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SEASON COMPLETED
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Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Daniels Named to MMBCA All-State Second Team
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine
Central Institute) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies men's basketball
team has been named to the Maine Men's Basketball Coaches Association (MMBCA)
All-State second team.
Daniels, a versatile 6-2 guard, led the Huskies in scoring during the 2005-
06 season averaging 16.5 points per game. He shot 42.6 percent from the field,
including 43.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the three-point arc.
Daniels, who also earned second team All-Little East Conference honors, was
among the team leaders in rebounding, assists and steals. Daniels averaged 4.6
rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.05 steals per game.
"Josh is a tremendous asset to the program," noted USM head coach Karl
Henrikson. "Aside from his statistical achievements and physical abilities,
Josh gives us a definite on-the-court leader and a confident presence on the
court. With his continued development, I think that Josh can become one of the
top players in Little East Conference."
Daniels, who earned MMBCA All-Rookie team honors as a freshman, reached
double-figures in scoring 16 times during the season and scored a season and
career-high 31 points in the Huskies' 75-70 win over Little East Conference
rival Western Connecticut State University on January 7.
In two seasons with the Huskies, Daniels has scored 535 points, grabbed 202
rebounds, passed out 94 assists and come up with 63 steals, while shooting 42.7
percent from the field.
Southern Maine concluded its 2005-06 season with an overall record of 10-16
and 3-11 in the Little East.
Maine Men's Basketball Coaches Association
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kyle Petrie, Bowdoin
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Aecio Madeira, Thomas
COACH OF THE YEAR
Joe Reilly, Bates
All-Maine First Team
Zak Ray, Guard, Bates
Kyle Petrie, Forward, Bowdoin
Rob Stockwell, Forward, Bates
Buddy Leavitt, Forward, Husson
Drew Cohen, Forward, Colby
All-Maine Second Team
Travis Magnusson, Guard, UMaine-Farmington
Josh Daniels, Guard, Southern Maine
Jason Harvey, Guard, Husson
Marcus Alexander, Forward, Saint Joseph's
Travis Carrier, Forward, UMaine-Farmington
All-Maine Rookie Team
Elbie Murphy, Saint Joseph's
Aecio Madeira, Thomas
Kyle Jackson, Bowdoin
Jordan Heath, Husson
Mackenzie Simpson, Colby
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Tuesday, February 28, 2006
USM's Daniels Earns Second Team All-Little East Conference Honors
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central
Institute) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies men's basketball team has
been selected to the Little East Conference all-conference second team according
to the results of voting by the conference's eight head coaches.
Daniels was the lone USM player to earn all-conference recognition. The
individual awards and all-star teams, including the conference's first ever All-
Defensive and All-Rookie teams, were announced Tuesday morning by William M.
Moore, commissioner of the Little East Conference.
"Josh is a tremendous player and leader for us," noted third-year head
coach Karl Henrikson. "He is a versatile athlete who can slash to basket as
well as provide us with an outside scoring threat. Aside from his physical
abilities, Josh is an on-the-court leader who plays with a tremendous amount of
confidence and heart. I am pleased that he received recognition from the
conference and I expect that by the end of his career he will be one of the top
players in USM history."
Daniels led the Huskies in scoring averaging a team-high 16.5 points per
game while shooting a solid 42.6 percent (100-for-235) from the field, including
a 43.3 percent mark from three-point range (39-90). Daniels was also fourth on
the team in rebounding averaging 4.6 caroms per game.
Daniels scored in double-figures 16 times during the season including a
season and career-high 31-point game in the Huskies' 75-70 win against Western
Connecticut State University (January 7). Daniels was named the LEC Player of
the Week the following Monday (January 9) for his efforts.
In two seasons, Daniels has scored 535 points, grabbed 202 rebounds, passed
off 94 assists and come up with 63 steals, while shooting a solid 42.7 percent
from the field.
Southern Maine finished the 2005-06 season with an overall record of 10-16
and 3-11 in the Little East.
2005-06 Little East Conference Men's Basketball Awards
Player of the Year - Tony Barros, Junior, Forward, UMass Boston
Rookie of the Year - Tyler Kathan, Freshman, Forward, Keene State College
Coach of the Year - Charlie Titus, UMass Boston
First Team All-Conference
Player Class Position Institution
Stephane Abelard Junior Forward UMass Dartmouth
Tony Barros Junior Forward UMass Boston
Greg Cole Senior Guard Western Connecticut
Kinsey Durgin Junior Guard Rhode Island College
Amigo Paniagua Sophomore Guard UMass Boston
David Sontag Sophomore Guard Keene State College
Second Team All-Conference
Player Class Position Institution
Kevin Boutilier Senior Center Plymouth State
Josh Daniels Sophomore Guard U. of Southern Maine
Dan Holbrook Junior Center UMass Dartmouth
Sean Sullivan Senior Forward Keene State College
Mike Walcek Junior Forward Plymouth State University
LEC All-Defensive Team
Player Class Position Institution
Rodney Bennett Freshman Center UMass Boston
Kinsey Durgin Junior Guard Rhode Island College
Ben Maynard Senior Forward/Center Keene State College
David Sontag Sophomore Guard Keene State College
Mike Walcek Junior Forward Plymouth State University
LEC All-Rookie Team
Player Class Position Institution
Rodney Bennett Freshman Center UMass Boston
Reece Freeman Freshman Guard UMass Dartmouth
Kaseem Johnson Freshman Forward Rhode Island College
Tyler Kathan Freshman Forward Keene State College
Cameron Stewart Freshman Guard Rhode Island College
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Keene State Pulls Away From USM, 79-59
KEENE, N.H. -- Freshman forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vermont/Springfield)
scored a game-high 19 points to lead the top-seeded Keene State College Owls to
a 79-59 win over the eighth-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies, 79-59,
in a first round game of the Little East Conference tournament Tuesday night at
Spaulding Gymnasium in Keene, N.H.
The win improves the Owls' mark to 19-6 on the season, and gives Keene
State home-court advantage in the semifinal round of the LEC tournament. The
loss ended the Huskies' season at
10-16.
Kathan scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half to lead four players
in double-figures for the Owls. Sophomore guard Matt Hickey (Mahopac,
N.Y./Mahopac) added 15 points, while senior forward Sean Sullivan (Athol,
Mass./Athol) and sophomore guard Kevin Ritter (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay)
chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and
sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) paced the
Huskies netting 17 points each.
After falling behind 30-18 in the first half, the Huskies whittled the
Keene State lead down to four points, 36-32, following a three-pointer from
freshman guard Charlie O'Neill (Seymour, Conn./Wilbraham & Monson) with 15:01
remaining in the second half. The Huskies outscored the Owls 14-6 in the first
five minutes of the second half to pull within four points of the Owls, paced by
six points from Hardwick and four points from Phillips.
However, the Owls responded to the Southern Maine run with a run of their
own out-scoring USM 12-3 over the next four minutes to take a 13-point lead, 48-
35, with 11:05 on the clock. Kathan contributed seven of his 19 points in the
run on a three-pointer, a jumper and two free throws.
The Huskies traded scores with the Owls over the next couple of possessions
before Keene State pulled away. Ahead 52-39 with 10:17 on the clock, Keene
State used a 12-2 over the next three minutes taking its largest lead of the
game, 64-41, with 6:54 to play. The Huskies never threatened the Owls the rest
of the way en route to the 79-59 final.
Keene State finished the game shooting 42.9 percent from the floor (25-of-
59) and held a decisive 49-36 advantage on the boards. The Huskies finished the
game shooting just 32.8 percent (21-for-64) from the floor.
Keene State will host fifth-seeded UMass Dartmouth on Friday (February 24)
at 8:00 p.m. UMass Dartmouth upset fourth-seeded Plymouth State 98-69 to
advance.
Second-seeded UMass Boston will play third-seeded Rhode Island College in
the first semifinal game on Friday at 6:00 p.m. UMass Boston defeated seventh-
seeded Eastern Connecticut State University, 60-56, and Rhode Island College won
its game, 63-58, over sixth-seeded Western Connecticut State University.
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Saturday, February 18, 2006
Keene State Edges Southern Maine 68-66
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Kevin Ritter (Hopewell Jct., N.Y./John
Jay) connected for the eventual game-winning points on a driving lay-up from the
left side with 1:25 to play to snap a 66-66 tie and give the Keene State College
Owls a 68-66 Little East Conference win over the University of Southern Maine
Huskies Saturday afternoon at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
With the win, Keene State improves to 18-6 overall and 11-3 in the Little
East while the Huskies drop to 10-15 overall and 3-11 in the LEC with the loss.
The win combined with a UMass Boston loss gives Keene State the top seed in
upcoming Little East Conference tournament. The Huskies will enter the LEC
tournament as the eight seed and will travel to Keene State on Tuesday (February
21) for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
Ritter finished the game with 15 points, while senior forward Sean Sullivan
(Athol, Mass./Athol) was a force inside for the Owls scoring a game-high 28
points on 11-for-16 shooting mark from the floor and a 6-for-6 effort from the
free throw line. Freshman forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vermont/Springfield)
added 14 points for Keene State and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) scored 20
points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds to lead Southern Maine. Sophomore
guards Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) and Andy Frost
(Brewer, Maine/Brewer) added 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the Huskies.
Frost also passed off a team-high four assists.
After rallying from a 10-point first half deficit to take a slim 34-32 lead
at the break the Huskies found themselves in a back-and-forth battle with Keene
State in the second half as both teams answered each other's baskets to force 13
second half ties and seven lead changes.
After a steal and an assist from Frost to freshman guard Charlie O'Neill
(Seymour, Conn./Wibraham & Monson) for a lay-up, the Huskies pulled into the
11th tie of the half, 61-61 with 4:36 remaining. In its next possession, Keene
State pulled ahead 63-61 on a jumper from Sullivan, before the Huskies battled
on the boards to come up with two offensive rebounds that led to a driving
jumper in the paint from Phillips to knot the score up again 63-63 with 3:28 on
the clock.
Southern Maine went ahead by one 64-63 on one of two free throws from Frost
with 2:42 showing, but sophomore guard Matt Hickey (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) gave
Keene State the lead right back, 66-64 with a three-pointer on the Owl's next
possession. The half saw its 13th tied score of the game when USM's Phillips
scored his 10th point of the half to pull the Huskies even with the Owls 66-66
with 1:57 to play, before Ritter gave the Owls the lead for good, 68-66, with
1:25 to play as USM misfired on its last three shots of the game, including two
threes as the clock expired.
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006
UMass Boston Slips Past Southern Maine 72-67
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Tony Barros (Dorchester, Mass./Saint
Sebastian's) scored a game-high 29 points to lead the University of
Massachusetts Boston Beacons past an upset-minded University of Southern Maine
Huskies squad 72-67 in a Little East Conference game Tuesday night at Warren G.
Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
With the win, UMass Boston remains tied atop of the LEC standings with a
10-3 mark, and improves to 15-9 overall. The loss drops the Huskies to 10-14
overall and 3-10 in the Little East.
