FARMINGTON, Maine – The University of Southern Maine women's basketball team came into Dearborn Gymnasium on Wednesday evening on a mission and defeated the University of Maine at Farmington, 74-44, in a non-conference battle.
The Records:
Following the loss, the Beavers moved to 2-2 on the young season, while the Huskies improved to 3-1 with the victory.
How it Happened:
The Huskies jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead, led primarily by the hot shooting of Lucy Wiles, who sank a pair of threes and added a mid-range jumper in the opening five and a half minutes of play. The Beavers responded, closing the quarter on an 8-4 run, turning defense into offense as they forced five turnovers in the first quarter.
The Huskies began to break the game open in the second quarter as the Beavers struggled to find their shooting touch and began to turn the ball over themselves. Farmington was held to just 2-of-10 shooting from the field and committed seven turnovers in the quarter. Liz Cote and Vanessa Vaughan combined to score 13 points in the quarter as the Huskies took a 35-19 lead into halftime.
Southern Maine continued to stretch their lead in the third quarter. A 15-6 spurt for the Huskies helped them open up a 15-point lead. Cote drilled a pair of threes, and the Beavers committed three more turnovers during the run.
Trailing by 22 (53-31) to open the fourth quarter, Farmington would not draw any closer. Southern Maine led by as much as 36 in the fourth quarter and cruised to their third victory of the season.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington struggled from beyond the arc, knocking down just 1-of-21 from deep, while the Huskies hit 12-of-32 from downtown, a 33-point scoring difference. Farmington shot 32.7% (16-49) from the floor, while the Huskies shot 36.2% (25-69). Southern Maine also held a commanding 49-29 advantage on the glass, including 21 offensive rebounds that resulted in 25 second-chance points.
Leaders - Farmington:
- Senior forward Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) paced the Beavers offensively, scoring 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbing four rebounds.
- Sophomore forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) added nine points, four rebounds, and three blocks.
- First-year guard Makayla Emerson finished with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Leaders - Southern Maine:
- Cote finished with a game-high 16 points, shooting an efficient 5-for-7 from the floor and draining 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line. Cote also finished with five steals and five rebounds.
- Wiles scored 13 points, knocking down 3-for-7 from deep.
- Vaughan stuffed the stat sheet, finishing the game with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
UP NEXT
The Beavers will travel to Vermont this Friday and Saturday to participate in the Spartan Classic hosted by VTSU Castleton. The Beavers will square off with the Spartans on Friday evening at 5:00 PM.
