4 rpg), second in blocked shots (2.1 bpg), fourth in free throw shooting 83.6 percent (51-for-61) and 15th in assists (1.94 apg). Southern Maine hosts Colby College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) in a non- conference game. ################################################################################ Saturday, January 30, 2010
Southern Maine Rally Falls Short at Keene State, 69-62
KEENE, N.H. – Senior forward Nicole Simmler (Oxford, Mass.) netted a game-high 26 points to lead three players in double figures as the Keene State College Owls withstood a second half comeback bid to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies 69-62 in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium in Keene, N.H. The win is the second straight for the Owls who improve to 13-6 and 5-4 in the Little East. The loss drops Southern Maine to 13-6 and 5-4 in the conference. Simmer was a solid 9-for-16 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range to earn game-high scoring honors. Simmler added seven rebounds and a game-high five assists. Senior guard Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) added 19 points and senior guard Alyssa Sapp (Hartford, Vt.) tossed in 10 points. Southern Maine freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) led the Huskies with 22 points despite early foul trouble. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) each scored 12 points. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) chipped in with six points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Keene State roared out to a 41-29 lead at the half after shooting an outstanding 57.7 percent (15-for-26) from the field, including a 9-for-12 effort from three-point range. Degou and Simmler each scored 15 points in the half. Degou was lights out from beyond the arc in the opening half sinking 5-of-5 three-pointers. The Huskies struggled offensively in the opening half, making just eight first half field goals to finish the half shooting just 30.8 percent (8-for-26) from the field. In the second half, Southern Maine trailed by as many as 21 points, 52-31, with 13:34 to play following a jumper from Simmler, before stringing together a 23-5 run over the next six and half minutes to trail by three, 57-54, with 7:27 to play. Leighton took control of the game during the run, scoring 14 of her 22 points to put the Huskies back in contention. A pair of Johnson free throws closed out the run to bring USM to within a basket of the Owls, but Degou canned her lone field goal of the half, a three- pointer, for a 60-54 lead with 5:43 to play. The Huskies continued to battle the Owls but were unable to get closer than four points in the final five minutes of action as Keene State went 7-for-10 from the free throw line to secure the win. Southern Maine hosts Colby College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) in a non- conference game. Keene State is at Rhode Island College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Southern Maine Handles UMass Boston 55-31 Nicholas Sets Single Game Mark for Steals With 13
GORHAM, Maine – Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double and established a new record for steals in a game with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and 13 steals to help the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 55-31 win over the UMass Boston Beacons in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium. The win lifts the Huskies’ record to 13-5 overall and improves their Little East Conference record to 5-3. UMass Boston falls to 4-14 overall and remains winless in the conference at 0-8. Nicholas broke the 28-year-old record for single-game steals formerly held by USM All-American Maureen Burchill. Burchill had 11 thefts against Dominican College on February 26, 1982. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 12 points and freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) collected her team-leading seventh double double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Molly Piette (Webster, Mass./Bartlett) led the Beacons with eight points on a 3-for-5 effort off of the bench. Freshman guard Elizabeth Dow (Marshfield, Mass.) had five points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including six offensive boards. The Huskies used a strong defensive effort in the first half, limiting the Beacons to just a 3-for-20 effort from the field, to open up a commanding 26-10 lead at the break. Leighton scored all 12 of her points in the first half, while grabbing seven rebounds, while Nicholas collected eight of her 13 steals. Southern Maine remained in control of the game in the second half, holding the Beacons scoreless for the first 10 minutes while scoring 17 unanswered points open up a 33-point (43-10) lead. DeMillo scored eight of her 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, while Nicholas chipped in with four points. The Beacons ended their dry spell with 9:51 remaining on a pair of free throws from freshman guard Kate Levy (Falmouth, Mass.) for their first points of the half. Levy’s free throws kick started a 12-0 run by the Beacons to trim the USM lead to 21, 43-22, with 7:39 on the clock. Piette was responsible for six of the Beacons 12 points in the run, sinking two threes. Southern Maine responded to the Beacon effort, netting six unanswered points to push its lead back to 27, 49-22, following lay-up from freshman forward Meredith Reid (York, Maine) and back-to-back lay-ups from DeMillo. From there the Beacons were unable to get any closer than 22 points in the final three minutes of action. Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when it travels to Keene State College. UMass Boston hosts Rhode Island College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Saturday, January 23, 2010
Western Connecticut Surges Past Southern Maine 67-50
DANBURY, Conn. – Junior forward Katie Moffo (Southington, Conn.) and junior guard Karli Spera (Waterford, Conn.) combined to score 41 points, including 34 in the second half to lead the Western Connecticut State University Colonials to a 67-50 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies Saturday afternoon in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game at Feldman Arena in Danbury, Conn. With the win, the Colonials improve to 16-2 overall and remain undefeated in the Little East Conference at 7-0. The loss drops the Huskies to 12-5 overall and 4-3 in the conference. Trailing 35-25 at the half, Western Connecticut stormed out of the gates to being the second half and quickly erased its deficit en route to the win. Earning its second straight come-from-behind win after trailing by double- figures at the half, the Colonials relied on big second half numbers from Moffo and Spera. In the opening 10 minutes of the second stanza, the Colonials outscored USM 21-6 to turn a 10-point deficit into a five-point, 46-41, lead with 10:42 on the clock. Moffo scored nine of her points in the decisive run, while Spera tossed in eight. After a Spera three put WCONN ahead 46-41, USM trimmed the lead to three with a free throw from junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) and a short jumper from freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) to trail 46-44 with 8:35 to play. The Colonials however responded with a 10-2 run effectively putting the game out of reach for the Huskies who were ice cold from the field in the second half making just six field goals. In the 10-2 run, Moffo tossed in five of the Colonials’ points. Spera led Western Connecticut with 21 points, while Moffo finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Junior forward Heather Lee (Seymour, Conn.) added 18 points. USM senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) recorded a double double in the loss with 17 points and 14 rebounds. DeMillo was the only other USM player in double-figures with 10 points. Hampered with foul trouble, Leighton finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. Southern Maine hosts UMass Boston on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). The Colonials host in state and LEC rival Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Leighton Named MWBCA Rookie of the Week for the Fifth Time This Season
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has been named the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, January 18, 2010. The award marks the fifth time this season that Leighton has earned MWBCA Rookie of the Week honors this season. Leighton nearly averaged a double double with 13.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in a 1-1 week on the road for Southern Maine. During the two-game stretch, Leighton earned her sixth double double of the season with a team-best 18 points and 11 rebounds against Rhode Island College while playing the entire 40 minutes for the Huskies. Against Eastern Connecticut, Leighton put together a solid eight points and eight rebounds. The 5-10 forward leads Southern Maine in scoring and rebounding averaging 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. She is shooting a solid 42.7 percent (88-for-206) from the field. From three-point range, Leighton has shot 41.7 percent (10-for-24) from the floor. She is averaging 2.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. In the conference, Leighton is fifth in the LEC in scoring, fourth in rebounding and second in the conference in blocked shots. She is also in the top 15 in shooting percentage, assists, and free throw percentage. Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) at Western Connecticut State University. Plymouth State travels to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Huskies Shoot Past Plymouth State 72-47