Barros knocked down 10 of his 25 shots en route to the game-high 29 points,
including a 5-for-14 effort from three-point range to lead two UMass Boston
players in double-figures. Sophomore forward Mark Doran (South Boston,
Mass./Savio Prep) netted 19 points for the Beacons on 7-for-12 shooting.
Southern Maine senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay
Region) scored 22 points while sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer)
chipped in with nine points, four assists and two steals. Junior guard Foster
Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) and freshman guard Charlie O'Neill (Seymour,
Conn./Wilbraham and Monson) added eight points each.
Trailing by 10 points, 53-43, midway through the second half following one
of two three-pointers from UMass Boston's Doran, the Huskies came back to take a
slim, 56-55 lead over the next four minutes. Following Doran's long-range shot,
USM outscored the Beacons 13-2. O'Neill keyed the run with an offensive rebound
and a put-back on his own miss. Hardwick capped the run with a steal and a
jumper to give USM its first lead since the opening play of the game with 6:59
to go.
However, UMass Boston responded to the Huskies' offensive spurt scoring six
unanswered points on a lay up from freshman center Rodney Bennett (Boston,
Mass./Newton North) and four consecutive points from Doran on two free throws
and lay-up to take a 61-56 lead with 4:58 left on the clock.
The Huskies twice cut the lead to two points, trailing 63-61 with 4:08
showing on a jumper from Harwick, but it was as close as they would get the rest
of the way as UMass Boston countered with back-to-back lay ups from Barros and
senior forward Charles Yuan (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) to go ahead 67-61 with
1:44 to play and then made 5-of-7 free throws for the 72-67 final.
Southern Maine returns to action Saturday (February 18) at home against
Keene State College in its regular season finale at 3:00 p.m. UMass Boston
travels to Rhode Island College for its final regular-season game on the same
date at 3:00 p.m.
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Saturday, February 11, 2006
Rhode Island College Edges Huskies 75-68
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island - Junior guard Kamari Williams (Springfield,
Mass/Cathedral) scored his 1,000th career point late in the second half to help
the Rhode Island College Anchormen to a 75-68 win over the University of
Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference game Saturday afternoon at
the Murray Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Williams scored his milestone point on a three-pointer with seven minutes
remaining in the game as the Anchormen outlasted the Huskies for the win. The
Anchormen improved to 15-7 overall and 8-4 in the Little East. The loss drops
the Huskies to 10-13 overall and 3-9 in the LEC.
Williams was one of four RIC players to reach double-figures finishing the
game with 10 points. Junior guard Brian Stanko (Swansea, Mass./Joseph Case)
netted a team-high 17 points, while senior guard Kevin Payette (Woonsocket,
Rhode Island/Woonsocket) and freshman guard Tirrell Hill (Bronx, N.Y./All
Hallows) added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
USM junior forward Ian Hebert (New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester)
led all scorers with a career-high 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Senior
forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and sophomore guard Andy
Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) chipped in with 17 points each for the Huskies.
Hardwick grabbed a team-high six rebounds for USM, while Frost had a game-high
six steals.
In a closely contested second half, RIC was able to answer each of USM's
runs with key baskets en route to the win. Trailing by seven at the break, 33-
26, USM cut the deficit to two points three times in the opening seven minutes
of the second half and trailed by four points 61-57 with just under six minutes
to play following a lay-up from Hardwick.
After a timeout, RIC book ended a free throw from USM's Frost with a jumper
from Payette and a three-pointer from junior guard Kinsey Durgin (Greenwood,
Maine/Telstar) to take an eight-point lead, 66-58, with 4:45 remaining. Both
teams traded baskets over the next few possessions and RIC clung to its eight-
point advantage, 71-63, with just under two minutes left in the game. Hardwick
knocked down his only three-pointer of the night to cut the deficit to five, 71-
66, with 1:30 remaining to keep the Huskies in the game. RIC, however, was able
to hold on for the win as Stanko drained all four of his free throw attempts in
the final minute of action.
Both teams played evenly offensively with the Huskies shooting 42.1 percent
for the game (24-for-57) while RIC shot 41.8 percent (28-for-67), but the game
was won from long range as RIC made 14 three-pointers including three each from
Stanko and Hill. RIC shot 40 percent (14-for-35) from long range for the game,
while USM only connected on two of its 15 attempts (13 percent) from three-point
range.
Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (February 14) at home against
the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons at 7:30 p.m. Rhode Island plays
again on the same date when it travels to the University of Massachusetts
Dartmouth for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Plymouth State Upends Huskies 69-51
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Devin Ruocco (Dover, N.H./Dover) scored a
game-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Plymouth State
University Panthers to a 69-51 Little East Conference win over the University of
Southern Maine Huskies at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium Tuesday evening.
With the win, the Panthers improve to 14-8 overall and move to 6-5 in
Little East action. Suffering their second conference loss in as many games,
the Huskies drop to 10-12 overall and 3-8 in the LEC.
Ruocco knocked down 6-of-13 shots from the floor, including a 4-for-9 mark
from three-point range to pace the Panthers to the victory. Senior center Kevin
Boutilier (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) and junior forward Mike Walcek
(Dover, N.H./Dover) each added 10 points for the Panthers, while Boutilier
chipped in a double-double by grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds, including six
offensive boards.
Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) led the
Huskies with 17 points, while sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland,
Maine/Bridgton Academy) was the only other Southern Maine player in double-
figures with 12 points and seven rebounds.
After falling behind by 10 points at the half, 39-29, Southern Maine cut
its deficit to five points in the opening five minutes of the second half
outscoring the Panthers 11-6. The run, highlighted by a three-pointer from
Hardwick and a offensive rebound and a put-back from Phillips, put the score at
45-40 in favor of the Panthers with 14:15 to play.
However, it was as close as the Huskies would get the rest of the way as
Plymouth State responded with an 10-0 run ignited by a basket from Boutilier and
a three-pointer from senior guard Mike Sullivan (Brookline, N.H./Hollis-
Brookline). Ruocco closed the run scoring five unanswered points connecting on
a pair of free throws before knocking down his fourth three-ball of the game to
put the Panthers ahead by 15, 55-40 with 9:43 remaining.
Plymouth State continued to increase its advantage throughout the half and
led by as many as 21 points with six minutes to play as the Huskies managed just
three field goals in the final five minutes of the contest for the 69-51 final.
Plymouth State held a 41-35 edge on the boards including a commanding 21-13
edge on the offensive glass as the Panthers scored 22 of their 69 points off of
second-chance buckets. Southern Maine finished the game shooting 40.4 percent
from the field (19-for-47) and were just 47.6 percent from the free throw line
making 10 of 21 attempts. Plymouth State shot 37.5 percent (24-for-64) for the
game and were 10-of-28 from three-point range (35.7 percent)
Southern Maine returns to action on the road at Rhode Island College for a
3 p.m. Little East Conference game on Saturday (February 11). Plymouth State
travels to UMass Boston on the same date for at 3 p.m. contest.
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Saturday, February 4, 2006
Western Connecticut Defeats Southern Maine in Double Overtime, 74-70
DANBURY, Conn. - Sophomore guard Jamie Procino (Yorktown Heights,
N.Y./Yorktown) scored four of his 14 points and junior guard Jamaal Robinson
(Meriden, Conn./Platt) scored three of his 15 points in the second overtime
period to lead the Western Connecticut State University Colonials to a 74-70,
double-overtime win against the University of Southern Maine Huskies Saturday in
a Little East Conference match-up at Feldman Arena in Danbury, Conn.
With the win the Colonials improve to 12-9 overall and 4-6 in the LEC,
while the Huskies dip to 10-11 and 3-7 in conference action.
Trailing by a bucket 60-58, USM senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay,
Maine/Boothbay Region) forced the overtime action knocking down a jumper with 19
seconds remaining in regulation off of an assist from senior forward Jesse
McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Scituate). Hardwick finished the game with a team-
high 15 points on 7-for-18 shooting from the floor, while McKinnell added three
points, three assists and a game-high 13 rebounds.
In a game with 19 ties and 18 lead changes, both teams found themselves
tied yet again, 64-64 at the end of the first overtime period as both the
Colonials and the Huskies managed just four points apiece. Freshman forward
Marcus Mann (Windsor, Conn./The Barter's School) connected on two free throws
for the Colonials, while Robinson added a lay-up to account for Western
Connecticut four points, while junior guard Foster Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt.
Blue) and sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute)
each connected on lay-ups for the Huskies.
In the second overtime period the Colonials took a slim three point lead in
the first minute and a half outscoring USM 4-1 as Procino drained to free throws
and then grabbed an offensive rebound and hit the put-back to give Western
Connecticut a 68-65 lead with 3:28 remaining.
USM cut the lead to two, 68-66, as sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer,
Maine/Brewer) hit the second of two free throws, but Western Connecticut
answered with a lay-up from Robinson on a feed from Procino on its next
possession to quickly take a four-point advantage 70-66 with 2:48 to play.
Western Connecticut grew its lead to five points, 72-67, with 44 seconds
remaining as sophomore guard Kyle Norfleet (Waterbury, Conn./Sacred Heart) and
Robinson each connected on a free throw.
In the Huskies' next possession Hardwick trimmed the Colonial lead to two,
72-70, draining his only three-pointer of the game, but it was as close as they
would get the rest of the way as Colonial sophomore guard Tony Peluso
(Southbury, Conn./Sacred Heart) buried both of his free throws with 24 seconds
remaining for the 74-70 final.
Western Connecticut senior guard Greg Cole (Terrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow)
led all scorers with 18 points, while Robinson and Procino added 15 and 14,
respectively.
Daniels and sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) each scored 13 points for USM, while Frost chipped in with 12 points.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well with the Huskies holding a
slight edge shooting 37.3 percent (25-for-67) to the Colonials' 34.3 percent
(24-70); however, the game was won on the free throw line as Western Connecticut
made 21 of its 31 tries compared to the Huskies 16-for-33 effort.
Southern Maine returns to action at home against LEC foe Plymouth State
University at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (February 7). The Colonials travel to Rhode
Island College on the same date for a LEC contest at 7:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Southern Maine Holds Off St. Joseph’s, 60-54
STANDISH, Maine – Sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) connected on a fade-away jumper from just inside the three-point line
to snap a 54-54 tie late in the game to lead the University of Southern Maine
Huskies to a 60-54 win over their in-state rivals, the St. Joseph’s College
Monks, in the 17th Annual Costello Cup Challenge Wednesday evening at the Alfond
Center in Standish.
With the win, the Huskies snapped a five game-losing skid to even out at
10-10 and retain the Costello Cup for the third consecutive season. In the 17-
game challenge series, St. Joseph’s College holds a slim 9-8 lead between the
two schools. The loss snaps the Monks four-game win streak and drops St.
