University of Southern Maine Men's Basketball
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Friday, March 24, 2000
USM's Mike Fennessy Named ECAC First Team All-Star
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) of the
University of Southern Maine men's basketball picked up another award Friday
(March 24) when it was announced that he had been named to the Eastern College
Athletic Conference's 1999-2000 Division III Men's All-New England first team.
The ECAC all-star selections are voted on by the coaches within the New England
region.
A second team pick the previous two seasons (1997-98 and 1998-99),
Fennessy joined guards Karem Tatum of Connecticut College and Tishuan Jenkins of
Salem State College, and forwards Chris Coates of Keene State College and
Michael Parker of Springfield College on the first team.
The 6-foot-4 Fennessy averaged 20.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this
past season while leading the Huskies to a 13-13 overall record and a spot in
the Little East Conference tournament championship game. He led the Little East
in rebounding and was third in scoring. He also had 54 assists and 25 blocked
shots and led the Huskies with 47 three-point field goals.
During his stellar four-year career, Fennessy scored 1,844 points to
ranked third all-time at USM and pulled down 721 rebounds. He was named the
Little East Conference Player of the Year and a first team all-star (for the
third time) earlier this month, and was the conference's Rookie of the Year in
1991-92 before leaving school. He returned to school in 1997.
1999-2000 ECAC Division III Men's All-New England Team
Player of the Year
Tishaun Jenkins, Salem State College
First Team
G - Karem Tatum, Connecticut College - Junior (Worcester, MA)
G - Tishaun Jenkins, Salem State College - Senior (Worcester, MA)
F - Mike Fennessy, University of Southern Maine - Senior (Lewiston, ME)
F - Michael Parker, Springfield College - Sophomore (Kingston, NY)
F - Chris Coates, Keene State College - Junior (Hampton, NH)
Second Team
G - Ken Allen, Colby College - Senior (Monson, ME)
G - Mizan Ayers, Connecticut College - Sophomore (Bronx, NY)
F - Rashad Williams, Brandeis University - Sophomore (Redwood City, CA)
F - Sterling Marshall, Wentworth Institute of Technology - Senior (Brockton, MA)
C - Mario Horton, Worcester State College - Junior (Detroit, MI)
Honorable Mention:
Daren Meader, University of Maine-Farmington
Marques Houtman, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
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Monday, February 28, 2000
Fennessy Named Little East Conference Player of the Year
Costigan Selected by Peers as Coach of the Year
GORHAM, Maine -- Fifth-year senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston,
Maine) of the University of Southern Maine men's basketball team has been named
Player of the Year in the Little East Conference for the recently completed
1999-2000 season.
In addition, fourth-year head coach Dan Costigan was selected by his peers
as the Little East Conference Coach of the Year. Commissioner William M. Moore
announced the awards and league all-star teams Sunday night following balloting
by the conference's eight head coaches.
Fennessy is the third USM player to win the prestigious award in the 14-
year history of the conference. Other USM players to previously win the award
are Jeff Bowers (1988-89) and Tim Bonsant (1990-91).
For the third straight year, Fennessy also garnered a spot on the LEC all-
star first team. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 20.3 points per game this season
to lead the Huskies, and averaged 9.3 rebounds a game to lead the team and the
conference in that category. The LEC Rookie of the Year in 1991-92 who return
to school in 1997 after being away for five years finished his stellar career
scoring 1844 points, third most all-time at USM, and grabbing 771 rebounds,
seventh most all-time.
"We're all very happy for Michael. He was the outstanding player in the
conference this season. He affected his team more than anyone else in the
conference. We'll sorely miss him next year," commented Costigan.
Costigan guided the Huskies to a 13-13 overall record in his fourth
season. The Huskies were 8-6 in conference play to earn the third seed in the
championship tournament where they reached the title game for the first time
since 1991. Costigan has complied a 34-66 mark in his four seasons at the helm.
"I look at (the Coach of the Year Award) as more of a team thing. We got
better as the season went along and exceeded all expectations. This is nice for
our program," said Costigan.
1999-2000 Little East Conference Men's Basketball All-Stars
First Team
Player Class Position Institution Hometown
Chris Coates Junior Guard/Forward Keene State College Hampton, N.H.
Mike Fennessy Senior Forward University of Southern Maine Lewiston, Maine
Marques Houtman Junior Guard Univ. of Massachusetts Dartmouth New Bedford, Mass.
Tony Martinez Junior Forward Plymouth State College Barnstead, N.H.
Kevin Matthews Sophomore Guard Western Connecticut State Univ. Ossining, N.Y.
Rich Vega Sophomore Guard Eastern Connecticut State Univ. Hartford, Conn.
Second Team
Jay Wetherell Senior Forward Eastern Connecticut State Univ. Milford, Conn.
Dave Stantial Sophomore Guard Keene State College Beverly, Mass.
Fred Fieldhouse Junior Guard Keene State College Somers, Conn.
Nick Cecilio Junior Center Univ. of Massachusetts Dartmouth Centerville, Mass.
Joshua Reese Senior Forward Western Connecticut State Univ. New Britain, Conn.
Player of the Year
Mike Fennessy, Senior, Forward, University of Southern Maine
Rookie of the Year
Brian Cagle, Freshman, Forward, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Coach of the Year
Dan Costigan, University of Southern Maine
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Saturday, February 26, 2000
Little East Conference Tournament -- Championship Game
Huskies Run Out of Gas, Drop LEC Title Game to Eastern Connecticut
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Senior Tom Gostomski (Meriden, Conn.) scored
17 points, all in the second half, to pace five players in double figures as the
Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors overcame an 11-point halftime
deficit to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies, 73-66, in the
championship game of the Little East Conference Tournament held at the
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The win gave the Warriors their first LEC tournament crown since 1991 and
the automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament to be announced Sunday
evening. Eastern Conn. has won five straight games to improve to 17-10.
Southern Maine ended its season 13-13.
Gostomski and sophomore Rich Vega (Hartford, Conn.), the tournament's Most
Outstanding Player, led the Warriors' second half comeback. The two combined
for 15 of the Warriors' 23 points during a 23-5 run to open the second half that
resulted in a 48-41 Warrior lead with 13:03 to play.
Southern Maine responded with an 8-0 run to regain the lead (49-48) when
sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) buried two free throws with 9:40
left.
Vega and Gostomski combined for the next six points to give the Warriors
the lead for good. The Huskies would get no closer than four points the rest of
the way.
The Huskies built their halftime margin on the strength of a 17-2 run over
the final seven minutes of the first half. Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston,
Maine), held in check until the Huskies' run, had seven points to key surge.
Gostomski shared game-high scoring honors with Fennessy as each had 17
points. Vega had 14 points and nine assists for the Warriors. Others in double
figures for Eastern were senior Jay Wetherell (Milford, Conn.) with 15 points
and 10 rebounds, junior Manny Robertson (Burlington, Vt.) with 12, and senior
Kevin Innes (East Patchogue, N.Y.) finished with 11 points.
Fennessy led the Huskies in scoring and shared game-high rebounding honors
with Wetherell. The fifth-year senior suffered one of his poorest shooting
games hitting on just 6 of 25 shots from the floor, including 1 of 10 from
beyond the arc.
Senior guard Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) chipped in 13 points
and five assists for the Huskies, and St. Pierre finished with 12 points.