GORHAM, Maine – Senior forward Ruthie Briggs (Sanford, Maine) scored a career-high 18 points to lead three players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies downed the Plymouth State University Panthers 72-47 in Little East Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham. With the win Southern Maine improves to 12-4 overall and 4-2 in the Little East. The loss snaps a three-game win streak for the Panthers who fall to 13-4 and 3-3 in the conference. Briggs was 8-for-10 from the field and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to pace the Huskies. The 5-11 forward added five rebounds. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 15 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals and sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) chipped in with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and a game-best seven steals. Nicholas was 5-for-9 from the floor. Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) tied her career-high with a game-leading 14 rebounds to compliment seven points. Sophomore forward Alicia Doucet (Manchester, N.H./Central) led the Panthers with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Laura Kent (Bellingham, Mass.) added nine points and nine rebounds. Freshman guard Colleen O’Hara (Otego, N.Y./Unatego Central) netted nine points off of the bench. Leading 21-18 with 3:14 to play, Southern Maine outscored Plymouth State 10-0 to close out the half and take a 31-18 lead at the break. The Huskies got three-pointers from both Leighton and DeMillo in the run, while Briggs notched a traditional three-point play on a lay-up and a free throw. In the second half, USM posted a 19-point advantage, 41-22, in the first five minutes after opening up the half with a 10-4 run, including five straight points from Briggs. The Panthers twice cut their deficit to 16 points, but it was as close as they would get the rest of the way as the Huskies led by as many as 31 points, 64-33, with 4:46 remaining. Southern Maine finished the game shooting a solid 49.1 percent (27-for-55) from the field and 70.6 percent (12-for-17) from the free throw line. The Panthers shot 27.3 percent (15-for-55) from the floor and 57.1 percent (12-for- 21) from the charity stripe. Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) at Western Connecticut State University. Plymouth State travels to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Saturday, January 16, 2009
Eastern Connecticut Edges Out Southern Maine 54-52
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Freshman forward Tanisha Carter (East Hartford, Conn./East Catholic) sank a pair of free throws with three seconds remain to deliver a 54-52 win for the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Geissler Gymnasium in Willimantic, Conn. With the win Eastern Connecticut improves to 11-3 overall and 5-0 in the Little East. The loss snaps a seven game winning streak for Southern Maine who fall to 11-4 overall and 3-2 in the conference. Carter finished the game with nine points and 11 rebounds. Junior forward Amanda Pierloni (Plainville, Conn.) led the Warriors with 12 points and nine rebounds, while freshman center Lauren Kelleher (Dartmouth, Mass.) added 11 points. Senior forwad Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) and sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) each had 14 points for the Huskies. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 11 points. Trailing by nine, 52-43, with 3:40 to play, Southern Maine rallied to knot the score up at 52 with 26 seconds remaining. The Huskies made just nine first half field goals, but rebounded to shoot 44.0 percent (11-for-25) in the second half. Southern Maine hosts Plymouth State University on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). Eastern Connecticut hosts Keene State on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Southern Maine Holds Off Rhode Island College 66-62
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) scored 12 of her game-high 18 points to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 66-62 win over the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen in Little East Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at the Murray Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The win is the seventh straight for Southern Maine to improve to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in the Little East. Rhode Island College falls to 9-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference. Leighton was one of three USM players in double figures, leading USM with 18 points and 11 rebounds. It was the fourth straight double double for the 5-9 forward who was 7-for-16 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) scored 14 points and had three assists and three steals, while senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) notched a double double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Denise Scott (Yonkers, N.Y.) had 14 points, five rebounds and eight steals to pace the Anchorwomen off of the bench. Senior guard Alice Mullen (Saunderstown, R.I./South Kingston) tossed in 13 points off of the bench, while sophomore forward Rachel Riley (Coventry, R.I.) added a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Both teams struggle offensively in the first half, with Rhode Island College shooting just 30.6 percent (11-for-36) from the field and USM committing 14 of its 21 turnovers in the opening stanza, and entered the locker room tied at 28 points a piece. DeMillo scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half to keep the Huskies afloat despite struggling with turnovers. In the second half, USM seemed on its way to a comfortable victory outscoring RIC 14-2 in the first seven minutes to open up a 42-30 lead with 13:05 remaining. Johnson netted six of her 13 points in the scoring spurt for the Huskies. RIC was 1-for-12 during the stretch and committed four of its 15 turnovers in the game. RIC fought back over the next ten minutes and chipped away at the Huskies lead, cutting the deficit to three points on a lay-up from sophomore guard Stephanie Coro (North Providence, R.I.) with 5:49 to play and again at 4:45 remaining on a three-pointer from Mullen. However, each time USM was able to recover a two-possession lead as its forward tandem of Leighton and Johnson earned key baskets in the paint. Southern Maine led by five, 57-52, with 4:14 to play following an offensive rebound and a put-back from Leighton, before RIC rode Scott for 6-2 run to trail 59-58 with 2:39 on the clock. Scott netted one of two free throws to start the mini run, added a steal and a lay-up and then sank a three-pointer. DeMillo, who finished the game 7-for-7 from the free throw line, interrupted Scott’s scoring with a pair of free throws. After the Scott three, Leighton put the Huskies’ ahead 61-58 with a layup, before Scott tied brought her team back to even with a traditional three-point play with a layup and a free throw for a 61-61 contest with 1:59 to play. With the game on the line, USM outscored RIC 5-1 over the final minutes, including/ three straight points on one of two free throws from sophomore Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and a lay-up from DeMillo after a Leighton offensive board. RIC’s Riley made one of two free throws with 1:01 to play for a 64-62 game, and after a missed possession for both teams, Leighton swatted away a potential tying basket with 16 seconds to play. Leighton finished the game with two free throws for the 66-62 final. Southern Maine travels to Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). Rhode Island College travels to Plymouth State on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Monday, January 11, 2010
Southern Maine’s DeMillo and Leighton Sweep LEC and MWBCA Honors Leighton Named New England Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