Joseph’s College to 12-6. Southern Maine’s 10 wins marks the first time since
the 2001-2002 season that the Huskies have attained double-digits in the win
column. USM finished the 2001-2002 season with a 10-16 mark.
Phillips finished the game with 12 points, on 5-for-11 shooting from the
field, and a game-high seven assists. Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay,
Maine/Boothbay Region) connected on 6-of-10 from the floor, including a key lay-
up with seconds remaining in the game to notch a team-high 13 points while
sophomore Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) tossed in 12
points and three assists.
Freshman forward Mitch Ouellet (Fort Kent, Maine/Fort Kent) led all scorers
with a double-double on 14 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Freshman forward
Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, N.Y./Albany Academy) was the only other Monk player
in double-figures with 11 points.
After building a 12-point lead early in the second half, the Huskies found
themselves tied, 54-54, with 2:46 remaining as the Monks mounted a furious
rally.
The Huskies took a 44-32 lead with 15:06 on the clock following one free
throw from sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer), but the Monks
quickly cut the USM lead to five, 44-39, with three unanswered baskets. Ouellet
keyed the run with a pair of scores on a lay-up and a jumper in the paint.
Senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) capped the scoring spurt with a
traditional three-point play converting the lay-up and adding the free throw
after being fouled.
USM sophomore forward Ian Hebert (New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New
Gloucester) gave the Huskies a seven point lead on the next play, 46-39, with a
driving baseline lay-up with 11:55 to play, but the Monks answered right back
outscoring the Huskies 15-8 over the next eight minutes to knot the score up at
54-54. The Monks’ Murphy scored seven of his 11 points in the run.
St. Joseph College senior guard Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, Maine/Windham)
tied the game up on fast-break lay-up for two of his seven points in the game,
before Phillips drained the long-range jumper with 2:12 on the clock. Following
a couple of botched possessions from both teams, Phillips then came up with a
loose ball and connected with Hardwick for a break-away lay-up with a full court
assist to put the Huskies ahead 58-54 with just 22 seconds remaining. Daniels
connected on two free throws with 15 seconds to play for the 60-54 final.
Southern Maine returns to conference action Saturday (February 4) on the
road at Western Connecticut State University. Tip off is scheduled for 3:00
p.m. St. Joseph’s College will also be on the road for its next contest on
Monday (February 6) at the University of Maine Farmington for a 7:30 p.m.
contest.
################################################################################
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Johnson Carries Eastern Connecticut Over Southern Maine, 70-60
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Kris Johnson (Sturbridge, Mass./Tantasqua
Regional) drained eight three-pointers en route to a career-high 25 points to
lead the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to a 70-60 win over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men's
basketball match-up Saturday afternoon at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham
campus.
Johnson was a remarkable 8-for-12 from beyond-the-arc to lead the Warriors
to their first win in four games. Eastern Connecticut improves to 6-12 overall
and 2-7 in the Little East. The Huskies, suffering their fifth straight loss,
drop to 9-10 overall and 3-6 in the conference.
Ahead by just a point, 28-27, at the half, Eastern Connecticut earned
itself some breathing room with an 8-0 run in the opening three minutes of the
second half. Sophomore guard Matt Albon (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross) and
sophomore center Kevin Zalucki (Enfield, Conn./East Catholic) keyed the run with
back-to-back lay-ups. Junior guard Geoff Richardson (Hartford, Conn./Northwest
Catholic) closed the 8-0 spurt with a pair of hard earned baskets in the paint
to give the Warriors a 36-28 lead with 16:25 to play.
USM cut the lead to three points, 39-36, over the next two minutes
outscoring the Warriors 8-3, but Eastern Connecticut answered right back as
Johnson struck for four straight three-pointers to give the Warriors a 10-point
lead, 51-41 with 9:54 to play.
After Johnson's sixth three-pointer of the half gave the Warriors its
largest lead of the game, 58-47, the Huskies again cut their deficit to just
three points on the heels of a 9-2 run, with 3:30 to play. But the Warriors were
just too tough down the stretch making nine of their 10 free throws to seal the
win.
Johnson led all scorers with his career-high 25 points off of the bench as
one of two players in double-figures for the Warriors. Joining Johnson in the
double-digits was Richardson who connected on 6-of-13 shots from the field en
route to 14 points. Albon and sophomore guard Saliym Wilson (Manhattan,
N.Y./Hyde School (ME)) each added eight points for ECSU.
Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) led the
Huskies with 19 points and six rebounds, while senior Jesse McKinnell (Manomet,
Mass./Scituate) posted his second consecutive double-double with 11 points and a
game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland,
Maine/Bridgton Academy) added seven points and seven assists for the Huskies
while freshman guard Charlie O'Neill (Seymour, Conn./Wilbraham & Monson) chipped
in with seven points on a 3-for-3 effort from the field.
Both teams were even offensively as the Huskies and Eastern Connecticut
each shot 44.9 percent from the field on 22-for-49 shooting from the floor.
However, Eastern Connecticut was 10-for-22 from three-point range on the back of
Johnson's outstanding performance compared to just a 2-for-14 effort from the
Huskies.
Southern Maine returns to action Wednesday (February 1) at St. Joseph's
(Maine) College for a non-conference game. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Eastern Connecticut plays again on Thursday when it hosts Worcester State
College in a non-conference match-up at 7:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
UMass Boston Edges Southern Maine in Overtime 94-87
BOSTON -- Sophomore guard Amigo Paniagua (Santiago, Dominican
Republic/Dorchester) scored seven of his 20 points in extra session to lead the
University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons to a 94-87 overtime win over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference tilt Tuesday
night at the Clark Athletic Center in Boston.
The Beacons outscored the Huskies 14-7 in overtime to earn the win and
improve their overall record to 11-6 overall, and 6-2 in the LEC. The loss is
the fourth straight for Southern Maine which dropped to 9-9 overall and 3-5 in
the conference.
Trailing by a point, 85-84, with 2:13 remaining in overtime following a
pair of free throws from USM senior forward Jesse McKinnell (Manomet,
Mass./Scituate), Paniagua gave the Beacons the lead for good converting a lay-up
off of an assist from senior guard Eric Bateman (Glassboro, N.J./CCVTS).
Junior forward Tony Barros (Dorchester, Mass./Saint Sebastian’s) pushed the
Beacons’ lead to three, 88-85, with 1:42 to play making a lay-up off another
assist from Bateman. Southern Maine cut the lead back to a point with a pair of
free throws from sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy), but Paniagua made one of two free throws and then grabbed an offensive
rebound and hit the put-back to give the Beacons a four-point cushion, 91-87,
with 26 seconds on the clock. Southern Maine misfired on its final two shots of
the game and Barros made a free throw and Paniagua notched a lay-up for the 94-
87 final.
After trailing 42-36 at the break, Southern Maine forced the overtime
action, rallying in the second half. Behind 80-77 with nine seconds to play,
Phillips drained his second three-pointer of the night to knot the score up at
80-80 as the buzzer sounded.
Barros led all scorers, posting a double-double for UMass Boston, with a
game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds. Paniagua collected his 20 points on 7-for-
13 shooting from the field while grabbing eight rebounds. Freshman center
Rodney Bennett (Boston, Mass./Newton North) came off of the bench to score 17
points and haul down nine rebounds for the Beacons. Senior forwards Charles
Yuan (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) and James Hall [Jacksonville, Fla./Brunswick
(GA)] added 12 and 10 points respectively.
McKinnell led four Southern Maine players in double-figures with 19 points
on 8-for-13 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds, both career highs. Phillips
notched 17 points and nine assists for the Huskies. Senior forward Bill
Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) added a double-double with 13 points
and 10 rebounds, while freshman guard Charlie O’Neill (Seymour, Conn./Wamogo)
netted a career-high 13 points off of the bench.
UMass Boston finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field (34-for-
68) including a 5-for-8 mark in the overtime period (62.5 percent). The Huskies
shot a solid 48.4 percent (31-for-64) from the field, but were just 1-for-7 in
the overtime period.
Southern Maine returns to action at home on Saturday (January 28) against
LEC rival Eastern Connecticut State University. Game time is 3:00 p.m. UMass
Boston plays again on Saturday, on the road, against Western Connecticut State
University. Tip-off is schedule for 3:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Saturday, January 21, 2006
UMass Dartmouth Upends Southern Maine 74-56
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior center Dan Holbrook (Lexington, Mass./Lexington)
posted a double-double with 18 points and 22 rebounds to lead the University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs to a 74-56 Little East Conference win over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies Saturday afternoon at Warren G. Hill
Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
The win boosted the Corsairs above .500 in the conference at 4-3 and
improved their overall record to 10-6. The Huskies, suffering their third
straight loss, sink to 9-8 overall and 3-4 in the LEC.
Holbrook led four Corsair players in double-figures on 8-for-18 shooting
from the floor and was nearly unstoppable on the offensive glass grabbing 12 of
his game-high 22 rebounds off of UMass Dartmouth misses.
Junior forward Stephane Abelard (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) added 12 points
for the Corsairs, while junior guard Devon Maiorano (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-
Rehoboth) and freshman guard Reece Freeman (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge &
Latin) chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively. Freeman played a steady
floor game for the Corsairs finishing with a team-high six assists and four
steals.
Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) led the
Huskies with a double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guards
Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) and Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) each chipped in with 12 points apiece.
Both teams started the game cold offensively with Corsairs shooting just
34.1 percent from the floor in the first half and the Huskies just 26.5 percent.
The Corsairs were able to take a 38-22 lead into the break dominating the
offensive boards while capitalizing on USM errors. UMass Dartmouth scored 12 of
its 38 points off of eight first-half turnovers committed by the Huskies and
netted 13 points off second chances.
In the second half, the Corsairs' lead quickly grew to 23 points as the
Corsairs rattled off seven unanswered points to take a commanding 45-22 lead
with 18:45 to play.
Southern Maine trimmed the UMass Dartmouth lead to six points, 55-49, with
8:17 remaining, fighting its way back into the game with a 25-8 run. Trailing
47-24 with 17:02 on the clock, the Huskies put together the formidable offensive
spurt over the next nine minutes of action. Phillips scored seven of his 12
points in the run while sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine
Central Institute) collected all eight of his points on a three-points play
(lay-up and free throw), a pair of free throws, and a three-pointer.
With their lead in jeopardy, the Corsairs answered the Huskies' threat with
a quick five points on a jumper from junior guard Chris Frazier (Carver,
Mass./Carver) and a three-ball from sophomore guard A.J. Tavares (New Bedford,
Mass./New Bedford) to push the UMD lead to 11, 60-49, with 6:01 on the clock.
A three-pointer from USM's Frost cut the lead back to nine points, but the
Corsairs squelched any ideas of a Husky come-back outscoring Southern Maine 11-2
in the final five minutes of play, including a stretch of five straight points
from Holbrook.
UMass Dartmouth finished the game shooting just 39.5 percent (30-for-76)
from the field, while the Huskies connected on 33.3 percent of their shots for
the game (19-for-57).