Southern Maine's bid for its first LEC title since 1989 were hampered by its 30
percent shooting (20 for 67) in the game, including an ice cold 26 percent (9
for 35) in the second half.
Eastern Conn. blistered the nets in the second half shooting 59 percent
(17 for 29), and ended the game shooting 50 percent (26 for 52) from the floor.
Named along with Vega to the all-tournament team were Fennessy and junior
Wade Millett (East Waterboro, Maine) from Southern Maine, Wetherell from ECSU,
Kevin Matthews from Western Connecticut and Marcus Houtman from UMass Dartmouth.
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Friday, February 25, 2000
Little East Conference Tournament -- Semifinal Game
Fennessy, Huskies Earn Spot in LEC Championship Game
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine)
scored a game-high 34 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the third
seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies into their first Little East
Conference tournament championship game since 1991 by defeating the defending
champion and second seeded Western Connecticut State University Colonials,
65-58, in the first semifinal game at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The win puts the Huskies into Saturday's title game (3:00 p.m.) against
fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University which upset top-seed UMass
Dartmouth, 68-53, in the other semifinal. The winner of the Saturday's
championship game earns an automatic berth in this year's NCAA Division III
Tournament.
The Huskies won the game in the final 1:12 of regulation outscoring the
Colonials 7-0. Senior Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), who had been
held scoreless up until the final 72 seconds, hit a jumper in the lane to break
a 58-58 tie. Fennessy followed with one of two free throws to put USM up by
three (61-58) with 37.5 seconds to go. Zimmerman hit two clutch free throws
with 24.9 seconds left, and sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) iced the
game with two more charity tosses with 15.4 second left.
Southern Maine trailed at halftime, 33-26, as the Colonials used a 10-2
run over the final five minutes to erase a one-point deficit. Freshman Mark
Carter (Peekskill, N.Y.) and sophomore Kevin Matthews (Ossining, N.Y.) led the
Colonials with nine and eight points, respectively. Fennessy reached the break
with half of the Huskies' 26 points, including going over the 1,800-career point
plateau on a turnaround jumper early in the game.
Fennessy's three-point shot early in the second half pulled USM within one
(33-22). Western Conn. responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead back up to
eight (40-32) when sophomore Leonard Rinas (Avon, Conn.) hit a three-point shot.
Fennessy and St. Pierre combined for the next seven points to get the Huskies
back within one with 14:12 to play. From that point, there were three lead
changes and five ties, and neither team led by more than four points until the
final 30 seconds.
Fennessy was nearly unstoppable in the second half scoring 21 of the
Huskies 39 points. For the game, the 6-foot-4 fifth-year senior made 11 of 19
shots, including five of 10 shots from beyond the arc, and seven of nine free
throws.
St. Pierre was the only other Husky to reach double figures finishing with
12 points. Zimmerman had all four of his points in final 1:12, and dished out
six assists.
Senior Joshua Reese (New Britain, Conn.) led the Colonials with 12 points,
and Carter added 10. Matthews, who torched the Huskies for 21 points six days
ago in a 79-63 win by WCSU, was limited to nine points. Western Connecticut
shot just 37 percent (24 for 65) from the floor in the game
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Tuesday, February 22, 2000
Little East Conference Tournament -- First Round Game
Fennessy Leads Huskies Past Panthers 77-59
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) poured
in a game-high 32 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the third-seeded
University of Southern Maine to its first Little East Conference tournament win
since 1994 as the Huskies defeated the sixth-seeded Plymouth State College
Panthers, 77-58, in a first round game Tuesday evening at the Warren G. Hill
Gymnasium.
The win moves the Huskies into the semifinals against second-seeded
Western Connecticut State University which beat UMass Boston, 85-83, at the
buzzer. Top seeded UMass Dartmouth will play Eastern Connecticut State
University in the other semifinal. UMass Dartmouth will host the two semifinal
games on Friday and the championship game on Saturday.
USM also avenged a 17-point loss to Plymouth State at Hill Gym seven days
ago. The Huskies had gone 0-6 in conference postseason play since beating
Eastern Connecticut State University, 75-64, six years ago to the day (Feb. 22,
1994).
Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) and Fennessy combined to hit
three straight three-point shots in the final 1:21 of the first half to give the
Huskies a 38-28 lead at the break. USM made nine of 20 three-point shots in the
half.
The Huskies then opened the second half scoring the first nine points to
push their lead to 19 points (74-28) when sophomore Geoff Grigsby (Bridgton,
Maine) hit a three-point shot from the left side.
Plymouth State got back within 11 (65-54) when junior Tony Martinez
(Barnstead, N.H.) hit a three-point shot with 3:35 to play. Southern Maine
converted 12 of 12 free throws over the final 2:28 to ice the victory.
Junior Wade Millett (East Waterboro, Maine) came up with a career-high 21
points, including five three-pointers, for the Huskies. Senior Corey Zimmerman
(Cape Elizabeth, Maine) added 11 points, including making 6 of 6 free throws in
the final two minutes, and seven assists.
Martinez led the Panthers with 17 points. Senior JaModi Robinson
(Framingham, Mass.) scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds
before fouling out with 44 seconds to play. Freshman Dan Craig (Chelmsford,
Mass.) had 11 points.
For the game, Southern Maine hit 13 of 28 three point tries (46 percent)
and 22 of 28 free throws (79 percent). Plymouth State shot just 32 percent (21
for 65) in the game.
Southern Maine is 12-12 while Plymouth State is 14-11.
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Saturday, February 19, 2000
Matthews Leads Colonials Past Huskies in Little East Showdown
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Kevin Matthews (Ossining, N.Y.) scored
21 points to pace three players in double figures as the Western Connecticut
State University Colonials won their fourth straight game, and eighth in the
last nine, defeating the University of Southern Maine Huskies, 79-63, in a
Little East Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win gave the Colonials , 17-7 overall and 9-5 in the LEC, the second
seed in next week's Little East tournament which begins Tuesday night. Western
Connecticut will host the University of Massachusetts Boston in a first round
game. Southern Maine, 11-12 overall and 8-6 in conference, will be the third
seed in the tournament and host sixth-seeded Plymouth State College.
A three-minute scoreless stretch by the Huskies early in the game allowed
the Colonials to build a seven-point lead (13-6). Matthews and freshman Mark
Carter (Peekskill, N.Y.) keyed an 8-2 run that expanded the lead to 13 points
(21-8). An 8-0 run by the Huskies got USM back within five (21-16), but the
hosts could get no closer in the first half, and trailed 35-27 at intermission.
Western Conn. pushed the lead into double figures (64-50) for good with a
10-4 run midway through the second half. Five different players scored for the
Colonials during that stretch while the Huskies could only counter with four
points by freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine). USM never got closer than 12
the rest of the way.
Sophomore Leonard Rinas (Bristol, Conn.) aided Matthews with 15 points,
and Carter finished the game with 14 points. The Colonials shot 57 percent (30
for 53) from the floor and committed only seven turnovers.
Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) led the Huskies with 22 points, but
was limited by the Colonials defense to just 11 shots from the floor. He also
grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine)
had 11 points before fouling out with 3:15 to play.
