GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine men's basketball team shot nearly 60 percent from the floor and converted its first 16 free throws to post an 87-78 Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Thursday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium.
With its third straight win, Southern Maine (10-5, 4-2 LEC) equals its entire conference and overall win total from a year ago. Coming off its first two road victories of the season and a 12-point home loss to nationally-ranked Keene State College Tuesday, Eastern (6-10, 3-4 LEC) lost its first game after three straight wins in the series against USM. The Warriors had won nine of ten and 16 of 18 against the Huskies entering play.
Southern Maine never trailed after Cody Hawes' steal and bucket eight minutes into action, led by 12 at halftime, with the USM lead ballooning to 20, 56-36 three minutes into the second half before the Warriors made a bid.
Four USM missed shots and six turnovers sparked Eastern's 20-6 scoring burst to get within four, 60-56, midway through the second half. Five different Eastern players contributed points in that run, with senior guard
Max Lee (Norwich) scoring consecutive baskets on an inbounds pass and a three-pointer from the top of the key and senior forward
Rakesh Tibby (East Hartford) putting back his own miss and sinking a resulting free throw to closed the run. At that point USM's Clay Kuhn swished one of his team's 12 three-point field goals from the corner and after the Warriors turned the ball over, Jason Lombard scored on a driving layup off the quarter-court offense that allowed the Huskies to restore a nine-point lead (65-56), with just over nine minutes left.
Eastern got as close as six the rest of the way before the hosts restored a double-digit lead on a pair of free throws by Cody Hawes with five minutes left.
The LEC's team leader in three-point percentage, Southern Maine canned 55 percent of its 22 three-point attempts and connected on its 16 free throws before Lombard failed on the second of a one-and-one opportunity with 53 seconds left. The hosts were 19-of-21 from the stripe and 59.6 percent from the floor.
First-year guard
Dominick Dao (Terryville) led Eastern with 17 points on 50 percent field goal shooting. First-year senior guard
Hunter Baillargeon (Norwich) tossed in a career-high 15 points in 28 minutes off the bench, with senior forward
Quinton Lott (Bridgeport) adding 14 points and Lee finishing with ten. Baillargeon was 6-of-9 from the floor with three three-pointers, Lott 6-of-9 and Lee re-gained his shooting touch with a 4-of-5 performances (2-of-2 from distance). Dao contributed four assists, four steals and five rebounds in 39 minutes.
Six USM players finished in double figures and accounted for all but nine of the Huskies' points. Freshmen Diego Colon and Mark Asare were a combined 11-of-11 from the foul line. Taking all six of his shots from distance, Kuhn nailed all but one and matched Eastern's Dao with 17 points.
Eastern hosts Western Connecticut State University in a conference game Wednesday at 7