Southern Maine returns to action Tuesday (January 24) on the road at the
University of Massachusetts Boston at 7:30 p.m. The Corsairs play on the same
date traveling to Rhode Island College for a 7:30 p.m. game.
################################################################################
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Plymouth State Shoots Past Southern Maine 74-58
PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Senior guard Brandon Boggs (Strafford, N.H./Coe-Brown
Academy) scored a game-high 18 points to lead five players in double figures as
the Plymouth State University Panthers posted a 74-58 Little East Conference win
against the University of Southern Maine Huskies Tuesday night in Plymouth, N.H.
With the win, the Panthers improve their overall record to 11-4, and move
to 4-2 in Little East Conference action. Suffering their second straight
conference loss, the Huskies dip to 9-7 overall and 3-3 in the conference.
Boggs led all scorers with a stellar 6-for-10 mark from the field,
including a blazing 4-for-5 effort from three-point range. Senior guard Mark
Dunham (Salem, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) matched Boggs from three-point range and
finished the game with 16 points, while junior forward Mike Walacek (Dover,
N.H./Dover) added 12 points. Senior center Kevin Boutilier (North Andover,
Mass./North Andover) and sophomore guard Phil Bourassa (Old Orchard Beach,
Maine/Biddeford) each chipped in with 10 points a piece for the Panthers.
Sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) led the Huskies with 15
points, including a 3-for-4 effort from beyond the arc, while senior forward
Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) chipped in with 12 points.
Falling behind in the opening minutes of the first half after misfiring on
its first four shots, Plymouth State found its scoring touch and roared back to
take a 33-23 lead into the halftime break. The Panthers started the game ice-
cold, making just four of their first 13 attempts while turning the ball over
four times to trail the Huskies by two, 11-9, with 11:30 remaining in the half.
However, Plymouth State was able to take its 10-point lead into the break
outscoring Southern Maine 24-11 over the final 10 minutes while connecting on 10
of its final 16 shots to shoot a solid 48.3 percent for the half (14-29).
Plymouth State took its first lead of the game, 18-17, on a lay-up from
Walacek at the 6:55 mark of the first half and never relinquished it the rest of
the way for the win.
The Huskies cut Plymouth State advantage to eight points, 36-28, early in
the second half on three-pointer from sophomore forward Drew Coppenrath (Barnet,
Vermont/St. Johnsbury Academy) with 18:32 to play, but it was as close as USM
would get for the rest of the game as Plymouth State's Boggs netted 14 of his
game-high 18 points in the second half.
Plymouth State finished the game shooting a blistering 52.8 percent from
the floor (28-53) and 60 percent from three-point range as the Panthers drained
12-of-20 attempts from long distance. Southern Maine hurt itself offensively
turning the ball over 23 times while shooting just 39.2 percent from the floor
(20-51).
Southern Maine returns to action at home on Saturday (January 21) at 3:00
p.m. against the University of Massachusetts Darmouth. Plymouth State hosts
Western Connecticut the same day.
################################################################################
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Keene State Edges Southern Maine 103-96
KEENE, N.H. -- Sophomore guard David Sontag (Mount Vernon, N.H./Souhegan)
scored a game-high 23 points, including a key basket late in the game, to lead
the Keene State College Owls to a 103-96 triumph over the University of Southern
Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men's basketball game at Spaulding
Gymnasium in Keene, N.H. Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Owls improve to 11-3 overall and remain undefeated in
Little East Conference play at 5-0. The loss snaps the Huskies four-game win
streak dropping Southern Maine to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
In a high-scoring affair, Sontag led five Owl players in double-figures
shooting a remarkable 7-for-10 from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from
three-point range to lift Keene State to the win. Sontag added five assists and
four steals to go along with his game-high 23 points.
Sophomore guard Matt Hickey (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) added 19 points for the
Owls, while senior forward Sean Sullivan (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) chipped in
with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting off of the bench. Freshman forward Tyler
Kathan (Ludlow, Vermont/Springfield) posted a double-double with 12 points and
12 rebounds and junior guard Stanley Chamblain (Chelsea, Mass./Everett) netted
10 points.
Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and
sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) led the
Huskies scoring 22 points a piece as Southern Maine also posted five players in
double-figures. Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central
Institute) added 18 points for USM, while sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer,
Maine/Brewer) and junior guard Foster Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue)
chipped in with 14 and 12 points respectively.
With the score tied at 95-95 with 1:53 left in the game following lay-up
from Sontag, the Owls outscored Southern Maine 8-1 down the stretch, netting all
of their points on the free throw line en route to the win. Keene State made
30 of its 35 attempts (85.7 percent) from the charity stripe, the eventual
difference in the game, as the Huskies made 16 of its free throws while going to
the line 21 times (76.2 percent).
After falling behind by 13 points early in the second half, 57-44, the
Huskies rallied to take a slim two-point lead, 87-85 with 4:24 remaining on a
traditional three-point play from Phillips on a lay-up and a free throw. The
Huskies connected on eight of their season-high 12 three-pointers in the second
half.
The Huskies pushed their lead to six points, 91-85, after a steal and a
lay-up from Frost and a dunk from Phillips with 3:45 on the clock, before Keene
State rattled off six unanswered points to knot the score up at 91 on three free
throws and a three-pointer from Hickey.
Both teams traded baskets over the next few possession, before USM's
Hardwick gave the Huskies their final lead of the game, 95-93 with his sixth
three-pointer of the night, before Sontag scored the game-tying lay-up off of an
assist from Kathan. Kathan finished the game with a team-high seven assists.
From there the Owls made 8-of-10 free throws to close out the game and earn
the win, while the Huskies missed their final three shots of the game and went
just 1-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minutes of play.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 56.7 percent from the field (34-
for-60) and was a sparkling 50 percent from three-point range (12-for-24), but
was hampered by 23 turnovers in the game compared to just 16 by the Owls. Keene
State finished the game shooting 39.7 percent (31-for-78) from the floor and
40.7 percent from beyond the arc (11-for-27).
The Huskies return to action on the road at Plymouth State University at
7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 17). The Owls play on the same day at Eastern
Connecticut State University at 7:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Phillips Three-Pointer Helps Huskies Down Anchormen
GORHAM, Maine - Sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) drained a three-pointer from the left wing as the shot-clock expired to
lift the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a thrilling 67-66 win over the
Rhode Island College Anchormen in a Little East Conference men's basketball game
Tuesday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
With their fourth consecutive win, the Huskies moved to 3-1 in the LEC and
improved their overall record to 9-5. The loss snaps Rhode Island College's
two-game win streak and drops their overall record to 7-5 and evens out their
conference mark at 2-2.
Phillips knocked down his third three-pointer of the game with five seconds
remaining on the clock, and then came up with a decisive steal as the Anchormen
tried to get the ball passed half court on their ensuing in-bounds play.
Phillips was one of three USM players to score in double-figures finishing
with 13 points, six assists and two steals. Matching Phillips in the scoring
column was senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region).
Hardwick connected on 5-of-9 attempts from the floor and added seven rebounds,
two assists and three steals. Sophomore Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine
Central Institute) tossed in 11 points and grabbed six rebounds while making
himself a pest defensively with a team-high four steals.
Freshman guard Cameron Stewart (Newport, Rhode Island/Rogers) led the
Anchormen with 13 points on a 4-for-5 shooting effort from the field, while
freshman forward Kaseem Johnson (New Haven, Conn./Hillhouse) added 12 points,
seven rebounds and four steals. Senior guard Kevin Payette (Woonsocket,
R.I./Woonsocket) led Rhode Island on the boards grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds
to go along with five points, six assists and three steals in a solid effort.
Rhode Island rallied from a nine-point deficit early in the second half to
turn the game into a back-and-forth battle. The Anchormen opened the half with
a 10-2 run in the opening four minutes to take a 47-46 lead with 16:17 to play.
Johnson ripped off five straight points for the Anchormen to open the half
on a pair of lay-ups and a free throw, before Stewart knocked down a three and
sophomore guard Davon Yarbrough (New Haven, Conn./Hyde) added a lay-up to put
RIC ahead. Yarbrough finished the game with nine points.
Both teams played each other closely over the next four minutes as neither
team had more than a two-point advantage until the Huskies used an 8-0 run to
take a seven-point lead. Trailing by a point, 52-51 with following a Payette
lay-up with 12:45 to play, Southern Maine ran off eight straight points,
including five straight by Phillips, to go ahead 59-52 with 9:49 on the clock.
Rhode Island answered right back, outscoring the Huskies 14-4 over the next
eight minutes to take a three-point lead, 66-63. Stewart netted seven of his
team-high 13 points while junior guard Kinsey Durgin (Greenwood, Maine/Telstar)
scored added five points in the run for the Anchormen.
The Huskies cut the Anchormen advantage to two points, 66-64 after Hardwick
sank the first of two free throws after grabbing a steal and being intentionally
fouled. With the ball in their possession, the Huskies were able to run down
the clock after senior forward Jesse McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Scituate) grabbed
an offensive board off of a Daniels three-point miss to set up the Phillips'
heroics.
Southern Maine survived shooting just 39.3 percent (24-of-63) from the
field, including an ice-cold 29.2 percent second half (7-of-24). Rhode Island
College ended the game shooting a solid 41.7 percent from the floor (25-for-60).
The Huskies returns to action on the road, Saturday (January 14) at Keene
State College for a 3:00 p.m. game. Rhode Island College plays again Thursday
at M.I.T for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference match-up.
################################################################################
Monday, January 9, 2006
Daniels Named Little East Conference Player of the Week
GORHAM, Maine - Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central
Insititute) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies men's basketball team
has been named the Little East Conference Player of the Week for the week of
January 1-8, 2006.
It is the first time in his career that Daniels, a 2005 Maine College
Basketball Coaches' Association All-Rookie team selection, has been named the
LEC Player of the Week.
"Josh is a complete player," said third-year head coach Karl Henrikson.
"He works hard at both ends of the floor and is continually striving to improve
his game. He played exceptionally well for us this week and was a big key to
our success in the last two games."
In two games, Daniels led the Huskies in scoring as he averaged 25 points,
4.5 rebounds and two assists as Southern Maine finished the week 2-0. The 6-1
guard scored a career-high 31 points while grabbing four rebounds to lead USM to
a 75-70 win over conference foe Western Connecticut State on Saturday (January
7). Daniels was instrumental in the Huskies' win, netting 24 of his 31 points
in the second half, including a key seven-point spurt in the final minutes of
the contest to seal the win for USM. Daniels finished the game connecting of
11-of-18 attempts (61.1 percent) from the floor including a 4-for-7 effort from
three-point range.
In a non-conference road win on Wednesday, an 84-79 triumph over Husson
College, Daniels scored a team-high 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished
out four assists.
The Huskies' leading-scorer, Daniels is averaging 19 points per game
through 13 contests. He is shooting a solid 46.5 percent (79-for-170) from the
field, including an outstanding 47.7 percent from three-point range (31-of-65).