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Tuesday, February 15, 2000
Martinez, Blackburn Lead PSC Panthers Past USM Huskies
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Tony Martinez (Barnstead, N.H.) and sophomore
Jason Blackburn (Hudson, Mass.) combined for 39 points and 27 rebounds to lead
the visiting Plymouth State College Panthers to a 71-54 victory over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men's
basketball game Tuesday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win was the fifth straight for the surging Panthers since they snapped
their six-game losing streak against Castleton State on January 31. PSC is now
14-9 overall and 7-6 in Little East play heading into Saturday's regular season
finale at home against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth which clinched
the regular season title with a win at UMass Boston and USM's loss.
Southern Maine, which let an opportunity to clinch a home berth in the
upcoming LEC tournament slip away, will face Western Connecticut State
University in its final game Saturday. The Huskies are 11-11 overall and 8-5 in
the conference.
The game was tied at 41-41 with 11 minutes to play after USM's Ryan Thomas
(Hampden, Maine) scored inside. Freshman Mark Dunham (Derry, N.H.) gave the
Panthers the lead for good with 10:35 to play with a basket, then came back less
than 30 seconds later to hit a big three-point shot to give the visitors a five-
point edge (46-41).
Southern Maine was still within five (51-46) when sophomore guard Geoff
Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine) scored. The Huskies then went cold from the floor
scoring just eight points over the final 5:48 of regulation.
A 6-0 run, keyed by a pair of Martinez baskets, opened up an 11-point lead
for PSC. The Panthers then pulled away by converting 12 straight free throws in
the within a span of 1:24 to expand their lead from 57-48 to 69-52 with just
over one minute to play. In all, the Panthers made 18 of 20 free throws in the
second half (90 percent) and 25 of 31 for the game.
Martinez led all scorers with 21 points and also had a game-high 13
rebounds. Blackburn finished with 18 points and 12 boards. Senior JaModi
Robinson (Framingham, Mass.) added 12 points.
Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) led the Huskies with 17 points.
Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) had 10 points. The Huskies only shot
30 percent for the game, including 27 percent in the second half.
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Saturday, February 12, 2000
Huskies Overhaul Anchormen, 74-73
Zimmerman Hits Two Free Throws to Win the Game
Fennessy Torches Anchormen for Season-High 36 Points
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Senior guard Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine)
buried both ends of a one-and-one with 28.2 seconds to play as the University of
Southern Maine Huskies overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to post a 74-73,
come-from-behind victory over the Rhode Island College Anchormen in a Little
East Conference game Saturday afternoon at RIC's Intercollegiate Athletic
Complex.
The win was the Huskies' seventh in their last eight Little East
Conference games. USM is now 11-10 overall and 8-4 in the conference, one game
behind league leader UMass Dartmouth. Rhode Island College dropped its seventh
straight game to fall to 3-19 overall and 3-9 in the conference.
Freshman Peter Mollo (North Providence, R.I.) and senior Steve Clarke
(Coventry, R.I.) combined for 24 first half points as the Anchormen built a
39-24 lead. The hosts shot 65 percent (17 for 26) while holding the Huskies to
an ice cold 29 percent (10 for 34).
RIC's biggest lead was 19 on two occasions, the last time at 49-30 when
junior Ken Payette (Woonsocket, R.I.) scored with 16:45 to play.
Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine), who scored a season-high 36
points, sparked a 12-2 USM run over the next four minutes to cut the deficit to
nine (51-42) with 12:18 left.
The deficit was still nine (71-62) with 4:13 to play when Payette hit a
three-point shot. The Huskies responded with an 10-0 run over the next three
minutes to take their first lead of the game (72-71) when Fennessy scored on a
drive to the basket with 50.7 seconds left.
Payette regained the lead for the Anchormen converting a pair of free
throws with 37.5 seconds to play before Zimmerman went to the line and won the
game for USM. Payette's last second three-point attempt hit the back of the rim
and bounced out.
Fennessy hit on 15 of 22 shots, including three three-pointers, and made
all three free throws he took for his 36 points. The 6-foot-4 forward also went
over the 1,700-point plateau early in the second half. Junior Wade Millett
(East Waterboro, Maine) was the only other Husky to reach double figures
finishing with 10 points. The Huskies shot much better in the second half (58
percent - 19 for 33) and ended the game shooting 43 percent.
Payette led four RIC players in double figures with 17 points. Clarke
finished with 15, Mollo had 14 and sophomore Kris Miller (Pawcatuck, Conn.)
contributed 12.
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Tuesday, February 8, 2000
Huskies Stop Beacons, 60-54
BOSTON, Mass. -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) scored a
game-high 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the University of
Southern Maine Huskies to a 60-54 victory over the University of Massachusetts
Boston Beacons in a Little East Conference game Tuesday evening at the Clark
Athletic Center.
The win snapped the Huskies' two-game losing skid and gave them their
first sweep of the two-game regular season series since 1995-96. USM leveled
its overall record at 10-10. Southern Maine remains in second place in the
Little East with a 7-4 mark, one game behind league leader UMass Dartmouth. The
loss dropped the Beacons to 6-13 overall and 3-8 in the conference.
Tied 44-44 with 5:40 to play following a basket by UMB freshman Paul Kemp
(Cambridge, Mass.), the Huskies outscored the Beacons 16-10 over the final 5:28
to bring home the win. Fennessy's two free throws with 5:28 left gave the
Huskies the lead for good (46-44).
The Beacons were still within three (53-50) when USM sophomore guard Geoff
Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine) buried a three-point shot with 1:01 to play. Grigsby
had all five of his points in the final 2:37 of play. The Beacons would get no
closer than four points during the final 61 seconds.
Fennessy's first basket of the game pushed him into third spot on the
Huskies' all-time scoring list passing Peter Storey (1983-87, 1666 points). The
6-foot-4 forward hit just five of 15 shots from the floor, but converted 10 of
12 free throws. He now has scored 1,686 points in his career at USM.
Freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) and sophomore Jason St. Pierre
(Bangor, Maine) supported Fennessy scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Junior Wade Millett (East Waterboro, Maine) came off the bench to toss in three
three-pointers.
Junior forward Mitchell Hercule (Mattapan, Mass.) led the Beacons with 17
points. Kemp added 15 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with
Fennessy by grabbing nine boards.
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Saturday, February 5, 2000
Warriors Balance Too Much for Huskies
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- All five Eastern Connecticut State University
starters scored in double figures as the Warriors defeated the visiting
University of Southern Maine Huskies, 72-65, in a Little East Conference men's
basketball contest Saturday afternoon at Geissler Gymnasium.
The win was the seventh straight for the Warriors since losing back-to-
back games against USM and UMass Dartmouth. Eastern Connecticut is now 12-8
overall and 6-4 in the Little East. Southern Maine dropped its second straight
to fall to 9-10 overall and 6-4 in the conference.
Southern Maine stayed within striking distance in the first half despite
shooting only 36 percent (12 for 33). The Huskies took their only lead in the
game off the opening tap when sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) scored
to make it 2-0.
A 12-4 run in the latter stages of the half gave the Warriors a 10-point
lead (31-21) with 4:36 to go. Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) sparked a
10-4 run with eight points over the final 4:05 to pull the Huskies within four
(35-31) at the break.
USM cut the margin to one (36-35) early in the second half, but the
Huskies shooting went cold as the Warriors expanded their lead to 19 points with
a 26-8 run over the next 11 minutes. Five different players scored for ECSU
during the decisive stretch.