GORHAM, Maine – University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball players, junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) and freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) each were awarded weekly honors for their outstanding play for the week ending Sunday, January 10. DeMillo was named the Little East Conference and Maine Women’s Basketball Player of the Week and Leighton earned the LEC and MWBCA Rookie of the Week honor as the Huskies swept both organizations’ weekly honor program. Leighton was also named the New England Women’s Basketball Association Player of the Week. DeMillo and Leighton led Southern Maine to a 3-0 week, including a double- overtime win on the road and a narrow 61-60 road win in Little East Conference action. DeMillo is earning her first awards of the season after averaging 20.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.67 steals per game. The 5-7 guard, reached double figures scoring in all three games, netting a season-high 27 points in a 79-74 double overtime win at Husson University on January 6. In USM’s 74-59 win against Regis College (Mass.), DeMillo set a career-high mark for assists with eight, while tossing in 15 points. In the Huskies’ lone conference game of the week, she had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Leighton, who has been named the LEC and MWBCA Rookie of the Week four times, was awarded the NEWBA Player of the Week honors for the first time. Leighton has previously been named the NEWBA Rookie of the Week twice. Leighton racked up a trio of double-doubles during the week averaging 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Over the course of the week, Leighton shot 44.8 percent (22-for-49) from the field and 81.2 percent (13-for-16) from the free throw line. The 5-10 forward opened the week with 10 points and a career-best 14 rebounds in USM’s win over Regis and then had 23 points and 12 rebounds in the Huskies’ double-overtime win at Husson. Against UMass Dartmouth, Leighton notched a career-best 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on the road. Leighton is Southern Maine’s leading scorer averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 43.8 percent (74-169) from the field. She is second on the team in rebounds averaging 8.4 per game. In the LEC, she is fifth in scoring, sixth in rebounding and second in blocked shots (2.1 per game). DeMillo is the Huskies’ second leading scorer averaging 12.9 points per game and leads the team in assists with 3.7 per game. She is ninth in the LEC in scoring, fourth in assists and second in three-point field goals made (30). Southern Maine travels to Rhode Island College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) for a Little East Conference game. ################################################################################ Saturday, January 9, 2010
Huskies Rally To Defeat UMass Dartmouth
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) combined to score 45 points to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 61-60 come-from-behind win over the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs Saturday afternoon in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game at the Tripp Center in North Dartmouth, Mass. Winning their sixth game in a row, Southern Maine improves to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in the Little East Conference. UMass Dartmouth drops to 5-7 and 0-3 in the LEC. Leighton was 7-for-17 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line to net her career-high 23 points. The 5-9 forward also set a career mark in rebounds with 13. DeMillo tossed in 18 points, grabbed five rebounds, had a game-high five assists and added two steals in 39 minutes of action for the short-handed Huskies. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) added 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds as USM held a 41- 31 advantage on the glass. Junior forward Tashauna Ashmeade (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) led the Corsairs with 16 points and 11 rebounds off of the bench. Junior guard Lynley DeAmato (Melrose, Mass.) added 10 points as the Corsairs received a balanced scoring effort. Senior forward Kaylin Nelson (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) added nine points, while freshman forward Colleen Moriarty (Canton, Mass.) tossed in eight points. After a sub par shooting performance in the first half, Southern Maine trailed the Corsairs 38-29. Ashmeade scored nine of her 16 points in the opening half, as UMD shot a solid 44.1 percent (15-for-34). Leighton kept the Huskies in the game in the first half, scoring 16 of her 27 as the Huskies made just nine first half field goals while shooting 34.6 percent. UMass Dartmouth outscored USM 14-5 in the final five minutes of the first half to take its nine-point halftime advantage led by five points by Ashmeade. The Huskies were 2-for-4 from the field during that stretch but turned the ball over six times. In the second half, UMD opened up its lead to 11 points, 42-31, early following two free throws from Nelson and a layup by Moriarity. The Huskies rallied to take the lead with a 12-0 run and took a slim 43-42 lead with 12:57 to play. The Corsairs pushed back and regained their lead with a 4-0 mini run to lead 46-43, before DeMillo sank one of her four three-pointers of the game to knot the score up at 46 with 10:40 to play. Both teams battled back and fourth over the next four minutes before Southern Maine’s Johnson nabbed one of her five offensive boards of the night and sank the layup for a 52-52 tie with 6:30 to play. After botched possession by both squads, one of two free throws from Husky junior forward Kristen Hurd (Fryeburg, Maine/Drury) gave the Huskies the lead for good, 53-52, with 5:11 to play. Layups from DeMillo and Johnson bookended a single free throw from UMD for a 57-53 USM lead with 3:19 on the clock. The Corsairs cut the lead to one possession twice over the final minutes of the contest trailing by two, 57-55, with 2:39 on the clock and by one with 1:11 to play following a long three-pointer from junior guard Lynley DeAmato (Melrose, Mass.), but each time the Huskies were able to answer. First with a driving layup from DeMillo and then a second chance bucket from Leighton for a 61-58 Husky lead with 15 seconds on the clock. UMD had a chance to tie the score up with a three-pointer in its final possession, but Ashmeade’s layup with two seconds on the clock allowed USM to run out the time and slip away with the win. Southern Maine travels to Rhode Island College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). The Corsairs host Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Southern Maine Fights Off Husson 79-74 in Double Overtime
BANGOR, Maine – Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) scored seven of her season-high 27 points in the second overtime period to help the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 79-74 double-overtime win over the Husson University Eagles Wednesday evening at Newman Gymnasium in Bangor, Maine. Playing their third game in four days, the Huskies earned their fifth straight win to improve to 9-3 overall. The Eagles fall to 3-7 on the season. DeMillo was 8-for-20 from the field, including a quartet of three-pointers and sank 7-of-9 free throws to net her season high 27 points. Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) recorded her fourth double double of the season with a career-high 23 points and 12 rebounds. Leighton was 11-for-18 from the field and added three blocked shots and two steals. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Brianna Hanscom (Mattawamkeag, Maine/Mattanawcook Academy) led the Eagles with 26 point and 11 rebounds, while senior forward Shelby Bradford (Lee, Maine/Lee Academy) tossed in 15 points, a game-high 17 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Sophomore guard Amanda Gifford (Lee, Maine/Lee Academy) added 11 points. After running out to a 33-25 halftime lead on the strength of 17 first half points from Leighton, the Huskies found themselves heading into overtime after Husson stormed back in the second half, outscoring USM 36-28. Both teams shot fairly well from the field in the second half, with USM making 12-of-28 field goals compared to Husson’s 10-for-26 effort and both teams making a pair of three pointers; however, Husson was on target from the free throw line sinking 14-of-20 (70.0 percent) from the charity stripe. Conversely, USM nearly shot itself out of the game from the free throw line making just 2-of-10 in the second half. The first overtime period was a back and forth battle that saw three lead changes and three tie scores. Bradford put the Eagles ahead by three, 68-65, with 51 second to play on a jump shot, but Southern Maine’s DeMillo banged in a three-pointer on the Huskies next possession to force a second overtime. After keeping her team’s chances afloat in the first overtime, DeMillo picked up where she left off netting a jumper for the first points of the second overtime period to give USM a narrow 70-68. The Huskies never relinquished their lead in the second overtime as DeMillo scored seven of the Huskies’ 11 points in the period. Southern Maine returns to Little East Conference action on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when it travels to UMass Dartmouth. Husson travels to Colby College on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) for a non-conference match. ################################################################################ Sunday, January 4, 2010
Southern Maine Trumps Regis 74-59
