Box Score
GORHAM, Maine – Six-foot-four inch freshman guard Brady Saunders scored a game-high 23 points and the University of Southern Maine men's basketball team led from start to finish in an 81-59 Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.
 
In a game between teams looking to snap long losing streaks and gain their first conference victories of the season, Southern Maine (5-4, 1-2 LEC) scored the first six points, led by ten five minutes into play and maintained a double-digit lead for the final 32 minutes in handing Eastern (1-9, 0-3 LEC) its worst loss in the series since a 32-point victory in the regular-season final of the 2002/03 season.
 
The Warriors lost their seventh straight and remain winless (0-4) on their opponents' home court. USM had lost its last four after winning its first four. It was the Huskies' fourth game of at least 80 points this year
 
Southern Maine scored nearly half of its points in the paint, shooting 62.3 percent from the floor – the best percentage that Eastern has allowed this year. The Warriors missed 14 of 16 three-points and is now at 18.3 percent from distance in their last four games.
 
Six-foot-7 inch sophomore Jalen Hamblin (West Hartford), one of the top LEC players in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, missed his first game of the year and was replaced in the lineup by 6-foot-4 inch sophomore Julian Sanchez (Willimantic). Sanchez had six points and five rebounds without a turnover in 24 minutes. Junior guard Dan Wellington (Bridgeport), the team leader in assists and steals, played the first two minutes of the game before leaving. He did not return.
 
The Warriors were a never factor in the game despite committing a season-low eight turnovers and owning the offensive glass with a 13-2 advantage.
 
Sophomore guard Dominick Dao (Terryville) led Eastern in scoring for the fourth time, with 13 points, but was the only Eastern player in double figures. Dao shared team-high rebounding honors with Sanchez. First-year guard Jeremiah Graham (Jacksonville, FL) had nine points, four rebounds and three assists.
 
Senior guard Chance Dixon had 15 points for Southern Maine and sophomore guard Tommy Whelan added 14 points. Saunders, Dixon and Whelan combined to shoot 65.6 percent (21-of-32) form the floor. Senior guard Cody Hawes led both teams with ten rebounds and also handed out five assists for USM.
 
Eastern closes out the 2023 portion of its schedule by hosting the Eastern Holiday Invitational Dec. 29-30. Eastern faces SUNY Poly in the 3 p.m. opener.