Daniels is also third on the team in rebounding grabbing 5.4 boards per game
while passing off 2.2 assists.
USM, currently 8-5 overall and 2-1 in the LEC, is off to its best start
since the 1998-1999 season when the Huskies were also 8-5. The Huskies return
to action Tuesday (January 10) at 7:30 p.m. when they host conference opponent
the Rhode Island College Anchormen. Rhode Island enters the game with a 7-4
record and a 2-1 mark in the LEC.
################################################################################
Saturday, January 7, 2006
Daniels Shoots Southern Maine Past Western Connecticut 75-70
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine
Central Institute) netted a career-high 31 points to lead the University of
Southern Maine Huskies to a 75-70 Little East Conference victory over the
Western Connecticut State University Colonials Saturday afternoon at the Warren
G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus.
With the win the Huskies move to 2-1 in the Little East and improve their
overall record to 8-5. It is the Huskies best start through 13 games since the
1998-99 season when Southern Maine was also 8-5 in as many contests. The loss
drops the Colonials to 0-3 in the LEC and 7-5 on the season.
Daniels, who set his previous career-high earlier in the season with 24
points against Salem State, finished the game shooting 11-for-18 from the field,
including a 4-for-7 effort from beyond the three-point range. Daniels, who
tallied just seven first-half points, was nearly unstoppable in the second
stanza, including a key seven-point spurt in the final three minutes of the
second half to seal the win for Southern Maine.
With the Huskies lead cut to two points, 66-64, following three-pointer
from Western Connecticut senior guard Greg Cole (Meriden, Conn./Platt) with 3:55
to play, Daniels rattled off seven of his game-high 31 points on a driving lay-
up, short jumper and a deep three from the top of the key as the shot clock
sounded to give the Huskies 73-66 cushion.
With 28 seconds remaining the Huskies held on for the win, knocking down
two of its four free throw attempts for the 75-70 final.
Joining Daniels in double-digit scoring were senior forward Bill Hardwick
(Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer,
Maine/Brewer). Hardwick was 7-for-11 from the free throw line en route to 13
points, while Frost chipped in with 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists and
five steals in a solid all-around effort.
Cole finished with a team-high 20 points for the Colonials, shooting 8-for-
17 from the floor while knocking down three three-pointers. Senior forward
Jason Barnett (Windsor, Conn./Northeast Catholic) added a double-double for
Western Connecticut scoring 12 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.
Both teams played evenly with Southern Maine holding a slight edge in
shooting and rebounding. The Huskies finished the game shooting 45.8 percent
(27-for-59) while Western Connecticut shot a comparable 43.1 percent (28-for-
65). On the boards, the Huskies edged the Colonials 38-37. The difference in
the game came on the free throw line as the Huskies knocked down 16 of 24
attempts (66.7 percent). Western Connecticut went to the free throw line 15
times in the game, making 10 of its shots (66.7 percent).
Southern Maine returns to action at home Tuesday (January 10) versus Little
East Conference opponent Rhode Island College. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30
p.m. Western Connecticut will host LEC foe Keene State University at 7:30 p.m.
on the same date.
################################################################################
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Huskies Rally in Second Half, Down Husson 84-79
BANGOR, Maine -- Sophomore Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) drained a three-pointer and the University of Southern Maine Huskies
knocked down six consecutive free throws in the final 30 seconds to earn a hard-
fought, 84-79 win over the Husson College Eagles in a non-conference men's
basketball game Wednesday night at the Newman Gymnasium in Bangor.
The win, their fifth in the last seven games, lifts the Huskies' overall
record to 7-5. The loss snaps Husson's three-game winning streak and drops its
record to 4-6 overall.
Battling from behind the entire second half and trailing by a point with
just over two minutes left in regulation, Phillips put the Huskies ahead, 75-73,
connecting on his second three-pointer of the night after a dish and drive
assist from sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central
Institute).
The swing in the lead would remain in the Huskies favor the rest of the way
as Southern Maine took advantage of a key play from senior forward Jesse
McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Scituate) and a perfect 6-for-6 mark from the free
throw line in the final moments of the game to seal the win.
Following Phillips' three, McKinnell fought his way to an offensive rebound
and dropped in the put-back to put the Huskies ahead by five points, 78-73 with
1:25 to play.
In their next two possessions the Eagles whittled the USM lead to one,
78-77, following a lay-up from senior forward Phil White (Temple Hills, Md.) and
a pair of free throws from junior guard Jason Harvey (Bucksport, Maine) with
just 32 seconds to play.
Forced to foul, Husson sent USM sophomore guard Foster Oakley (Farmington,
Maine/Mt. Blue) to the line. Oakley calmly sank both of his attempts to give
the Huskies a three-point cushion, 80-77.
Harvey again pulled his team to within a point with a driving baseline lay-
up with 10 seconds remaining, but it wasn't enough as the Huskies' senior
forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and Phillips each
connected on a pair of free throws as time ran out for the 84-79 final.
Hardwick also came up big defensively for the Huskies blocking a three-point
attempt by Husson freshman guard Jordan Heath (Bangor, Maine) following his work
at the free throw line.
Daniels led four USM players in double-figures with a game-high 19 points,
five rebounds and four assists. Hardwick added 18 points on a perfect 6-for-6
mark from the field, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 4-for-4 mark
from the charity stripe, while sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer)
and Phillips each scored 13 points for Southern Maine.
Junior forward Tyler Muzzy (Greenville, Maine) led Husson with a double-
double on 18 points and 10 rebounds, including a 10-for-12 effort from the free
throw line. White chipped in with 17 points and nine rebounds, while senior
center Buddy Leavitt (Guilford, Maine) and Heath added 16 and 12 points
respectively. Harvey finished with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and
two steals for the Eagles.
The Huskies shot an outstanding 52.9 percent from the field (27-for-51) for
the win and were equally as effective at the charity stripe making 76 percent
(19-for-25). Southern Maine also knocked down a season high 11 three-pointers
en route to the win. Husson shot just 35.6 percent (26-for-73) from the field.
Southern Maine returns to action at home on Saturday (January 7) against
Little East Conference opponent Western Connecticut State. Tip off is scheduled
for 3:00 p.m. Husson returns to action Wednesday (January 11) at 5:30 p.m. in a
North Atlantic Conference tilt at Thomas College.
################################################################################
Friday, December 30, 2005
Southern Maine Downs Colby 80-71
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine
Central Institute) scored a game-high 21 points, including a crucial four-point
play with two minutes to play, to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies
to an 80-71 victory over the Colby College Mules Friday night in the third place
of The MAINE Event tournament being played at USM's Warren Hill Gymnasium.
The win was the second of the season for the Huskies over the Mules, and
improved their overall record to 6-5. Colby dropped its second straight to fall
to 4-6 overall.
Daniels, who struggled with his shooting all night, buried a three-point
shot and subsequent foul shot for a four-point play with 2:07 left in regulation
to erase a 71-70 Colby lead. The play ignited a 10-0 run for the Huskies over
the final two minutes. Daniels made only 5 of 20 shots from the floor (3 of 8
from beyond the arc) and 8 of 10 charity tosses for his 21 points. He also
grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Junior forward Ian Hebert (New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester HS)
had a career-high 14 points for the Huskies. Sophomore Walter Phillips
(Portland, Maine/Deering HS) added 12 points and a game-high six assists.
Junior Foster Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue HS) and sophomore Andy Frost
(Brewer, Maine) each had 11 points as USM had five players in double figures.
Frost also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Mark Gaudet (Bingham, Maine/Valley HS) led four Colby players in
double figures with 20 points. Gaudet's jump shot with 2:29 to play gave the
Mules their last lead (71-70) of the game.
Junior center Drew Cohen (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Hackley HS) had 17 points
and a team-high nine boards before fouling out. Junior Nick Farrell (Aspen,
Col.) had 15 points and senior Andy Jenkins (Gorham, Maine) finished with 11
points.
Trailing by 11 (58-47) with 12:35 to play, the Mules would outscore the
Huskies, 19-7, over the next seven minutes of play to take their first lead in
the game (66-65) when Jenkins converted two free throws. There would be four
lead changes and two ties over the next three minutes before Daniels hit his big
shot to spark the Huskies' decisive run.
In the opening half, the Huskies grabbed the early lead (5-2) on a three-
point shot by Daniels, and would build the lead to a much as 14 points (24-10)
after Oakley scored on a layup. Colby still trailed by eight (37-28) with 1:46
to play in the half, but a 7-0 run, keyed by five points from Gaudet and a
basket from Jenkins, pulled the visitors within one (37-36) at intermission.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 36 percent (27 of 75) from the
floor. Colby shot only 33.9 percent (20 for 59) from the floor. The Huskies
had a 52-41 edge on the boards.
Southern Maine returns to action Wednesday night (7:30 p.m.) when it
travels to Bangor, Maine, to play the Husson College Eagles. Colby will host
cross-town rival Thomas College on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.).
################################################################################
Friday, December 30, 2005
Husson Holds Off St. Joseph's, 73-71, to Win The MAINE Event
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Phil White (Temple Hills, Maryland), the
tournament Most Valuable Player, led five players in double-figures with a
double-double, netting 18 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds, to lead
the Husson College Eagles to a 73-71 win over the St. Joseph's College Monks in
the championship game of The MAINE Event Friday night. The game was played at
Warren Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine.
The Eagles, winners of two consecutive games, improve to 4-5 overall. The
loss drops the Monks overall record to 5-4.
Joining White with a double-double for the Eagles was junior guard Jason
Harvey (Bucksport, Maine) with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Tyler
Muzzy (Greenville, Maine) and senior center Buddy Leavitt (Guilford, Maine) each
added 12 points, and freshman forward Scott Kissinger (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) came
off the bench to toss in 11 points for Husson.
Despite building up a 14-point lead, 40-26, early in the second half, the
Eagles found themselves trailing by a point, 51-50 with 11 minutes to play,
following a 25-10 spurt from the Monks. Junior forward Marcus Alexander
(Niceville, Fla./Niceville) scored seven of his game-high 23 points in the run.
From there both teams battled back and forth as the score was tied five
more times in the final 10 minutes of the game. The game's final tie came at
the 2:01 mark, as the Monks' freshman forward Mitch Ouellet (Fort Kent,
Maine/Fort Kent) drained a mid-range jumper for two of his six points, knotting
up the score at 68 points each.
The Eagles then took control of the game from the charity stripe knocking
down five of their six free throws down the stretch for the win. White put the
Eagles ahead for a good after getting fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound
and hitting one of two free throws. Harvey then drained four consecutive free
throws in the final 20 seconds of the game to seal the win for the Eagles.
St. Joseph senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, N.H.) was the only other Monk
player to score in double-figures scoring 10 points on a 4-for-8 effort from the
floor. LaRoche added five rebounds and four assists for the game.
St. Joseph's College shot a solid 47.4 percent from the field (27-of-57)
but was hampered by 21 turnovers in the game. Husson finished the game shooting
40.6 percent from the field (26-of-64) and was 15-of-19 from the free throw line
for a 78.9 percent mark.