GORHAM, Maine – Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a game-high 16 points to lead four players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Regis College Pride 74-59 in the final game of the USM New Year’s Classic Monday evening at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. The win is the fourth straight for the Huskies who improve to 8-3 overall. Suffering its fourth straight loss, Regis College evens out at 6-6 on the season. Paradis was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Senior forward Haley Johnson(West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) joined Paradis on the all- tournament team after posting a pair of double-doubles in two games. Johnson had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Regis on a stellar 7-for-9 effort from the field. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) had 15 points, eight assists and four rebounds while freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) had 10 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Regis senior Jessica Page (Quincy, Mass.) led the Pride with a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Stephanie Crawford (Rockland, Mass.) had 10 points and four assists and freshman guard Bianca Flores (Dorchester, Mass./New Mission) chipped in with nine points off of the bench. Leading by 13, 31-18, with 6:35 to play in the first half, Southern Maine saw its lead whittled away to four points at the break as the Pride outscored the Huskies 18-9. After a three-pointer from Paradis to take the 31-18 lead, Regis held USM scoreless for three minutes as sophomore guard Megan Tobin (Quincy, Mass.) scored eight straight points on back-to-back three pointers and a jumper. Following the 8-0 run, both teams traded blows before sophomore guard Stephanie Crawford (Rockland, Mass.) netted a jumper in the paint during the Pride’s final possession to trail 40-36 at the break. In the second half, Regis pulled to within one of USM on its first possession with a three-pointer from junior guard Stephanie Wozmak (Auburn, N.H./Memorial), before the Huskies used an 11-2 run, including nine straight points, to take a 51-41 lead with 15:38 to play. Johnson had four points in the run for USM. A three-pointer from Flores stymied the Huskies scoring briefly, before the Huskies strung together a 14-2 run to take their largest lead of the game, 65- 46, with 7:53 to play. Five different players scored for USM in the decisive run. Regis cut the lead to 15 on a pair of free throws from Crawford with 3:28 on the clock, but it was as close as the Pride would get the rest of the way. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 43.1 percent (28-for-65) from the floor and 39.1 percent (9-for-23) from three-point range. Regis shot 34.0 percent (18-for-53) fro the field and 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from three-point range. Southern Maine travels to Husson University on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) for non-conference game. Regis College hosts Colby-Sawyer on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Sunday, January 4, 2010
Huskies’ Balance Overpowers UMaine Presque Isle 72-40
GORHAM, Maine – Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) led a balanced scoring effort with 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 mark from the floor as the University of Southern Maine Huskies rolled over the UMaine Presque Isle Owls 72-40 in the second game of the USM New Year’s Classic. All 10 Southern Maine players who entered the game scored at least one basket in the win is as the Huskies improve to 7-3. The Owls fall to 0-7 with the loss. Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine), sophomore forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine) and freshman guard Meredith Reid (York, Maine) each scored nine points for the Huskies. Cochran added a career-best 10 rebounds to help Southern Maine to a decisive 47-28 edge on the boards, while Reid’s point total marked the best of her career. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and freshman guard Brooke Stevens (Wells, Maine) each tossed in eight points. Nicholas added six steals. Junior guard Megan Korhonen (Littleton, Maine) led all scorers with 15 points. Korhonen was 5-for-10 from the field, including a 3-for-6 mark from three-point range. Sophomore guard Emily Moore (Lisbon, Maine) and senior forward Kathy Kilfoil (Johnville, New Brunswick) each scored seven points. Tied at 14 with 11:08 remaining in the first half, Southern Maine broke away from the Owls in the final nine minutes of the half outscoring UMPI 27-8 taking a commanding 41-22 lead at the break. Reid scored all eight of her points in the stretch run, while Stevens tossed in six. In the second half, UMPI never got any closer than 19 points, 44-25, in the opening minutes as the Huskies led by as many as 36 points with eight minutes to play. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 43.8 percent (28-for-64) from the field and 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from three-point range. UMaine Presque Isle shot 28.6 percent (14-for-49) from the field and 28.6 percent (6-for-21) from three-point range, committing 26 turnovers. UMaine Presque Isle will face Plymouth State University at 4 p.m. on Monday. The Huskies will face Regis College (Mass.) at 6 p.m. in the final game of the tournament. Regis College is coached by former Southern Maine standout Julie Plant ’00. ################################################################################ Friday, January 1, 2010
USM New Year's Classic Rescheduled
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics announced late this afternoon that the USM New Year's Classic women's basketball tournament, scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, has been rescheduled due to the impending winter storm forecast for Saturday. The tournament has been rescheduled to Sunday and Monday at the Warren Hill Gymnasium. Plymouth State University will play Regis College in the first game Sunday (5:00 p.m.), followed by the game between USM and the University of Maine Presque Isle (7:00 p.m.). On Monday, Plymouth State will play UMPI in the opening game (4:00 p.m.) followed by USM and Regis (6:00 p.m.). Southern Maine enters the tournament with a 6-3 overall record. Regis is coached by former USM standout Julie Plant. ################################################################################ Monday, December 14, 2009
USM’s Leighton Sweeps LEC, MWBCA and NEWBA Rookie of the Week Honors
GORHAM, Maine - University of Southern Maine Huskies freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) swept three Rookie of the Week awards earning the Little East Conference (LEC), Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) and New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) honors for the week ending Sunday, December 13, 2009. It is the second time this season that Leighton has swept all three awards previously earning all three on November 30, 2009. Leighton has been named the LEC Rookie of the Week three times (Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 12) and the MWBCA honors three times (Nov. 23, Nov. 30, Dec. 12) and the NEWBA awards twice (Nov. 30, Dec. 12). Leighton averaged 14 points, 6.5 rebounds and three assists per game in a 2-0 week for Southern Maine. The 5-9 forward netted 14 of her team-high 19 points in a crucial second half run as the Huskies overcame a seven point halftime deficit to defeat Salem State 58-53 on the road. In a Little East Conference win against Keene State, Leighton had a nine points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. She shot 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the field for the week and was 6-for-8 from the free throw line. Leighton leads Southern Maine in scoring averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting a solid 45.4 percent (49-for-108) from the field and 81.3 percent (26-for-32) from the free throw line. She is second on the team in rebounding averaging 7.2 per game. She is averaging 1.7 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.2 steals per game. Leighton is in the top 15 of several categories in the Little East Conference. She is fifth in scoring, second in blocked shots, ninth in rebounding, 12th in steals, 13th in free throw percentage, 14th in assists and 15th in field goal percentage. Southern Maine hosts UMaine Presque Isle on Saturday, January 2 (4:00) in the second game of the USM New Year’s Classic Tournament. Plymouth State will face Regis College (Mass.) in the first game (2:00 p.m.). Regis College is coached by former USM standout Julie Plant ‘00. Plant played in a pair of Final Fours for the Huskies in 1998 and 2000. ################################################################################ Saturday, December 12, 2009
Huskies Topple Keene State 61-46
GORHAM, Mass. – Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a season-high 16 points to lead three-players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies rolled over the Keene State College Owls 61-46 in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. With the win, Southern Maine improves to 6-3 on the season and evens out its Little East Conference record at 1-1. The loss drops Keene State to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the LEC. Paradis was 6-for-11 from the floor including a solid 4-for-6 from three- point range to lead USM. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 13 points and a game-high five assists and sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) tossed in 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, had two assists and three steals. Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) each scored nine points. Johnson had a game-high eight rebounds, while Leighton grabbed six. Leighton added four assists and two blocked shots, while Johnson had three blocked shots. Senior forward Nicole Simmler (Oxford, Mass.) had a game-high 18 points on 5-for-15 shooting form the field. Senior guard Kristen Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) added 11 points while sophomore guard Nicole Cullinane (Rindge, N.H./Goffstown) chipped in with 10 points off of the bench. Trailing by a point, 27-26, Southern Maine outscored the Owls 35-19 in the second half. The Huskies held Keene State to just five second half field goals (5-for-24), while shooting an outstanding 70.2 percent (12-for-17) from the field. DeMillo and Nicholas each scored eight points in the second half, while Leighton netted seven of her nine. The Huskies were able to take control of the game early in the second stanza, opening the half with an 11-0 run. Four different players scored in the run for the Huskies, led by four points from DeMillo for a 37-27 USM lead with 13:00 on the clock. KSC cut the Husky lead to eight points, 40-32, with 10:24 to play on a three-pointer from Simmler, but USM outscored the Owls 14-4 over the next six minutes to open up its largest lead of the game, 54-36, with 3:29 to play. Johnson scored five of the Huskies 14 points in the run. Keene State was able to cut the lead to 13 on a three from Cullinane with 46 seconds remaining but it was too little to late. Leighton netted the Huskies final basket of the game with 10 seconds to play for the 61-46 final. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 50.0 percent (21-for-42) from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range (8-for-16). The Huskies were just 11-for-20 from the free throw line (55.0 percent). Keene State shot 29.8 percent from the field (14-for-47) and 36.8 percent (7-for-19) from three-point range. Southern Maine hosts UMaine Presque Isle on Saturday, January 2 (4:00) in the second game of the USM New Year’s Classic Tournament. Plymouth State will face Regis College (Mass.) in the first game (2:00 p.m.). Regis College is coached by former USM standout Julie Plant ’00. Plant played in a pair of Final Fours for the Huskies in 1998 and 2000. Keene State faces Goucher College at Southwestern College for the Grand Canyon Classic on Tuesday, December 29 (tba). ################################################################################ Thursday, December 10, 2009
Southern Maine Slips Past Salem State 58-53
SALEM, Mass. - Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead four players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies overcame a sluggish first half to defeat the Salem State College Vikings Thursday night at James Twohig Gymnasium in Salem, Mass. The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Huskies who improve to 5-3 overall. Salem State falls to 3-4 with the loss. Trailing the Vikings 26-19 after the first half, Leighton notched 14 of her 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the second half as the Huskies rallied for the win. Curran was 7-for-14 from the field to lead Southern Maine. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) tossed in 13 points, four rebounds and three assists and senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) 12 points on a 5-for-10 performance from the field. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) added 10 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard Madeline Park (Blue Hill, Maine/George Stevens) led the Vikings with 19 points. Park canned five three-pointers en route to her team- high total. Senior forward Danielle Jenkins (Marlborough, Mass.) added 12 points, while freshman center Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) added seven points and a game-high 11 points. The Huskies outscored the Vikings 27-12 in the opening 10 minutes and 42 seconds of the second half to grab an eight point, 46-38 lead. Leighton was a force for the Huskies in the run scoring all 14 of her second half points in the run, capped by a three-pointer following an assist from DeMillo. Salem State pulled to within two of the Huskies, 46-44, on a mini 6-0 run with 6:59 to play. Jenkins scored four of the Vikings points in the run. After a few missed attempts at both ends of the court, Nicholas gave USM some breathing room sinking her only three-pointer with 5:07 on the clock for a 49-44 lead. Salem State?s Wilson made one of two free throws for a 49-45 USM advantage with 3:36 remaining before Paradis and DeMillo combined for five unanswered points. Paradis hit a jumper while DeMillo sank the final of her three three- pointers in games for an insurmountable 54-45 Husky lead with 2:39 to play. After a poor 25.0 percent shooting percentage (6-for-24) in the first half, USM shot 52.0 percent (13-for-25) in the second half to finish the game shooting 38.8 percent (19-for-49). Salem State shot 17-for-60 from the game (28.3 percent). Southern Maine hosts Little East Conference opponent Keene State College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.). Salem State hosts Hiram College on Tuesday December 29 at 5:00 p.m. ################################################################################ Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Southern Maine-Salem State Game Postponed
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Athletic Department announced this morning that tonight's women's basketball game at Salem State College has been postponed due to the snow storm blanketing the region. The game has been rescheduled for tomorrow night (Thursday, December 10) with the opening tap-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ################################################################################ Monday, December 7, 2009
Curran Leighton Repeats as Little East Conference Rookie of the Week
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has been named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, December 6, 2009. This week’s honor marks the third straight week that Leighton has earned at least one rookie of the week accolade and is the second straight week she has earned LEC honors. Leighton is sharing this week’s award with UMass Dartmouth freshman center Colleen Moriarty (Canton, Mass.). Leighton was named the LEC, Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) and New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) Rookie of the Week on November 30 and was named the MWBCA Rookie of the Week on November 22. Leighton averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in two games for the Huskies. She has 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds against Western Connecticut while turning in a 6-for-14 performance from the floor and a 2-2 mark at the free throw line. Her 14 points and 12 rebounds gave her the second double double in her collegiate career. Against Bowdoin, Leighton had nine points and five rebounds, an assist and four blocked shots. Leighton is the Huskies leading scorer averaging 14.4 points and second leading rebounder grabbing 7.4 per game. She is shooting a solid 44.8 percent (39-for-87) from the field and 83.3 percent (20-for-24) from the free throw line. Southern Maine travels to Salem State College on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) for a non-conference game. ################################################################################ Saturday, December 5, 2009
Western Connecticut Rolls Past Southern Maine 70-50
GORHAM, Maine – Junior guard Heather Lee (Seymour, Conn.) poured in a game-high 21 points to lead three players in double-figures as the Western Connecticut State University Colonials defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 70-50 Saturday afternoon in Little East Conference women’s basketball action. With the win, Western Connecticut begins its LEC schedule at 1-0 and improves to 4-2 overall. The Huskies drop their second straight game to fall to 4-3 and are 0-1 in the Little East. The win marks just the ninth win for Western Connecticut in the 43-game history between the two schools. Lee was 7-for-18 from the field and 3-for-9 from beyond the arc for the game-high 21. She added six rebounds and two assists. Junior guard Karli Spera (Waterford, Conn.) added 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals and junior center Melissa Teel (Hamden, Conn.) had a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Teel’s 15 rebounds helped the Colonials to a 49-34 edge on the glass. Southern Maine freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) paced the Huskies with 14 points, 12 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Leighton notched her second career double-double and set a new career mark for rebounds with 12. Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) each had 11 points. Western Connecticut broke open a close game in the second half. Leading by three, 34-31, at the break, the Colonials took advantage of an ice-cold start for the Huskies in the opening 6:30 of the second half with a 15-2 run. Spera had six of her 14 points in the run, canning two three-pointers to give the Colonials a 49-33 lead with 13:30 to play. USM was a sub-par 1-for-8 from the field during the Colonials run. Southern Maine countered with a 4-0 swing to trim its deficit to 12 points, 49-37, on a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and a jumper from Leighton with 11:10 on the clock, but it was as close as USM would get as it struggled to put the ball through the hoop. The Huskies were 4-for-11 from the field for the rest of the game and made just six field goals in the second half. Southern Maine travels to Salem State College on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) for a non-conference game. Western Connecticut hosts Vassar College on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Leighton Earns MWBCA and NEWBA Rookie of the Week Honors