The lead went as high as 23 (71-48) before USM outscored EC, 17-1, over
the final 3:46 to make things look respectable. Southern Maine made just eight
of 28 shots from the floor (29 percent) in the second half, five coming in the
final four minutes. For the game, USM shot just 33 percent (20 for 61).
St. Pierre led all scorers with 16 points while Fennessy finished with 14
points. Fennessy now has 1666 points for his career to tie Peter Storey (1983-
87) for third place on the all-time scoring list.
Senior Bryan Hall (Hartford, Conn.) paced the Warriors balanced attack
with 14 points. Junior Ashon Avent (Hartford, Conn.) chipped in with 12 points.
Tom Gostomski (Meriden, Conn.), Rich Vega (Hartford, Conn.) and Jay Wetherell
(Milford, Conn.) all had 11 points. Gostomski also pulled down a game-high 10
rebounds.
Southern Maine returns to action Tuesday when the Huskies travel to Boston
to play the University of Massachusetts Boston.
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Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Vose Paces Monks to Win Over Huskies
STANDISH, Maine -- Freshman forward C.J. Vose (Yarmouth, Maine) poured
in a career-high 32 points to lead the St. Joseph's College Monks to a 78-71
victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference men's
college basketball game Wednesday night at the Harold Alfond Center.
The loss snapped the Huskies' five-game winning streak and evened their
overall record at 9-9. St. Joseph's improved to 11-9 overall.
Vose made 13 of 20 shots from the floor and six of seven tries from the
foul line for his 32 points. The 6-foot-8 rookie had 23 points in the first
half as the Monks built a 39-29 halftime lead.
Vose scored eight points during a 10-2 run early in the second half as the
Monks increased the lead to 18 (51-33) with 16:03 to play. The lead would get
as high as 19 points on three occasions, the last time with 8:50 to play when
freshman Travis Seaver scored to make it 66-47.
The Huskies mounted a 18-5 charge to close within six (71-65) with 2:11 to
play, but the Monks were able to hold on.
USM senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) had a big game scoring
31 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds. Freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden,
Maine) had 14 points, all in the second half after being saddled with foul
trouble in the first half, and sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine)
chipped in 12. The Huskies hurt their chances of coming up with their first win
against the Monks since February 1995 by shooting only 37 percent (29 for 79)
from the floor and 47 percent (9 for 19) from the foul line.
St. Joe's senior guard Ryan Martin (Fort Kent, Maine) supported Vose with
18 points while Seaver had nine points and a team-high ten rebounds. The Monks
got a big lift off the bench from freshman forward Matt Landers (Worcester,
Mass.) who finished with nine points. The Monks reserves outscored the Huskies
reserves, 14-4.
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Monday, January 31, 2000
Fennessy Named Little East Conference Player of the Week
GORHAM, Maine -- For the second time this season, senior forward Mike
Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) of the University of Southern Maine men's basketball
team has been selected as the Player of the Week in the Little East Conference
for the week of January 24-30. The announcement was made by the conference
office Monday afternoon.
Fennessy, who previously won the award back in November, averaged 18.5
points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two games leading the Huskies to a pair
of victories over Little East rivals last week.
In the Huskies thrilling overtime victory at Plymouth State College,
Fennessy scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and had
two blocked shots, including one at the buzzer in overtime to preserve the
victory. He also went over the 1,600-career point plateau.
Against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the 6-foot-4 forward
poured in 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. His basket with 3:47 to play
snapped a 44-44 tie and sparked the Huskies' decisive 10-4 run to post the
victory.
Fennessy leads the Huskies in scoring (17.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg).
In the Little East Conference, he is ranked fourth in scoring and first in
rebounding.
Southern Maine, which has won its last five and six of the last seven, is
9-8 overall and in a three-way tie for first place in the Little East with a 6-3
conference mark. The Huskies return to action Wednesday evening when they
travel to Standish, Maine, to play in-state rival St. Joseph's College in a
men's and women's doubleheader. The women's game begins at 5:30 p.m. followed
by the men at 7:30 p.m.
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Saturday, January 29, 2000
Fennessy Leads Huskies Past Corsairs to Grab Share of First Place
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy's (Lewiston, Maine) basket
with 3:37 left to play broke a 44-44 tie and ignited a 10-4 run over the final
three and a half minutes as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated
the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs, 54-48, in a Little East
Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Warren G. Hill
Gymnasium.
The win was the fifth straight for the Huskies, and their sixth in the
last seven games, and gives them a share of first place in the Little East.
Southern Maine improves to 9-8 overall and 6-3 in the conference. UMass
Dartmouth slips to 10-7 overall and 6-3 in the Little East.
Trailing by nine (44-35) with 6:22 to play, the Corsairs went on a 9-0
over the next 2:13 to tie the game. Junior Marques Houtman (New Bedford, Mass.)
got the Corsairs started with a three-point basket, followed by four free throws
by junior Nick Cecilio (Centerville, Mass.). Junior John Madden's (Carver,
Mass.) basket with 4:09 left tied the game.
Fennessy broke the tie with a driving left-handed shot in the lane.
Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) added two free throws to put the
Huskies up by four (48-44). Houtman's three-pointer with 3:10 left got UMD
within one (48-47), but the visitors were only able to score one point over the
final three minutes as some poor free throw shooting came back to haunt the
Corsairs.
Fennessy led all scorers with 20 points and pulled down a game-high 11
rebounds. Freshman center Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) added 13 points for the
Huskies. USM's five starters scored all the Huskies' points.
Cecilio led the Corsairs with 14 points. Sophomore Brian Austin
(Winchendon, Mass.) had 12. UMD shot just 36 percent (20 for 55) from the floor
and only 47 percent from the foul line (8 for 17).
*******************************************************************************
Thursday, January 27, 2000
USM Huskies Beat PSC Panthers In Overtime
PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Senior Corey Zimmerman's (Cape Elizabeth, Maine)
three-point play with 5.5 seconds left in overtime gave the University of
Southern Maine Huskies their fourth straight win with an 81-80 victory over the
Plymouth State College Panthers in a Little East Conference game Thursday night.
The win, the fifth in the last sixth game for USM, improves the Huskies
record to 8-8 overall and 5-3 in the Little East. Plymouth State, which lost
its fifth straight, slides to 9-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
Zimmerman took an off-balance shot in the lane as he was being fouled that
bounced off the backboard and fell through the net to tie the game, and he made
the free throw to give USM the win. Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine)
blocked a layup attempt at the buzzer by PSC freshman Dan Craig (Chelmsford,
Mass.) to preserve the victory.
Tied 72-72 in regulation, the Huskies raced out to a six-point lead in
overtime as sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) hit a jump shot and
Fennessy scored four straight points.
Plymouth State came back to score the next eight points including a basket
by Craig that put the Panthers ahead, 79-78, with 44 seconds to play. Craig
converted one of two free throws with 26.4 seconds left to set the stage for
Zimmerman.
The Panthers jumped out to an early 12-point lead (18-6), but the Huskies
came back over the finale ten minutes of the half to take a 41-36 lead to the
locker room.
The lead swung back and forth in the second half. PSC used a 14-1 run to
wipe out a five-point deficit (45-40) and build a 54-46 lead with 12:48 to play
after Craig made a layup on the break.
The Huskies stayed close before putting together an 8-0 spurt to take the
lead (63-60) on a three-points shot by St. Pierre with 7:35 to play.