White, who earned Most Valuable Player honors, was joined by teammate
Leavitt on the all-tournament team. St. Joseph's Alexander was also named to
the all-tournament team along with Southern Maine's Andy Frost (Brewer,
Maine/Brewer) and Colby College's Mark Gaudet (Bingham, Maine/Valley).
The Monks returns to action Tuesday (Jan. 3) when they host University of
California-Santa Cruz at 7:00 p.m. Husson plays again on Wednesday hosting the
Southern Maine at 7:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Thursday, December 29, 2005
The MAINE Event
St. Joseph's Edges Southern Maine 63-62
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Matt Plummer (Naples, Maine/Lake Region)
dropped in a lay-up in the closing seconds of the game to lift the St. Joseph's
College Monks to a 63-62 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in
the second game of The MAINE Event tournament Thursday night. The tournament is
being played at Warren Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus of the University of
Southern Maine.
With the win, St. Joseph's College improves to 5-3 and will play the Husson
College Eagles in the championship game Friday at 8:00 p.m. Husson advanced to
the championship game with a thrilling 77-75 win over the Colby College Mules.
Southern Maine, which evens out at 5-5 with the loss, will face Colby in the
consolation game at 6:00 p.m.
Plummer finished the game with eight points and six rebounds for the Monks.
Junior guard Marcus Alexander (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) led all scorers with
17 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) was
the only other St. Joseph's player in double-figures tossing in 12 points.
Four players reached double figures in scoring for USM led by 14 points
from sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy).
Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) and senior
forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) each netted 13 points
for the Huskies while sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) chipped
in with 12 points.
In a see-saw second half that included nine lead changes and 14 ties, both
teams battled evenly in a hotly contested game. Southern Maine's Phillips
grabbed an offensive rebound and sank the put-back to knot the score up at 61-
61, for the final tie of the game, with 48 seconds to play, before the Huskies
took a slim one-point lead.
The Monks' Alexander missed a lay-up in St. Joseph's ensuing possession and
the Huskies' Daniels came up with a big defensive rebound and was fouled in the
process. Daniels knocked down the second of two free throws to put the Huskies
up 62-61 with 24 seconds to play, setting up Plummer's heroics.
In the final St. Joseph's College possession, Plummer drove hard against
the baseline and knocked down a lay-up in traffic, putting the Monks ahead 63-62
with just eight seconds on the clock. Plummer, who was fouled on the play,
missed the free throw for the three-point play, giving the Huskies a final shot
at the game. But Southern Maine sophomore guard Foster Oakley's (Farmington,
Maine/Mt. Blue) three-point attempt in the final seconds was blocked by
Alexander.
The Huskies finished the game shooting 40.4 percent from the field,
knocking down 21-of-52 attempts from the floor. St. Joseph's shot 37.3 percent
from the field (22-of-59).
################################################################################
Thursday, December 29, 2005
The MAINE Event
Husson Downs Colby 77-75 on Leavitt Basket
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior center Buddy Leavitt (Guilford, Maine) hit a 15-
foot base line jumper with less than two seconds remaining to give the Husson
College Eagles a 77-75 victory over the Colby College Mules in a first round
game of The MAINE Event tournament Thursday night. The tournament is being
played at the Warren Hill Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Southern
Maine.
The win sends the Eagles into Friday night's championship game (8:00 p.m.)
against the winner of the second game between Southern Maine and St. Joseph's
College. Husson, winners in three of its last four games, improved its overall
mark to 3-5 on the season. Colby, which will play in the consolation game
Friday (6:00 p.m.), dips to 4-5 on the season.
Leavitt, who finished with a game-high 26 points, including the 1,000th
point of his career midway through the second half, got the ball along the left
base line, took one dribble and buried a jumper while falling out of bounds for
the winning points.
Colby had one last shot, but junior guard Nick Farrell's (Aspen, Col.)
half-court shot caromed off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Leavitt connected on 7 of 15 shots from the floor, including 4 of 8 from
beyond the arc, and 8 of 10 free throws for his 26 points. Junior guard Jason
Harvey (Bucksport, Maine) added 18 points, four assists and four steals for
Eagles. Senior Phil White (Temple Hills, Md.) collected a double-double scoring
15 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Mark Gaudet (Bingham, Maine) led four Mules in double
figures with 24 points. Gaudet connected on 5 of 7 shooting from three-point
territory and a perfect 9 for 9 night at the line. Senior Nate Dick (North
Attleboro, Mass.) added 13 points while Farrell and junior Drew Cohen
(Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) each had 11 points.
Colby battled back from a seven-point deficit (71-64) after White hit two
free throws with 3:45 to play. Gaudet ignited an 8-0 run with a four-point play
followed by a basket by junior Jon Bandi (Winchester, Mass.) and two free throws
freshman Mackenzie Simpson (Casco, Maine) to give the Mules their first lead
since early in first half, 72-71, with 1:34 to go.
Leavitt converted on two free throws, and White grabbed an offensive
rebound and scored on the put-back to give the Eagles a three-point edge with 35
seconds to play, but Farrell buried a three-pointer with 17 seconds left setting
the stage for Leavitt's game-winning shot.
Colby shot 51.2 percent from the floor (22 for 43), but was hurt by
committing 20 turnovers. Husson shot only 38.5 percent (25 for 65) from the
floor, but had a 38-30 edge on the board, including 20 offensive rebounds.
################################################################################
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Salem State Holds Off Southern Maine 92-81
SALEM, Mass. -- Junior forward Eric Downie (Medford, Mass./North Cambridge
Catholic) led five players in double figures scoring a game-high 32 points to
lead the Salem State College Vikings to a 92-81 victory over the University of
Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference game Saturday in Salem, Mass.
With the win the Vikings improve to 6-4 overall. Southern Maine, which
entered the game riding a three-game winning streak, drops to 5-4 overall.
Downie finished the game with a double-double grabbing 11 rebounds to go
along with his game-high 32 points. He connected on an impressive 11-for-20
from the field, including a 2-for-3 mark from beyond the three-point stripe.
Downie was equally as effective from the charity stripe knocking down 8-of-9
free throws.
Freshman center Dylan Holmes (Groton, Mass./Worcester Academy) scored 19
points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Vikings, while junior guard Marty
Harrington (Beverly, Mass./Cushing Academy) added 12 points. Sophomore guard
Alex Finn (Ashby, Mass./St. Bernard's) and senior guard Wilkins Victor
(Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence) each scored 11 points. Victor also posted a double-
double for the Vikings passing off a game-high 12 assists.
Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) led
the Huskies with a career-high 24 points on a 9-for-17 effort from the field as
Southern Maine also placed five players in double figures.
Senior forward Jesse McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Scituate) notched a double-
double scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds. Senior forward Bill Hardwick
(Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and junior guard Foster Oakley (Farmington,
Maine/Mt. Blue) each chipped in with 13 points apiece. Sophomore guard Walter
Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) added a double-double with 10 points
and 10 assists.
With the scored tied at 69 points a piece with 6:49 left on the clock, the
Vikings used a pivotal 7-0 run to break away from the Huskies to take a 76-69
lead with 4:53 to play. Downie netted four points in the run for Salem State
knocking down both ends of a one-and-one before grabbing an offensive rebound
and hitting the put back.
The Huskies pulled to within four points, 82-78, on a spinning baseline
lay-up from Daniels with 2:08 remaining, but it was as close as Southern Maine
would get the rest of the way as the Vikings countered with a three-ball from
Downie on the next possession to push the lead to seven, 85-78. From there, the
Vikings drained the necessary free throws en route to the 92-81 final.
Southern Maine returns to action after exams and the holiday break when it
hosts the annual Maine Event tournament. The Huskies will play St. Joseph's
College in the first round of the event, which also features Husson College and
Colby College, at 8:00 p.m. on December 29.
Salem State returns to action following the holiday break when it travels
to Williams College to participate in the Williams College Tournament. Salem
State will challenge Manhattanville at 1:00 p.m. on December 29.
################################################################################
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Huskies Win Third Straight, Down UNE 73-68
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine
Central Institute) scored six of his team-high 14 points in the final three
minutes to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 73-68 win over the
University of New England Nor'easters in a non-conference men's basketball game
Tuesday night in Biddeford.
Earning their third consecutive win, the Huskies improve to 5-3, their
best start since the 1998-1999 season when the Huskies opened the season with a
7-1 record through eight games. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for
the Nor'easters who drop to 3-5.
With the score knotted up at 63 points each with 3:42 to play, Southern
Maine used a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to earn the win. Daniels sparked
the Huskies with a baseline drive and a reverse lay-up to put Southern Maine
ahead for good 65-63. Southern Maine then increased its advantage rattling off
five more points on a free throw from sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer,
Maine/Brewer) and back-to-back offensive rebounds and lay-ups from senior
forward Jesse McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Scituate) and Daniels to take a decisive
70-63 led with 1:15 left on the clock.
The Nor'easters cut the lead to five, 70-65, following a pair of free
throws from junior forward Nick Farynaz (Gray, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester), but
Daniels answered right back for the Huskies knocking down the front end of a
one-and-one with 12 seconds remaining. UNE senior guard Matt McManus
(Cumberland, Rhode Island/Cumberland) drained a three-pointer with four seconds
on the clock to slice the lead to three, 71-68, but sophomore guard Walter
Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) iced the game on the free throw line
converting a pair of freebies for the 73-68 final.
Daniels led five USM players in double-figures with 14 points and five
rebounds on a 5-for-10 mark from the field and a 3-for-5 effort from the charity
stripe. Junior guard Foster Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) added 12
points, including two first-half three-pointers, while Frost and McKinnell
chipped in with 11 points a piece. Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay,
Maine/Boothbay Region) added 10 points knocking down 5-of-6 attempts from the
floor and Phillips ended the game with nine points, four assists and three
steals.
Sophomore forward Isaac Stickney (Rumford, Maine/Mountain Valley) led the
Nor'easters with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds, while McManus drained
5-of-10 from long range to end the night with 18 points.
The Huskies shot an outstanding 54.7 percent from the field in the win,
connecting on 29-of-53 attempts. The Nor'easters shot well from three-point
range knocking down 8-of-19 from beyond the arc, but weren't as successful
overall shooting just 38.5 percent from the field (25-65).
Southern Maine returns to action Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on the road at Salem
State College. The University of New England plays again Thursday at home
against Mount Ida College. Tip off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Huskies Knock Off Eastern Connecticut in Overtime 68-66
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Sophomore guard Foster Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt.
Blue) drained his third three-pointer of the night to start the overtime period
to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 68-66 victory against the
Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors in a Little East Conference game
Saturday at Geissler Gymnasium in Willimantic.
The win is the second straight for the Huskies who improve 4-3 overall and
1-1 in the LEC. The loss drops Eastern Connecticut to 3-5 and 0-2 in conference
action.
Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute)
earned team-high scoring honors for the Huskies netting 18 points and grabbing
eight rebounds to lead three Southern Maine players in double-figures.
Sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Deering) added 14 points, and
four rebounds while senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay
Region) scored 11 points and snagged nine rebounds. Oakley chipped in with nine
points off of the bench for the Huskies, knocking down 3-of-6 attempts from
three-point range.
Eastern Connecticut junior guard Johnathan Simmons (Mystic, Conn.) led all
scorers with 24 points, knocking down eight of 18 from the floor, including four
three-pointers. Junior guard Matt Albon (Middlebury, Conn.) and senior guard
Michael Stallings (Waterbury, Conn.) each scored 11 points for the Warriors
while junior forward Leon Martin (Woodbury, Conn.) chipped with a double-double
on 10 points and10 rebounds.
In a closely contested game, the Huskies held a narrow one-point lead at
the break, 31-30, despite shooting a sub-par 30.3 percent from the field (10-
for-33) to open the game. Eastern Connecticut despite shooting a solid 42.3
percent (11-for-26) found themselves trailing thanks in part to the Huskies four
first-half three-pointers.
In the second half, Southern Maine built up leads of eight and seven
points, only to find Eastern Connecticut had clawed its way back to tie the
game. The Huskies went ahead 50-43 on a driving lay-up from Daniels with 4:10
to go in regulation, but the Warriors slashed the lead to just a point, 54-53,
with 58 seconds to play following a 10-4 run. Eastern Connecticut's Simmons
netted seven of his game-high 24 points in the run on a three, a driving lay-up
and back-to-back free throws.
The Huskies again pulled ahead of the Warriors, this time by four points,
when Phillips drained three of four free throws, to give Southern Maine a 57-53
lead with 27 seconds to play. However, with just 17 seconds to play, Simmons
continued his heroics draining his fourth three-pointer of the game and then
sinking the ensuing free throw to knot the score up at 57 points each. Both
teams squandered a possession in the final seconds to head into overtime.
In the overtime period, Southern Maine's Oakley struck first to give USM a
three-point cushion with his clutch shot from the baseline and the Huskies never
relinquished the lead en route to the overtime victory.
Southern Maine returns to action Tuesday (December 13) on the road at the
University of New England. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Warriors
play next in the Christopher Newport University Captains Shootout, January 3-4,
2006 in Newport News Virginia. Game times are yet to be announced.
################################################################################
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Southern Maine Downs Colby, 77-68
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./MCI) scored
a team-high 23 points to pace four players in double figures as the University
of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Colby College Mules 77-68 in a non-
conference game Wednesday evening at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.
The win snapped a two-game losing skid for the Huskies who got back to .500
for the season at 3-3. The Mules dropped their second straight to fall to 3-4.
Daniels connected on 8-of-13 shots from the floor, including 6-of-8 from
beyond the three-point arc, to lead a balance USM offense. Junior guard Foster
Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) came off the bench to toss in 15 points.
Sophomore Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) added 14 points four assists and
seven steals. Senior co-captain Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region)
chipped in 10 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Junior center Drew Cohen (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Hackley School) of Colby
led all scorers in the game with 26 points. He also hauled down 11 rebounds to
share game-high rebounding honors with Hardwick. Sophomore Mark Gaudet
(Bingham, Maine/Valley) added 17 points, and junior Nick Farrell (Aspen
Colo./Aspen) contributed 12 points.
The Mules scored the game's first eight points as Gaudet buried a pair of
three-points shots and Cohen made two free throws to grab the early advantage.
Southern Maine responded with an 11-2 run to take an 11-10 lead on a pair of
freebies by Frost with 14:21 to play.
Over the next six minutes, there were four lead changes and four ties
before the Huskies took the lead for good on a pair of charity tosses by junior
Ian Hebert (New Gloucester, Maine/Gary-New Gloucester). Hebert's two free
throws ignited an 11-0 run that gave the Huskies a 35-25 lead. Colby chipped
away at the margin over the final five minutes to trail by five (38-33) at the
break.
Southern Maine maintained the lead throughout the second half, but was
never able to pull away. Colby cut the lead to two (55-53) on a Gaudet basket
and free throw with 12:09 to go. Oakley sparked a 7-0 run scoring six points to
push the lead back to nine (62-53) with 7:33 to play.
The Mules made one more push to get back within three (64-61) after a
basket by senior Nick Dick (North Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) with 3:34
left. Southern Maine, with the shot clock running down, got a big three-point
shot from sophomore Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Deering) that sparked a 9-2
run to increase the lead to 10 (73-63) with 1:36 to play.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 42.4 percent from the floor (25
of 59), including 50 percent (10 of 20) from three-point territory. Colby shot
38 percent (24 of 63) from the floor. USM had a 45-31 advantage on the boards.
The Huskies return to action Saturday when they travel to Eastern
Connecticut State University for a Little East Conference match-up. Tip off is
scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Colby entertains Bowdoin College in a NESCAC game on
Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Saturday, December 3, 2005
UMass Dartmouth Rallies to Defeat Southern Maine 61-56
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Three players scored in double-figures as the
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs overcame an eight-point halftime
deficit to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies 61-56 in the teams
Little East Conference opener Saturday afternoon in North Dartmouth, Mass.
With the win, the Corsairs improve to 3- 3 on the season and move to 1-0 in
the Little East. The Huskies, suffering their second consecutive loss, drop to
2-3 overall and 0-1 in the LEC.
Junior center Dan Holbrook (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) led the way for the
Corsairs recording a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Junior
Stephane Abelard (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) added 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting,
and junior guard Paul Pawlowski (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) chipped in with 12
points. Abelard and Pawlowski also distributed the ball effectively for the
Corsairs adding four and six assists respectively.
Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) was
the lone Southern Maine player in double-figures. Daniels tallied a game-high
23 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the floor and a 9-for-12 effort from the
free throw line, and added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in 40 minutes
of action. Sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy)
added nine points, two assists and three steals.
The Huskies jumped out to a 35-27 lead at the break thanks to a 17-point
first-half effort from Daniels. Southern Maine held its advantage over the
first four minutes of the second half to lead 43-34 with 16:20 to play before
the Corsairs used a 11-2 run over the next five minutes to tie the game.
Abelard keyed the Corsairs run knocking, down back-to-back threes to cut
the Huskies’ advantage to three, 43-40, with 15:04 remaining. Two free throws
apiece from each team kept the margin at three points with 12:32 to play before
the UMass Dartmouth sophomore A.J. Tavares (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford)
drained his lone three-pointer of the game to knot the score up 45-45 with just
over 11 minutes to play.
Both teams traded scores over the next five minutes and the Huskies held a
slim 52-51 lead with 6:24 on the game clock before the Corsairs used a 9-0 run
to put the game out of reach. Holbrook, Abelard and Pawlowski each scored a
lay-up in the pivotal run.
UMass Dartmouth shot a solid 47.7 percent from the field connecting on 21-
of-44 shots and was 14-of-20 from the free throw line en route to the win. The
Huskies who opened the game shooting 40 percent from the field (14-of-35), went
cold in the second half connecting on just six field goals in the final 20
minutes to finish the game shooting 32.8 percent from the floor (20-of-61).
USM returns to action at home on Wednesday (December 7) against non-
conference foe Colby College. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Warren G. Hill
Gymnasium. The Corsairs will be in action for their next game Thursday at 7:00
p.m. when they host Brandeis University.
################################################################################
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Bowdoin Edges Southern Maine 80-71
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Kyle Petrie (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City HS)
led four players in double figures as the Bowdoin College Polar Bears pulled
away from the University of Southern Maine Huskies for a 80-71 non-conference
victory Tuesday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
Bowdoin improves to 4-1 on the season with the win. With the loss,
Southern Maine evens out to 2-2 overall.
Petrie scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead
Bowdoin. Junior forward John Goodridge (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) added 14
points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field while sophomore forward Andrew
Sargeantson (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) and sophomore guard Andrew Hippert
(Spencer, Mass./St. John's HS) chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Southern Maine sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central
Institute) led all scorers with a career-high 24 points. Daniels finished the
game 6-for-18 from the floor and 10-for-14 from the free thrown line. Sophomore
guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Deering HS) added 17 points, including a
5-for-10 effort from three-point range. Sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer,
Maine/Brewer) chipped in with 10 point and four assists.
Trailing by 10 points (57-47) with 12 minutes to play in the game, the
Huskies fought their way back into the contest over the next six minutes to tie
the game at 67-67. The Huskies outscored Bowdoin 20-10 during the offensive
spurt, paced by six points a piece from Daniels and junior forward Ian Hebert
(New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester HS) and five points from Phillips.
The game remained close as the Polar Bears clung to a two-point lead with
2:32 to play. Bowdoin capitalized on a three-pointer from Petrie and three of
four free throws following a personal and technical foul to put the game out of
reach for the Huskies.
Bowdoin shot a solid 49.1 percent from the floor (27-of-55) and was equally
as effective from long-range shooting 40.9 percent from three-point territory
connecting on 9-of-22 threes. The Huskies shot 50 percent from the field (14-
of-28) in the second half to make up for a less than stellar 25.7 percent mark
(9-for-35) in the first half. The Huskies ended the game with a 36.5 percent
effort from the field (23-for-63)
Southern Maine returns to action in its Little East Conference opener
Saturday (December 3) at 3:00 p.m. at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Bowdoin plays again Thursday hosting Colby-Sawyer College at 7:00 p.m.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Southern Maine Upends Bates 77-68
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay
Region) led four players in double figures with a game-high 20 points as
University of Southern Maine Huskies earned a 77-68 win over the Bates College
Bobcats Tuesday night at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham Campus.
The win is the second straight for the Huskies who improve to 2-1. The
loss is the first of the season for the Bobcats who drop to 2-1.
Sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) added 15 points for the
Huskies while sophomore guards Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) and Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) chipped in
with 13 and 11 points respectively.
Junior forward Rob Stockwell (Temple, N.H./New Hampton School) racked up a
double-double in a solid performance in the post. Stockwell netted a team-high
19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Bobcats. Junior guard Zak Ray
(Bangor, Maine/Bangor) added 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, while
senior center Matt Chudomel (Wellfleet, Mass./Nauset) chipped in with a 11
points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
In a closely contested first half, the Huskies squeaked out a slim 32-21
advantage at the break when Daniels collected a ball from an out-of-bounds play,
took three dribbles and heaved a three-pointer at the buzzer. The shot was one
of two three-pointers for Daniels on the night.
The Huskies opened the second half outscoring Bates 13-4 over the first
five minutes to build a 12-point (47-35) lead. Phillips knocked in five points
on a jumper and a three-points shot, and Hardwick scored four of his 20 points
in the opening run.
Southern Maine maintained a comfortable lead for much of the second stanza.
Bates cut the USM advantage to three points, 59-56, with just under six minutes
to play on a pair of free throws from Chudomel. Hardwick answered right back
for the Huskies with a pair of buckets. Hardwick knocked down a mid-range
jumper on an assist from Frost and then came up with an offensive rebound and a
put-back to give the Huskies a 63-56 lead with 4:02 to play.