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) earned two more honors this week garnering the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (MWBCA) and New England Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (NEWBA) Rookie of the Week honors for the week ending Sunday, November 29, 2009. Both associations made their announcements on Tuesday. Leighton was named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week for the same week on Monday. In an outstanding start to her collegiate career, Leighton has been named the MWBCA Rookie of the Week twice this season and is earning the initial NEWBA Rookie of the Week honor for this season. Leighton earned the honors after helping USM to a 2-0 record last week, averaging 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting a solid 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the field. In a 71-52 win over Bates College, Leighton was 7-for-12 from the field for a game-high 16 points, while snagging eight rebounds. She also had three assists, two blocks and two steals in the win. Against St. Joseph’s College (Maine), Leighton notched a career-high 20 points in a 67-50 road win. She was 6-for-11 from the floor and 8-for-11 from the free throw line with eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and a blocked shot. Leighton is the Huskies leading scorer averaging 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She is shooting a solid 45.2 percent (33-for-73) from the floor and 81.8 percent (18-for-22) from the free throw line. The 5-9 forward is also chipping in at 2.0 assists, 1.1 blocks and 2.5 steals per game. Southern Maine opens the Little East Conference portion of its schedule on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when it hosts Western Connecticut State University. ################################################################################ Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Bowdoin Defeats Southern Maine 60-47
GORHAM, Maine – Senior forwards Caitlyn Hynes (Owl’s Head, Maine/Rockland) and Leah Rubega (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free) combined to score 32 points and haul down 21 rebounds to lead the Bowdoin College Polar Bears to a 60-47 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a battle between two nationally-ranked women’s basketball teams Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. Ranked seventh in the latest D3hoops.com Poll, the Polar Bears improve to 4-0. The Huskies, ranked 17th, fall to 4-2 with the loss. Hynes was 8-for-15 from the field for a game-high 20 points and had eight rebounds for the Polar Bears. Rubega was 6-for-8 for 12 points and hauled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Junior forward Colleen Sweeney (Danbury, Conn./Taft) added nine points off of the bench. Southern Maine senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) led the Huskies with 12 points. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) tossed in 10 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) added nine points and five rebounds. While neither team shot well, Bowdoin gained the lead from the start and never relinquished it; however, despite trailing the entire game USM kept the game within two possessions for a majority of the game. The Huskies trailed Bowdoin 46-41 with 5:35 to play following an offensive rebound and a put-back by Johnson, but the Polar Bears used a 5-0 spurt over the next minute and ten seconds to secure the win. Following Johnson’s lay-up, Hynes netted a three-point play scoring a lay- up and converting the free throw in Bowdoin’s ensuing possession. A missed USM three-pointer was quickly rebounded and sophomore guard Amy Hackett (Bangor, Maine) tossed in a lay-up for a 53-43 with 3:32 to play. From there, USM was unable to get any closer than 11 points for rest of the way as the Polar Bears cruised to the win. Bowdoin shot 38.1 percent (24-for-63) for the game and 16.7 percent (3-for- 18) from three point range. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 36.0 (18- for-50) from the field and 18.2 percent (2-for-11) from three-point range. Southern Maine opens the Little East Conference portion of its schedule on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when it hosts Western Connecticut State University. Bowdoin travel to Colby College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) ################################################################################ Monday, November 30, 2009
Southern Maine’s Curran Leighton Named Little East Conference Rookie of the Week
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has been named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, November 29, 2009. Leighton helped Southern Maine to a pair of wins in a 2-0 week averaging 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting a solid 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the field. In a 71-52 win over Bates College at home, Leighton was 7-for-12 from the floor en route to a game-high 16 points. The 5-9 forward added eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in the victory. In a 67-50 road win at St. Joseph’s College (Maine), Leighton tossed in a career-high 20 points and had eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and a blocked shot, while shooting 6- for-11 from the field and 8-for-11 from the free throw line. Leighton leads Southern Maine in scoring averaging 15.6 points per game on a solid 48.3 field goal percentage (29-for-60). She is averaging 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) at home against Bowdoin College. Both teams are currently ranked in the national polls. ################################################################################ Sunday, November 29, 2009
Southern Maine Rolls Over St. Joseph’s 67-50
STANDISH, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 67-50 win over the St. Joseph’s College Monks in a non-conference women’s basketball Sunday night at the Alfond Center in Standish, Maine. The win is the fourth straight for the Huskies who improve to 4-1 overall. The loss drops St. Joseph’s College evens out to 2-3. Leighton was 6-for-11 from the field and 8-for-11 from the free throw line to lead the Huskies. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) was the only other USM player in double figures netting a season-high 12 points. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) and junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) each chipped in with eight points. Johnson had a game-high 11 rebounds. Senior Carolyn Freeman (Scarborough, Maine/Catherine McAuley) led the Monks with 12 points, while senior Meghan Daigle (Grantham, N.H./Lebanon) added nine points off of the bench. Southern Maine shot a solid 43.1 percent (25-for-58) from the field and limited the Monks to just a 29.5 percent (13-for-44) performance from the field while forcing the Monks into 20 turnovers. Southern Maine netted 24 of its 67 points off of turnovers in the game. The Huskies held St. Joseph’s to just 19 first half points on a 6-for-23 (26.1 percent). USM led by as many as 21 points, 33-12, late in the half, before heading into the halftime break with a 36-19 lead. In the second half, the Monks trimmed the lead to 10 points with an opening 7-0 run on a three pointer from Freeman and a pair of layups from sophomore forward Allie Parent (Camden, Maine/Camden Hills) and junior guard Casey Drake (Lebanon, N.H./Lebanon) to trail 36-26 with 18:03 remaining. USM responded however with an 11-1 run to regain a 20-point, 47-27 lead, with 15:14. Nicholas scored nine of her 12 points in the run. The Huskies remained in control of the game for the remainder of the contest. Southern Maine hosts in-state rival Bowdoin College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). Both teams are currently nationally ranked. Southern Maien hosts Thomas College on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Four Players in Double Figures As Huskies Roll Past Bates 71-52 Freshmen Leighton and Stevens Combine For 31
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) and freshmen guard Brooke Stevens (Wells, Maine) combined for 31 points as the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies used a second-half surge to defeated the Bates College Bobcats 71-52 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. The win is the third straight for the Huskies who improve to 3-1 overall. The loss drops the Bobcats overall record to 1-2. It is the second straight loss for Bates College to a nationally ranked opponent as they fell to Brandeis University 63-41 on Saturday. Leighton finished the game 7-for-12 from the field for a team-high 16 points. The 5-9 forward added eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Stevens netted 15 points and grabbed six rebounds off of the bench on a stellar 5-for-7 shooting, including a 3-for-3 mark from three-point range. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) tossed in 13 points and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Bates freshman forward Taryn O’Connell (Georgetown, Mass.) netted a game- high 21 points off of the bench for the Bobcats. O’Connell also grabbed a team- best five rebounds. Senior forward Lauren Yanofsky (Belmont, Mass./Belmont) was the only other player in double-figures for Bates scoring 12 points on a 5-for- 12 effort from the floor. Leading by six at the half, 37-31, Southern Maine outscored Bates 23-6 in the opening 10:00 minutes of the second half to take command of the game. Leighton scored six of her 16 points in the pivotal run, while Stevens canned eight of her 15, including a pair of three-pointers as the Huskies jumped out to a 60-37 lead with 9:31 to play. O’Connell, who was 8-for-10 from the charity stripe, sunk four consecutive free throws, trimmed the USM lead to 20, 61-41 with 8:24 to play, but the Bobcats never got any closer than 19 the rest of the way. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 48.1 percent (25-for-52) from the field and 47.1 percent (8-for-17) from three-point range. Bates shot 31.1 percent (19-for-61) from the field and just 11.1 percent (2-for-18) from three- point range. The Huskies also held a decisive 43-28 advantage in rebounds. Southern Maine returns to action on Sunday (5:30 p.m.) when it travels to nearby rival St. Joseph’s College for a non-conference game. Bates College hosts Husson University on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) in a non-conference game. ################################################################################ Monday, November 23, 2009