Trailing by five with 17.4 seconds left in regulation, the Panthers' Tony
Martinez (Barnstead, N.H.) hit a pair of free throws to cut the margin to three.
After both teams missed one-and-one opportunities, Martinez grabbed an offensive
rebound, scored and was fouled with 11.3 seconds left. He made the free throw
to force the overtime.
St. Pierre led four USM players in double figures with 20 points,
including making five of seven shots from beyond the three-point line.
Zimmerman finished the night with 19 points and five assists. Fennessy had 17
points and sophomore Geoff Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine) chipped in 11.
Martinez took game-high scoring honors with 24 points to lead four PSC
players in double figures and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. JaModi Robinson
(Framingham, Mass.) added 18 points, and Craig finished with 11.
*******************************************************************************
Monday, January 24, 2000
Jason St. Pierre Named Little East Conference Player of the Week
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore swingman Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) of
the University of Southern Maine Huskies men's basketball team has been selected
by the Little East Conference as its Player of the Week for the week of January
17-23. The announcement was made by the conference office Monday afternoon.
St. Pierre is the second USM player to win the weekly honor this season.
Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) won the award back in November.
Helping the Huskies to a pair of wins last week over the University of
Massachusetts Boston and Keene State College, the 6-foot-2 St. Pierre averaged
21.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals. He shot 63.6 percent (14 for 22) from
the field, including 45.5 percent (5 for 11) from behind the three-point arc,
and 83.3 percent from the foul line (10 for 12).
Against UMass Boston, he had a season-high 24 points, four rebounds and
one steal. He hit on eight of 11 shots from the floor. In the Huskies' upset
win Saturday against conference leader Keene State, he had a team-leading 19
points, one rebound and five steals.
For the season, St. Pierre is averaging 11.3 points, second best on the
team, and 3.1 rebounds per game.
The Huskies, 7-8 overall and 4-3 in the Little East, return to action
Tuesday night when they travel to Plymouth, N.H., to battle the Plymouth State
College Panthers.
*******************************************************************************
Saturday, January 22, 2000
USM Huskies Upset KSC Owls
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) paced five
players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies upset the
Keene State College Owls, 88-78, in a Little East Conference game at the Warren
G. Hill Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
The win was the third straight, and fourth in the last five games, for the
Huskies who improved to 7-8 overall and 4-3 in the conference. Keene State,
which came into the game as the conference leader, had its five game win streak
stopped. The Owls fall to 11-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference.
St. Pierre poured in 12 first half points as the Huskies built a 48-29
lead at the break. Sophomore Geoff Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine) added 11 and
senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) contributed 10. The Huskies shot 54
percent (19 for 35) and committed just three turnovers against the Owls pressing
defense in the first half.
A 19-8 run over the final 5:25 of the half extended the lead from eight
(29-21) to 19 at the intermission.
The Owls, who came into the game averaging a league high 102 points a
game, turned up the defensive pressure in the second half forcing the Huskies to
commit more turnovers. Keene State cut nine points off the deficit (59-49) in
the first ten minutes of the second half as junior Chris Coates (Hampton, N.H.)
found the range for 11 of his game-high 25 points.
Keene State pulled within four (66-62) when Coates hit a three-point shot
with 7:56 to play, but got no closer the rest of the way. The Huskies, behind
St. Pierre and senior Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), responded with a
12-6 run over the next five minutes to build the lead back up to 10 (78-68) with
2:58 left. USM converted eight of 11 free throws over the final three minutes
to secure the win.
St. Pierre had 19 points to lead the Huskies balanced scoring. Grigsby
had 16, including four baskets from behind the three-point arc. Fennessy
finished with 14 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Zimmerman had 12
points, and freshman Matt Tarbox (Standish, Maine) came off the bench to chip in
11 points. Southern Maine shot a season-best 54 percent (30 for 56) in the
game.
Coates was aided by sophomore David Stantial (Beverly, Mass.) who had 19
points, including five three-pointers, before fouling out with 2:01 to play, and
junior Jack Reardon (Concord, N.H.) who had 11.
*******************************************************************************
Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Huskies Build Huge Early Lead, Hold Off Beacons
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Huskies built a
30-point halftime lead, then held on against the rallying University of
Massachusetts Boston Beacons to preserve an 81-70 victory in Little East
Conference action Tuesday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win was the second straight, and third in the last four games, for the
Huskies who improved to 6-8 overall and 3-3 in the conference. UMass Boston
lost its fifth straight game to fall to 4-9 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
The Huskies shot 57 percent (17 for 30) in the first half to build a 50-20
lead by the break. Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) had 13 of his
team-high 24 points in the half. Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) and
freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) each had 10 points before halftime.
St. Pierre keyed a 17-1 run over the final four minutes of the half
scoring 12 points as the lead mushroomed from 14 points (33-19) to 31 points
(50-19) before UMB freshman Paul Kemp (Cambridge, Mass.) made one of two free
throws with no time left on the clock.
Southern Maine maintained its lead throughout much of the second half
before the Beacons began to peck away at the lead. Trailing 76-49 after a St.
Pierre three-point basket with 5:06 to play, the Beacons held to Huskies to just
five free throws over the final five minutes.
Sophomore guard Freddy Conyers (Pittsfield, Mass.) and a swarming defense
led the Beacon's late surge to put together a 21-5 run and make the final margin
respectable.
Fennessy finished with 18 points and eight rebounds while Thomas had 14
points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Kemp took home game-high scoring honors tallying 25 points. Sophomore Tom
Owens (Melbourne, Fla.) had 12 points and Conyers ended up with 11.
*******************************************************************************
Monday, January 17, 2000
Ryan Thomas Named Little East Conference Rookie of the Week
GORHAM, Maine -- Freshman center Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) of the
University of Southern Maine men's basketball team has been named the Little
East Conference Rookie of the Week for the week of January 10-16. The
announcement was made by the conference office Monday afternoon.
It was also announced Monday that Thomas has been named to the Maine State
Men's Basketball weekly rookie honor roll.
In two games last week, the 6-foot-8 Thomas averaged 14.0 points, 9.5
rebounds and 2.5 blocks as the Huskies went 1-1. Against Rhode Island College,
Thomas had 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. In the Huskies'
upset win at Western Connecticut, he had 11 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks
and two steals. Thomas shot 53 percent (10 for 19) from the floor in the two
games.
Heading into Tuesday night's home contest against the University of
Massachusetts Boston, Thomas is averaging 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds in 13
games. He presently leads the Little East in blocked shots per game (1.8 bpg)
and is fourth in field goal percentage (.553).
Southern Maine is presently 5-8 on the season and 2-3 in the Little East
Conference.
*******************************************************************************
Saturday, January 15, 2000
Huskies Upset Colonials on Fennessy Basket
DANBURY, Conn. -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) buried
an 18-foot shot from the base line with 1.5 seconds left in regulation time as
the University of Southern Maine Huskies upset the Western Connecticut State
University Colonials, 55-53, in a Little East Conference game Saturday afternoon
at the Feldman Arena.
The win improves the Huskies record to 5-8 overall and 2-3 in the
conference. Western Connecticut, which had its six-game winning streak stopped
Tuesday by Keene State in double overtime, has now lost two straight. The
Colonials slip to 9-5 overall and 2-3 in the Little East.