The Huskies maintained a 6-8 point lead the rest of the way and converted
9-of-10 free throws over the final 1:20 of the game to seal the win.
Southern Maine shot a solid 45.2 percent from the field (28-of-62) and was
6-of-13 from beyond three-point line. Bates shot 37.5 percent from the field
for the game connecting on just 24-of-64 attempts.
Southern Maine returns to action after the holiday break at home against
the Bowdoin College Polar Bears on November 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00
p.m. Bates hosts Thomas College Monday at 7:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Southern Maine Downs Framingham State 87-78
WENHAM, Mass. -- Sophomore guards Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) and
Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) combined for 42 points to
lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to an 87-78 win over the
Framingham State College Rams Saturday evening in the consolation game of the
Gordon College Tip Off Tournament in Wenham, Mass.
Frost knocked down a team-high 22 points and Phillips poured in 20 of his
own as the Huskies rebounded from a season-opening loss to stand at 1-1 early in
the season. With the loss, Framingham State drops to 0-2.
Frost and Phillips were two of four University of Southern Maine players to
score in double figures as sophomore guard Foster Oakley (Farmington, Maine/Mt.
Blue) and senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) chipped
in with 15 and 11 points respectively. Frost was 4-for-5 from the field and a
remarkable 13-for-15 from the charity stripe en route a career-high 22 points.
Phillips added a game-high seven assists and three steals to compliment his 20
points.
The Huskies overcame a three-point halftime deficit (38-35) to earn their
first win of the season, outscoring Framingham State 52-40 in the second half.
After a jumper from sophomore center Brian Tobin (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) 12
seconds into the second frame gave the Rams a five-point 40-35 lead, the Huskies
rallied with a 14-3 run over the next four minutes to take a six-point
advantage, 49-43. The Huskies' pivotal run in the opening minutes of the half
was started by one of five three-point field goals from Phillips. Frost added
four points in the run while Hardwick drained a three-pointer and a lay-up.
The Huskies continued their hot-shooting the rest of the way and led by as
many as 10 points late in the game to earn the win. The Huskies shot a solid
50.9 percent from the field for the game connecting on 27-of-53 attempts from
the floor and were equally as accurate from beyond the three-point line
connecting on 10-of-20 attempts for a sparkling 50 percent mark.
Junior forward Derek Wigman (Pembroke, Mass./Silver Lake) led Framingham
State with 24 points as three Rams scored in double-figures. Tobin added 17
points and sophomore guard Michael Costa (Holbrook, Mass./Boston College High)
chipped in with 15 points.
Southern Maine returns to action Tuesday (November 22) in its home opener
against Bates College at 7:30 p.m. Framingham State plays again on the same
date against Daniel Webster College at 7:30 p.m.
################################################################################
Friday, November 18, 2005
Westfield State Drops Southern Maine 80-70
WENHAM, Mass. - Sophomore guard Tony Collier (Colchester, Vt./Colchester)
scored 17 points and senior forward James Ogbunize (Staten Island, N.Y./Spring-
field Sci-Tech) chipped in with a double-double of 11 points and a game-high 17
rebounds to lead the Westfield State College Owls to an 80-70 win over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies Friday night in the first game of the
Gordon College Tip-Off Tournament in Wenham, Mass.
With the win the Owls open their season with a 1-0 record while the Huskies
fall to 0-1.
Collier led four Owls in double-figures netting 17 points on 4-for-12
shooting from the field and a 7-for-11 mark from the free throw line. Junior
guard Gavin Illangakoon (Ellington, Conn./Ellington) added 15 points, while
junior forward Curtis Gadles (Pembroke, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and Ogbunize
netted 13 and 11 points respectively.
The Owls took an 11-point halftime lead into the break, 41-30, after
shooting 44.4 percent from the field (16-of-36) and never looked back en route
to the 80-70 win.
Sophomore guards Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) and
Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy) paced the Huskies tallying 17
points each. Daniels knocked down 6-of-10 from the field, including 2-for-3
from three-point range. Phillips, playing in his first game for USM, was 7-for-
17 from the field and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior
co-captain Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) notched a double-
double chipping in with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
The Huskies shot just 38.7 percent from the field for the game connecting
on 29 of 75 attempts and were hampered by 17 turnovers in the loss.
Southern Maine returns to action Saturday against Framingham State College
at 6:00 p.m. in the consolation game tournament. Westfield State will Gordon
for the championship at 8:00 p.m.
################################################################################
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
(Courtesy of the Little East Conference)
Rhode Island College Tops Little East Conference
Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
PROVIDENCE, RI - Rhode Island College received five first-place votes and
60 total points to claim the top spot in the annual preseason men's basketball
coaches' poll.
A year ago, the Anchormen finished tied atop the LEC regular-season
standings with a 10-4 league mark and an overall record of 20-9. RIC returns
three starters who led last year's squad to a birth in the semi-finals of the
LEC Tournament and a bid to the ECAC Tournament. The Anchormen reached the
championship game of the tournament before falling to Wheaton. RIC's 20 wins
were the most in a season since the 1988-89 club also won 20. This is the first
time the Anchormen have found themselves atop the league's pre-season poll.
Keene State College, which received two first-place votes, finished second
in the poll with 53 total points. The Owls finished last season with a 15-11
overall record and an 8-6 mark in conference play, which was good for fourth
place. KSC fell in the first rounds of both the LEC and ECAC Tournaments.
The two teams which played for the conference tournament championship a
year ago, Western Connecticut State University and Plymouth State University,
were tied for third in the poll with 41 points. The Colonials defeated the
Panthers in a thrilling double overtime contest and received a bid to the NCAA
Tournament. WCSU finished the season with a loss in the second round of the
tournament, concluding the winter with a 24-5 overall record and a 10-4 LEC
mark. The Panthers finished last season with a loss in the first round of the
ECAC Tournament and a 19-10 overall record with a 9-5 mark in conference play.
UMass Dartmouth rounds out the top half of the pre-season poll as they
received 36 total points and the final remaining first place vote to finish
fifth. Last year, UMD finished with a 13-14 overall record and a 6-8 conference
mark, which was good for fifth place. As the fifth seed in the LEC Tournament,
the Corsairs pulled a first round upset before falling in the semi-finals.
Eastern Connecticut State University (8-16; 4-10/Tied-7th) finished sixth
in the poll with 27 points, UMass Boston (8-18; 5-9/6th) collected 18 points to
finish seventh and the University of Southern Maine (9-17; 4-10/Tied-7th)
rounded out the poll in eighth with 12 points.
Little East Conference
2005-06 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Rk. Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Rhode Island College (5) 60
2. Keene State College (2) 53
3. Western Connecticut State University 41
3. Plymouth State University 41
5. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (1) 36
6. Eastern Connecticut State University 27
7. University of Massachusetts Boston 18
8. University of Southern Maine 12
################################################################################
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Southern Maine Names McKinnell and Hardwick Men's Basketball Captains
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forwards Jesse McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Sci-
tuate) and Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) have been named co-
captains of the 2005-2006 University of Southern Maine Huskies men's basketball
team. Head coach Karl Henrikson made the announcement this week as the Huskies
prepare for their season opener November 18.
McKinnell and Hardwick, the only seniors on the roster, return to lead a
youthful team that includes four sophomores and eight newcomers to the USM
program.
"Jesse and Bill have earned the respect of their teammates," noted
Henrikson, who begins his third season at the controls. "They both possess a
great work ethic and determination. Their on and off the court leadership will
be instrumental this season."
McKinnell, a 6-6 forward, returns as the Huskies leader on the boards.
Last season, he averaged 6.9 rebounds to go along with a steady 6.7 points per
game. One of the team's top defensive players, McKinnell blocked a team-high 16
shots in 2004-2005. Henrikson is counting upon McKinnell to increase his
offensive production in the post.
"Jesse is a true leader and a very intense basketball player," said
Henrikson. "He expects nothing but the best from himself and his teammates."
Hardwick, a 6-4 forward, matured as player during the second half of last
season and became a consistent offensive threat for the Huskies. Hardwick ended
the 2004-2005 campaign averaging 8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while
shooting an impressive 60.4 percent from the field.
"Bill is a solid athlete with great hands," commented Henrikson. "He knows
how to use his body to find a way to finish around the basket. His continued
growth as an all-around basketball player and his leadership will be key to the
development of this team."
Southern Maine, which finished the 2004-2005 season with a 9-17 record,
begins the 2005-2006 season a week from Friday (November 18) at the Gordon
College Tournament. The Huskies season-opener will be against Westfield State
at 6:00 p.m. The Huskies will then play either Framingham State or Gordon the
next evening (6:00 or 8:00 p.m.) to conclude the tournament. Southern Maine
closes out the month at home with a pair of games against in-state rivals Bates
College (Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m.) and Bowdoin College (Nov. 29, 8:00 p.m.).
In December, the Huskies open the Little East Conference portion of their
schedule on the road at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (Dec. 3, 3:00
p.m.) followed by a non-conference home contest against Colby College (Dec. 7,
7:30 p.m.). Southern Maine will play three straight road games at LEC foe
Eastern Connecticut (Dec. 10; 3:00 p.m.), the University of New England (Dec.
13; 7:30 p.m.) and Salem State College (Dec. 17; 3:00 p.m.).
The Huskies close out the 2005 half of their schedule hosting The Maine
Event at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium. The Huskies will play local rival St.
Joseph's College (Dec. 29; 8:00 p.m.) before taking on either Colby or Husson
College (Dec. 30; 6:00/8:00 p.m.).
Southern Maine begins the New Year on the road at Husson (Jan. 4, 7:30
p.m.), then returns home for back-to-back LEC contests against Western
Connecticut State University (Jan. 7, 3:00 p.m.) and Rhode Island College (Jan.
10, 7:30 p.m.). The Huskies will travel to Keene State College (Jan. 14, 3:00
p.m.) and Plymouth State University (Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m.) before hosting UMass
Dartmouth (Jan. 21, 3:00 p.m.). The Huskies end January with a road game at the
University of Massachusetts Boston (Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m.) and a home contest
against Eastern Connecticut (Jan. 28, 3:00 p.m.).
The Huskies take a break from their conference schedule to begin the month
of February hosting St. Joseph's College (Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m.). The Huskies close
the regular season with a string of five conference games. The Huskies travel
to Western Connecticut (Feb. 4, 3:00 p.m.), host Plymouth State (Feb. 7, 7:30
p.m.), then travel to Rhode Island College (Feb. 11, 3:00 p.m.). They end the
regular season with a pair of home contest against UMass Boston (Feb. 14, 7:30
p.m.) and Keene State (Feb. 18, 3:00 p.m.).
The Little East Conference championship tournament begins February 21 with
four first round games at the four highest seeds. The two semifinals and
championship game will be played February 24-25 at the site of the highest
remaining seed.
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