Southern Maine’s Curran Leighton Named MWBCA Rookie of the Week
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) of the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team has been named the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, November 22. The 5-9 forward averaged 14.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per game for the Huskies in a 2-1 week. She shot a solid 43.2 percent (16-for-37) from the field and was perfect from the free throw line (8- for-8). In Southern Maine’s 64-34 win over the University of Maine at Farmington in the championship game of the UMF Tip-Off Tournament, Leighton recorded her first collegiate double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Leighton also added five steals and a blocked shot. In the opening round game of the tournament, Leighton had 14 points, three assists, three rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal as USM defeated Curry 74-50. Leighton netted a season-best 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in USM’s season-opener against UNE. Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) at home against Bates College. ################################################################################ Saturday, November 21, 2009
Huskies Run Past UMaine Farmington 64-34, Capture UMF Tip Off Tournament
FARMINGTON, Maine – Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) scored a game-high 17 points, including five three-pointers, and freshman forward Curran Leighton (Londonderry, N.H.) recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 64-34 win over the UMaine Farmington Beavers in the championship game of the 2009 UMF Tip-Off Tournament Saturday afternoon at Dearborn Gymnasium in Farmington, Maine. Earning their second win in a row, Southern Maine improves to 2-1 overall. UMaine Farmington evens out to 1-1 with the loss. DeMillo scored 14 of her 17 points in the first half as the Huskies held a slim 29-22 lead at the break. The 5-7 guard was 5-for-8 from the field in the opening stanza and 4-7 from three-point range. Holding onto its seven-point advantage heading into the second half, USM outscored the Beavers 35-12 in the second half. Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, while Leighton netted six and grabbed eight of her game-high 10 rebounds. Leading by 12, 41-29, with 14:16 to play following a lay-up from UMF junior forward Brittany York (Strong, Maine), Southern Maine held the Beavers scoreless over 10 minutes and added a 13-0 run to its total to take a commanding 54-29 lead with 4:48 to play. Things did not improve for UMF, over the final 4:48, however, as they made just two more baskets, as the Huskies closed the game with a 10-4 run. Junior guard Ashley Busque (Belgrade, Maine) led UMF with eight points. Senior forward Caitlyn Laflin (Farmingdale, Maine) added seven points and six rebounds. Southern Maine scored 23 of its 64 points off of turnovers in the game snagging 17 steals and forcing UMF into 26 turnovers. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and Leighton each had five steals and DeMillo had four. USM senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. DeMillo joined Paradis on the all-tournament team for the Huskies. UMF’s Laflin and sophomore forward Paige Saunders (Surry, Maine) each were named to the all-tournament team joined by UMaine Presque Isle’s Emily Pelletier (Fort Kent, Maine) and Curry College’s Liz Forte (Rutland, Vt.). Southern Maine hosts in-state rival Bates College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) in its home opener. UMaine Farmington travels to Colby College on Tuesday (6:00 p.m.) for a non-conference game. ################################################################################ Saturday, November 20, 2009
Southern Maine Drops Curry 74-50
FARMINGTON, Maine – Four players scored in double-figures as the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies rolled to a 74-50 win over the Curry College Colonels in the first game of the 2009 UMaine Farmington Tip Off Tournament Friday night at Dearborn Gymnasium in Farmington, Maine. With the win, Southern Maine bounces back from its season-opening loss to improve to 1-1. Curry College drops its second game in a row to fall to 0-2. Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) and freshman forward Curran Leighton (Londonderry, N.H.) paced the Huskies with 14 points each. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) added 11 points, seven rebounds and seven steals, while senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) chipped in with a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Hailey Rafferty (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) led all scorers with 16 points to compliment a team-high eight rebounds. Junior forward Danyel Cousins (Brunswick, Maine) added 14 rebounds. The Huskies scored the first five points of the game and ran out to a commanding 21-point lead at the half, 48-27. Southern Maine shot a solid 41.7 percent (15-for-36) from the floor in the half and forced Curry into 22 turnovers. The Huskies scored 23 of their 48 first half points off of turnovers. Paradis and Nicholas each had five steals in the half. In the second half, Curry was able to trim the USM lead to 18-points, 48- 30, on a three-pointer from Rafferty with 17:41 to play but it was as close as the would get as the Huskies cruised to the win. Southern Maine will face either UMaine Farmington or UMaine Presque Isle in the championship game on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). ################################################################################ Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Huskies Falter In Season Opener, Fall to UNE 72-55
BIDDEFORD, Maine – All five starters for the University of New England scored in double-figures led by a team-high 14 points from sophomore forward Margo Russell (Madison, Maine/Madison Area) as the Nor’easters defeated the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies 72-55 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday afternoon at the The Campus Center in Biddeford, Maine. The win is the second in a row for the Nor’easters who improve to 2-0 early in the season. It is just the second time in the 37-game history between the two institutions that UNE has earned the win. UNE last defeated the Huskies on November 30, 2000 by the score of 81-71. Southern Maine is 0-1 dropping its first season-opening game since November 26, 1989 when it fell to Bridgewater State 60-56 on the road. Russell led a balanced UNE attack on a 5-for-11 effort from the field along with a game-high 10 rebounds for the double-double. Sophomore guard Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine/Nokomis Regional) added 11 points and six rebounds, while senior forward Katie Diggins (Merrimack, N.H.), junior guard Lyndie Libby (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and sophomore guard Kari Pelletier (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) each tossed in 10 points. Freshman forward Beth Suggs (Bath, Maine/Morse) was a catalyst off of the bench for UNE with double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds. Suffering from cold-shooting, Southern Maine freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) led the Huskies with a game-high 18 points on a 6-for-16 mark from the field. Sophomore guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) each had eight points. Johnson led USM on the boards with eight rebounds. The Huskies trailed UNE by four points at the half, 37-33, as the Nor’easters came out on fire shooting 47.1 percent (16-for-34) from the field, including a 50 percent effort (5-for-10) from three-point range. In the second half, UNE maintained a steady shooting percentage, while the Huskies went ice cold making just five second half field goals on an abysmal 16.7 effort (5-for- 30). UNE had a decisive advantage on the boards as well outrebounding Southern Maine 51-29. Southern Maine finished the game shooting just 30.0 percent (18- for-60) from the field. UNE faces SUNY Cobleskill on Friday (5:00 p.m.) in the first game of the Keene State Invitational. Southern Maine plays Curry College at the UMF Tip-Off Tournament on Friday (5:30 p.m.). ################################################################################ Thursday, November 5, 2009