The Huskies took the lead off the opening tap and never trailed in the
game. The Colonials were able to tie the game on two occasions, but each time
the Huskies regained the lead.
Western Connecticut had tied the game at 53-53 when freshman guard Mark
Carter (Peekskill, NY) hit a three-point shot from the corner with 2:05 to play.
Neither team would score again until Fennessy hit his game winning shot.
Southern Maine jumped out to a 9-0 lead as Fennessy scored seven points.
The Colonials rallied to tie the game at 13-13 when sophomore guard Leonard
Rinas (Bristol, Conn.) scored four straight points.
Freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) put the Huskies ahead with a layup
with 7:13 left in the half. USM would go to the break with a 29-25 edge.
The Huskies' lead ranged between 2-8 points throughout much of the second
half. Trailing by seven with 8:38 to play, the Colonials scored the next six
points over a four-minute span to pull within one (49-48) as both team were cold
from the field.
Thomas and senior Irvin Girard (East Hartford, Conn.) traded baskets over
the next minute before Fennessy hit a shot to give the Huskies a three-point
lead (53-50) with 3:27 to play.
Fennessy finished with a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore Geoff Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine) had 12 points, and Jason St. Pierre
(Bangor, Maine) added 10. Thomas finished with nine points and a game-high 10
rebounds.
Sophomore guard Kevin Matthews (Ossining, N.Y.) paced three Colonials in
double figures with 12 points. Rinas and Josh Reese (New Britain, Conn.) each
had 10.
*******************************************************************************
Tuesday, January 11, 2000
Payette, Anchormen Torch Huskies
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior guard Ken Payette (Woonsocket, R.I.) connected
on 12 of 14 shots from the floor to score a game-high 31 points as the Rhode
Island College Anchormen defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies,
81-77, in a Little East Conference game Tuesday night at the Warren G. Hill
Gymnasium.
The win was just the second on the season for the Anchormen. They are
2-10 overall and 2-2 the conference. Southern Maine slips to 4-8 overall and
1-3 in the conference.
Payette, who also had a team-high eight rebounds in the game, torched the
Huskies for 22 points in the first half making nine of 11 shots, including three
shots from behind the three-point arc, as the visitors from Providence built a
46-35 lead. The Anchormen shot a red-hot 53 percent (18 for 34) in the first
half.
Southern Maine, behind the hot outside shooting of senior guard Corey
Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and the inside play of freshman center Ryan
Thomas (Hampden, Maine), closed within two (56-54) when Thomas connected on a
pair of free throws with 10:28 to play.
Payette and freshman Mike Costigan (Pawtucket, R.I.) accounted for all the
points in a 10-0 run the pushed the lead back up to 12 (66-54) over the next
three minutes.
Southern Maine made one last push in the final three minutes to cut the
lead down to one (77-76) with 1:42 to play after senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston,
Maine) sank a pair of free throws, but the Huskies went ice cold from the floor
and the line over the final 90 seconds.
Costigan was the only other RIC player besides Payette to reach double
figures. He finished with 12 points.
Zimmerman finished with a career-high 27 points, including 18 in the
second half. Fennessy added 18 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds while
Thomas contributed 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Anchormen finished the game shooting 48 percent (31 for 64) from the
floor while Southern Maine shot just 40 percent (25 for 63).
*******************************************************************************
Monday, January 10, 2000
Grigsby Named LEC Rookie of the Week
Fennessy, Thomas Collect Honor Roll Accolades
GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore guard Geoff Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine/Lake
Region HS) of the University of Southern Maine men's basketball team has been
selected by the Little East Conference as its Rookie of the Week for the week of
January 3-9. The announcement was made by the conference office Monday
afternoon.
In his only game of the week, the 5-foot-11 guard scored 17 points,
grabbed six rebounds and passed out two assists in the Huskies' 90-82 overtime
victory over conference rival Eastern Connecticut State University. The win
snapped a five-game losing skid for the Huskies.
Since gaining his eligibility at the end of the fall semester, Grigsby has
averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in his first three collegiate games.
Also, fifth-year senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine/Bridgton
Academy) was named to the LEC weekly honor roll for his outstanding play in the
Huskies' win over ECSU. The 6-foot-4 forward scored 23 points, including the
1,500th of his stellar career, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots in
the game.
Fennessy was also named to the Maine State Men's Basketball Division III
honor weekly roll, and freshman center Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine/Hampden
Academy) was named to the rookie honor roll for their standout play during the
two-week period of December 27-January 9.
Southern Maine, 4-7 overall and 1-2 in the Little East, returns to action
Tuesday night when it hosts Rhode Island College for a men's and women's
doubleheader at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus. The women's
game taps off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men's tilt at approximately 7:30 p.m.
*******************************************************************************
Saturday, January 8, 2000
Huskies Need OT To Dispose of Warriors
GORHAM, Maine. -- Freshman forward Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) hit a jump
hook with two seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime where the
University of Southern Maine Huskies outscored the visiting Eastern Connecticut
State University Warriors, 22-14, to post a 90-82 win in a Little East
Conference men's game played Saturday afternoon at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win snapped a five-game losing skid and improved the Huskies' record
to 1-2 in conference play and 4-7 overall. The Warriors slip to 0-3 in the
conference and 5-7 overall.
With 0:15 left, Southern Maine trailed by two and had the ball. They went
inside to Thomas who was fouled as he shot. Going to the line to shoot two free
throws, Thomas missed the first one and had to miss the second one to give USM a
chance at the rebound. The 6-foot-8 center got his own rebound and hit the long
jump hook as the buzzer sounded to force overtime.
In the overtime, Southern Maine scored the first eight points of the extra
frame to take a 76-68 lead. After Eastern Connecticut scored the next two
baskets, the Huskies went on a 7-0 run to increase their lead to 11 points
83-72. That was enough of a cushion as Southern Maine held on for the win.
All five starters for the Huskies reached double figures. Senior forward
Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) was the game's high scorer with 23 points.
Senior guard Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) threw in 21 points and
sophomore guard Geoff Grigsby (Bridgton, Maine) netted 17 points.
The Warriors were paced by senior forward Tom Gostomski (Meriden, Conn.)
who scored 19 points. Sophomore guard Rich Vega (Hartford, Conn.) added 15.
Southern Maine returns to action Tuesday, January 11 when the host Little
East rival Rhode Island College.
*******************************************************************************
Thursday, December 30, 1999
Allen, White Mules Defeat Huskies
SALEM, Mass. -- Senior guard Ken Allen (Monson, Maine/Bangor HS) scored
a game-high 28 points, including the 1,000th point of his career, to lead the
Colby College White Mules to a 66-52 victory over the University of Southern
Maine Huskies in the consolation game of the 22nd Annual Salem State College
Men's Basketball Christmas Tournament at the O'Keefe Sports Center Thursday
afternoon.
The win was the White Mules second over the Huskies this month and
improved their overall record to 6-2. The Huskies, who have lost their last
five games, dropped to 3-7 overall.
Southern Maine used a 12-1 run in the first half to erase a five-point
deficit and take a 17-11 lead when senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston,
Maine) made a pair of free throws with 10:53 left.
After the teams exchanged 6-0 runs, the Huskies were still up four (25-21)
following an offensive rebound and basket by sophomore Seth Carlisle (Bangor,
Maine) with 4:41 left before the bottom fell out.
Allen's three-point basket, which pushed him over the 1,000-point plateau,
sparked an 18-2 Colby run over the final 4:23 of the half to wipe out the
deficit and give the White Mules a 12-point edge (39-27) at the break. Allen
had 13 points during the decisive run, and scored 19 of his 28 points in the
first half.
The White Mules maintained their double-digit lead throughout the second
half. Their biggest lead was 21 points (63-42) when Allen scored his final
points of the game hitting another trifecta with 6:05 to play.
Southern Maine closed within 13 (63-50) when Fennessy hit a pair of free
throws with 1:34 to play, but could not get any closer.
Senior forward Pat Gallagher (Sanford, Maine/Phillips Exeter Academy)
added 10 points for the White Mules.
Fennessy led the Huskies with 18 points and grabbed ten rebounds.
Freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden, Maine) had eight points and eight rebounds
despite spending most of the first half on the bench after being saddled with
two fouls in the first minute. Senior guard Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth,
Maine) also chipped in eight points.
Southern Maine is off until January 8 when it resumes Little East
Conference play hosting Eastern Connecticut State University.
*******************************************************************************
Wednesday, December 29, 1999
Big Second Half Lifts Clark Past Southern Maine
SALEM, Mass. -- The Clark University Cougars shot a blistering 66
percent (21 for 32) in the second half to turn a nine-point halftime lead into
an 88-64 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in the first
round of the 22nd Annual Salem State College Men's Basketball Christmas
Tournament Wednesday afternoon at the Richard O'Keefe Sports Center.
The win vaults the Cougars into Thursday evening's 7:00 p.m. championship
game against the winner of the Salem State-Colby College game. Clark is now 5-2
on the season. Southern Maine has lost its last four games and is now 3-6
overall. The Huskies will play the loser of the Salem State-Colby game at 3:00
p.m.
Southern Maine fell behind by 11 (16-5) five minutes into the game before
going on an 11-0 run to tie the score at 16-16. Senior forward Mike Fennessy
(Lewiston, Maine) keyed the run with six points. Fennessy gave the Huskies
their only lead in the game (20-19) when he made a pair of free throws with
10:40 left in the half.
Despite going cold from the field after freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden,
Maine) tied the game at 24-24 with 7:00 left, the Huskies stayed within striking
distance trailing by nine (36-27) at the break.
In the second half, the Huskies had no answers for the Cougars' excellent
ball movement that resulted in a lot of open shots. An 8-0 run midway through
the half pushed the lead up to 21 points (58-37), and the Huskies never got
closer than 17 the rest of the way.
Senior guard Rob Robledo (Newton, Mass.) paced three Cougars in double
figures with 18 points, including four three-point baskets. Senior forward Mike
Brown (Newton, Mass.) added 16 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Junior forward Bob Andrajczyk (Warren, Mass.) came off the bench to add 13.
The Cougars finished the game shooting 56 percent (36 for 64) and had a
40-29 edge on the boards.
Thomas led the Huskies with a season-high 22 points. The 6-foot-8 forward
hit nine of 13 shots from the floor and all four of his free throws. Fennessy
finished the game with 16 points.
*******************************************************************************
Saturday, December 11, 1999
Corsairs Have Too Much for Huskies
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Sophomore forward Carl Stephens (Lynn, Mass.)
poured in a game-high 25 points to pace four players in double figures as the
University of Massachusetts Corsairs defeated the University of Southern Maine
Huskies, 88-74, in a Little East Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Tripp
Athletic Center.
The win was the third straight for the Corsairs who improved to 5-1
overall. UMD is 2-0 in Little East play. Southern Maine dropped its third
straight game to fall to 3-5 overall. The Huskies are 0-2 in the conference.
UMD grabbed the lead for good at 7-5 when junior Marques Houtman (New
Bedford, Mass.) hit a three-point shot. That basket ignited a 25-5 run over the
next five-and-a-half minutes to give the Corsairs a 19-point lead (29-10) eight
minutes into the game. The lead grew to as many as 23 (39-16) before a late
surge by the Huskies cut the margin to 13 (44-31) at the intermission.
The Huskies made things interesting with an 8-2 run, capped by a three-
point shot by freshman Nick Johnston (Ellsworth, Maine), to open the second
half. That cut the Corsairs lead to five (46-41) with 16:35 to play.
Stephens helped the Corsairs build the lead back into double figures, and
the hosts were able to maintain a double digit lead the rest of the way.
Leading by 10 (64-54) with 8:34 to play, the Corsairs used an 11-0 run, keyed by
six points from Stephens, to effectively put the game away. Southern Maine
never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.
Junior center Nick Cecilio (Centerville, Mass.) had 17 points, Houtman
finished with 16 points, and sophomore Ryan Cassidy (Framingham, Mass.) ended up
with 14 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Tim Gasper
(Dartmouth, Mass.) had 14 assists.
Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) and Johnston each had 13 points to
lead the Huskies. Sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) came off the bench
to add 12.
The Corsairs held a 50-41 edge on the boards, including 24 offensive
rebounds, and had 25 more field goal attempts (77-52) than the Huskies.
The Huskies are off until Dec. 29-30 when they will take part in the Salem
State College Christmas Tournament.
*******************************************************************************
Wednesday, December 8, 1999
White Mules Too Much for Huskies
GORHAM, Maine -- Juniors Sam Clark (Woolwich, Maine) and Zeb Davis
(Skowhegan, Maine) combined for 35 points to lead the Colby College White Mules
to a 71-52 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in men's
college basketball action Wednesday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The win was the third straight for the White Mules and improved their
record to 4-1. Southern Maine fell to 3-4.
Southern Maine pulled within five (43-38) with 12:55 to play when senior
Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) hit a three-point shot, but that is as
close as the hosts would get. The White Mules responded to the threat with
Clark's strong inside game and Davis' long-range shooting. The Huskies hurt
their chances with turnovers.
Clark had five straight points for the White Mules before Davis hit a pair
of three-point shots to put the White Mules back in solid command.
Clark led the White Mules with 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Davis
finished with 17 points, including five three-point field goals. Senior guard
Brian Hansen (Foxboro, Mass.) chipped in 14 points and dished out a game-high
five assists.
USM senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) led all scorers with 19
points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds. Freshman Ryan Thomas (Hampden,
Maine) had ten points for the Huskies. Southern Maine was hampered by some poor
shooting finishing the game hitting only 18 of 56 shots, including just three of
21 three-point tries.
*******************************************************************************
Saturday, December 4, 1999
Red-Hot Second Half Gives Owls Edge Over Huskies
KEENE, N.H. -- The Keene State College Owls shot a blistering 57
percent (19 for 33) in the second half, including making seven of eight three-
points shots, to erase an eight-point deficit and went on to post a 92-86
victory over the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies Saturday
afternoon at the Spaulding Gymnasium.
The loss drops the Huskies back to .500 at 3-3 overall. Keene State
improves to 5-1. The game was the Little East Conference opener for both squads.
Southern Maine returns to action Wednesday night when it entertains Colby
College at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The Huskies, who built an eight-point lead (49-41) early in the second
half behind the three-point shooting of sophomore Jason St. Pierre (Bangor,
Maine) and junior Wade Millett (East Waterboro, Maine), saw the lead disappear
when the Owls went on a 17-0 run over a five-minute span.