Paradis and Johnson Named USM Women’s Basketball Captains Huskies Enter the Season Ranked 12th/13th in National Preseason Polls
GORHAM, Maine – Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) of the University of Southern Maine Women’s Basketball team have been announced as co-captains of the 2009-2010 team. Veteran head coach Gary Fifield, in his 22nd season with the Huskies, made the announcement as the team prepares for its upcoming season. Heading into the 2009-2010 season, the Huskies are ranked nationally in both the WBCA and D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 polls. Southern Maine is ranked 12th in the USA Today/ESPN WBCA Top 25 Coaches’ Preseason Poll and 13th in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll. “Nicole and Haley have developed into leaders over their three seasons,” noted Fifield. “In the preseason they have shown their leadership vocally and through their actions setting the tone for both returning players and newcomers alike. Nicole and Haley understand the level of commitment and desire that is necessary to achieve the team’s goals and reiterate those qualities in the classroom, in practice and at game time.” A four-year member of the basketball team, Johnson stepped into a starting role as a junior. The 6-0 forward finished as second on the team in rebounds in 2008-2009 averaging 6.8 rebounds per game while adding a solid 7.4 points per game shooting 46.4 percent (91-196) from the field. Johnson also had 39 steals and 28 assists. She has 214 career points and 198 career rebounds in 76 career games. In her second season as one of the team’s co-captains, the Huskies point guard slid into the starting role as a freshman and has been the team’s floor leader since the 2006-2007 season. Averaging 9.9 points and 3.2 assists per game in 2008-2009, Paradis earned All-Little East Conference (LEC) second team honors and first team All-Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) honors. It was the third straight season that Paradis was recognized by both entities as she earned All-LEC and All-MWBCA second team honors as a sophomore in 2008 after earning All-Rookie team honors for the LEC and MWBCA in 2007. An outstanding shooter, Paradis has averaged 7.7 points and 3.02 assist per game over her 86-game career shooting 45.0 percent (228-506) from the field and 37.7 percent (92-244) from three-point range. Southern Maine captured the 2009 Little East Conference tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship tournament for the 15th consecutive season, and 23rd time in 24 seasons, before finishing its season with a record of 22-7. With its 22 wins, Southern Maine extended its NCAA Division III record of seasons with 20 or more wins to 29. Southern Maine begins its 2009-2010 season on Tuesday, November 18 at the University of New England at 6:00 p.m. USM remains on the road for the UMF Tip- Off Tournament against Curry College (Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m.) and then either UMaine Farmington or UMaine Presque Isle (Nov. 21, 1:00/3:00 p.m.) in either the consolation or championship game. Southern Maine hosts Bates College (Nov. 24, 5:30 p.m.) in its home opener and then travels to St. Joseph’s College (Nov. 29, 5:30 p.m.). In December, USM hosts Bowdoin College (Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m.), followed by its LEC opener against Western Connecticut State (Dec. 5, 1:00 p.m.). USM faces traditional rival Salem State on the road (Dec. 9, 7:00 p.m.) before hosting LEC rival Keene State (Dec. 12, 1:00 p.m.). In January, the Huskies open the New Year with their USM New Year’s Classic. USM faces UMaine Presque Isle (Jan. 2, 4:00 p.m.) and then Regis College (Jan. 3, 3:00 p.m.). The USM against Regis College pits Fifield against one of his former players as Southern Maine standout Julie Plant ’00 is Pride’s head coach. The Huskies travel to Husson University (Jan. 6, 5:30 p.m.), UMass Dartmouth (Jan. 9, 1:00 p.m.), Rhode Island College (Jan. 12, 5:30 p.m.) and Eastern Connecticut State (Jan. 16, 1:00 p.m.) before hosting Plymouth State (Jan. 19, 5:30 p.m.). USM returns to the road at Western Connecticut (Jan. 23, 1:00 p.m.) and is at home against UMass Boston (Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m.) before traveling to Keene State (Jan. 30, 1:00 p.m.). In February, USM hosts Colby College (Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m.) and UMass Dartmouth (Feb. 6, 1:00 p.m.) and then travels to Plymouth State (Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m.). The Huskies host Rhode Island College (Feb. 13, 1:00 p.m.) and travel to UMass Boston (Feb. 16, 5:30 p.m.) before hosting Eastern Connecticut State (Feb. 20, 1:00 p.m.) in their regular season home finale. The Little East Conference tournament begins February 23 with the four quarterfinal games played at high seeded teams. The semifinals and finals will be held February 26-27 at the home of the highest remaining seed. The tournament winner will receive the conference’s automatic berth into the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. ################################################################################ Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Former USM All-American Joanna Brown To Be Inducted Into New England Basketball Hall of Fame
GORHAM, Maine -- Former University of Southern Maine women's basketball standout center Joanna Brown Cormier (York, Maine) will be among the honorees inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, October 9, 2009, at the The Mohegan Sun Uncas Ballroom in Uncasville, Conn. The New England Basketball Hall of Fame released its Class of 2009 on September 15. One of the most decorated players in the history of the perennially successful University of Southern Maine women's basketball team, Brown Cormier became the fourth Husky to earn WBCA All-American honors during the 1997-1998 season after earning WBCA Honorable Mention All-American status consecutively during the 1996-1997 and 1995-1996 seasons during her stellar four-year career. A three-time Little East Conference Player of the Year (1996, 1997, 1998), Brown Cormier began her career with USM being named the LEC Rookie of the Year and ECAC Rookie of the Year in 1995. Among her numerous honors, Brown Cormier was named the ECAC Player of the Year, New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Player of the Year and Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Player of the Year in 1998. Brown Cormier was also the MWBCA Player of the Year in 1996. One of the top players in the country during her career, Brown Cormier was a three-time All-LEC, ECAC and NEWBA first team selection (1998, 1997 and 1996) and was twice selected to the MWBCA first team (1998, 1996). Brown Cormier led Southern Maine to a record of 92-15 from 1994-1998, three Little East Conference Tournament Championships and four consecutive trips to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament, including the 1998 NCAA Division III Final Four where the Huskies finished as national runners-up. An adept scorer, Brown Cormier is in the top ten of eight career marks in the USM record books and still holds the record for career field goal percentage shooting 57.0 percent from the field (731-for-1301) in 111 games over four seasons. The 6-0 center is currently second in scoring average (16.6 ppg), field goals made (731) and free throws made (380), third in points scored (1,845) and rebounds (962) and seventh in free throw percentage (.763) and rebound average (8.7 rpg). "Jo was one of the most prolific post players in the history of the program," noted USM veteran head coach Gary Field. "She had a distinguished career at Southern Maine and is one of the many players who have helped build and maintain the success we have had on the national level. She had an uncanny ability to score while being closely guarded in the paint and was a talented enough shooter to step out and hit the three. She possessed what many USM players have had, a desire to win, commitment to team and a competitive drive. I am excited for her to earn this honor." Brown Cormier becomes the fourth University of Southern Maine women's basketball player to be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame joining the all-time leading scorer in USM history and two-time WBCA All- American Maureen Burchill Cooper (Portland, Maine) who was inducted in 2003, 2004 inductee WBCA All-American Dianna Duff (Cumberland, Maine) and former teammate on the Huskies 1998 Final Four team Julie Plant who was inducted in 2006. The Huskies' 1998 and the 2000 teams are also enshrined in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame as well as long-time head coach Gary Fifield who was inducted in 2003. Inductees for the New England Basketball Hall of Fame were selected in specific categories. High school boys, girls, coaches and teams were selected by state. College Division I, II and III, Junior College and Prep school categories were selected without regard to state affiliation. Special Inductees categories were also considered regionally and included referees, organizations, members of the media, contributors, semiprofessional players and individual selections from Special Olympics, deaf competitors, wheelchair athletes and the youth/volunteer category. ################################################################################