Junior guard Fred Fieldhouse (Somers, Conn.) sparked the rally with a pair
of three-points baskets, and sophomore David Stantial (Beverly, Mass.) had five
points, including a three-pointer.
The Keene State lead grew to as many as 12 (73-61) with 6:39 remaining
before USM went on a 13-2 run to cut the margin to one (74-75) after Millett
four straight points. Southern Maine was unable to regain the lead, and the
Owls converted three straight one-and-one opportunities to keep the Huskies at
bay down the stretch.
Fieldhouse led all scorers with 27 points, including five three-point
baskets. Junior Chris Coates (Hampton, N.H.) added 20, and junior Jack Reardon
(Concord, N.H.) had 15 points. Freshman Alphonse Michalski (Northampton, Mass.)
had nine points and a game-high 11 assists.
Millett finished with a career-high 19 points to pace four players in
double figures for the Huskies. St. Pierre had 18 points, senior Mike Fennessy
(Lewiston, Maine) chipped in 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds, and
senior Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) had 14 points and a team-high
nine assists.
*******************************************************************************
Thursday, December 2, 1999
Huskies Nearly Let One Slip Away
Zimmerman Free Throw With 3.7 Seconds Left Proves Decisive
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Senior guard Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine)
made one of two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to snap a 58-58 tie and give
the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 59-58 victory over the University of
New England Nor'easters in men's college basketball action Thursday night at the
UNE Campus Center.
The win lifts the Huskies' overall record to 3-2 heading into their Little
East Conference opener this Saturday at Keene (N.H.) State College. The
Nor'easters slip to 1-4 on the season.
Southern Maine nearly let the game slip away after building a 16-point
lead early in the second half. The Huskies twice led by that margin, the last
time at 50-34 after sophomore Casey Hamlin (Milo, Maine) made a pair of free
throws with 13:18 to play.
The Nor'easters hit the Huskies with an 11-0 run over the next five
minutes to cut the deficit to five (50-45) before junior Wade Millett (East
Waterboro, Maine) hit a free throw with 8:03 to go.
UNE finally was able to tie the game (58-58) with 16.9 seconds to play
when Tyler Lakin (Kittery, Maine) drove the lane for a basket and was fouled.
Lakin converted the free throw to tie the game for the first time since 2-2.
The Nor'easters never led in the contest.
Junior Paul Clark (Middlebury, Conn.) had a desperation three-point try to
win the game following Zimmerman's missed free throw, but missed.
Southern Maine senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) led all
scorers with 16 points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds. Freshman Ryan
Thomas (Hampden, Maine) added 13 points and six rebounds. Zimmerman and
freshman Dylan Coutts (Whitefield, Maine) each had nine points.
Senior Steve Huntington (Portland, Maine) paced three UNE players in
double figures with 12 points on four three-point baskets and had a team-high
eight rebounds. Lakin and Clark each had 10 points.
*******************************************************************************
Tuesday, November 30, 1999
Fennessy, Sawyer Garner Little East Conference Awards
GORHAM, Maine -- Members of the University of Southern Maine men's and
women's basketball teams were honored for their outstanding play during the
first week of the 1999-2000 season by the Little East Conference. Senior
forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) was named the Player of the Week on the
men's side while freshman forward Melissa Sawyer (Oakland, Maine) was named the
Rookie of the Week on the women's side. The weekly awards were announced by the
conference office late Monday afternoon (November 29).
Fennessy, a fifth-year senior, was outstanding in the Huskies first three
games against Ithaca College, Curry College and Thomas College. The 6-foot-4
forward averaged 24.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in the three games while shooting
54 percent from the field, including 55 percent (11 of 20) from three-point
range, and 85 percent from the foul line. He was named to the all-tournament
team at the Plymouth State College Tap-Off Tournament.
Sawyer, a redshirt freshman, got her collegiate career off to solid start
averaging 13.7 points and 4.0 rebounds coming off the bench in three games. The
5-foot-10 forward was named the Most Valuable Player in the season-opening
Colby-Sawyer College Tournament after leading the Huskies to wins over New
England College and Colby-Sawyer. Sawyer shot 46 percent from the floor
including 37 percent (4 of 11) from three-point range in the three games.
Southern Maine returns to action Thursday night for a men's and women's
doubleheader at the University of New England. The women's game taps off at
5:30 p.m. followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m. The Southern Maine women's
team is 4-0 on the season while the men's team checks in at 2-2.
*******************************************************************************
Monday, November 29, 1999
Polar Bears Freeze Out Huskies
GORHAM, Maine -- The Bowdoin College Polar Bears held the University of
Southern Maine Huskies without a point over the first 14 minutes of the game and
an ice-cold 23 percent shooting for the night on the way to a 52-32 victory
Monday night in men's basketball action at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
The Polar Bears improve their record to 3-1 overall while the Huskies fall
to 2-2.
Bowdoin built a 24-9 lead over the first 20 minutes by holding the Huskies
to just three field goals on 23 shots (13 percent). USM did not score its first
points of the game until sophomore guard Casey Hamlin (Milo, Maine) hit a base
line jumper with 6:08 left in the half.
The Huskies made a run at the Polar Bears in the second half to close
within ten points (36-26) with ten minutes to play. Bowdoin freshman guard Mark
Gilbride (Topsham, Maine) halted the Huskies' momentum with five unanswered
points, including a three-point basket, and the Polar Bears were never threaten
thereafter.
Junior center David Baranowski (Amherst, N.H.) paced three Bowdoin players
in double figures with 14 points. The 6-foot-9 center also pulled down 10
rebounds and blocked six shots. Junior Chris Ranslow (Hallowell, Maine) added
12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and junior guard Hugh Coleman (Boston,
Mass.) popped in 11 points. Gilbride finished with five points and nine
assists.
Senior Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) led the cold-shooting Huskies with
eight points and nine rebounds.
Southern Maine made just 13 of 57 shots from the floor, including just one
of 21 three-point tries, and only five of 11 free throws in the game. Bowdoin
finished the game shooting 22 of 51 (43 percent) including 12 of 24 in the
second half.
*******************************************************************************
Tuesday, November 23,1999
Dominant First Half Paves Way For Husky Win
WATERVILLE, Maine. -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine)
scored a game-high 20 points to lead the visiting University of Southern Maine
Huskies (2-1) to a 88-59 rout of their in-state rivals, the Thomas College
Terriers (1-2), in men's college hoops action Tuesday night.
The win was the Huskies' second in a row and improves their record to 2-1.
The Terriers fall to 1-2 on the season.
Southern Maine used 18-for-36 shooting in the first half to take a
commanding 55-26 lead at the break. Thomas never recovered as the Huskies
cruised in the second half to the victory.
This was the second straight game that Fennessy has led the Huskies in
scoring. He was joined in double figures by freshman forward Ryan Thomas
(Hampden, Maine) and senior guard Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) who
each netted 17 points. Sophomore guard Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine)
contributed 14 points.
The Terriers were led by senior guard Ed Pillsbury (Oakland, Maine) with
15 points. He was supported by a 14-point performance by junior forward Scott
Raymond (Caribou, Maine) and 10 points from sophomore guard Josh Grant (Newport,
Maine).
Southern Maine returns to action November 29 when it hosts Bowdoin College
in its home opener. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.
*******************************************************************************
Saturday, November 20,1999
Fennessy Paces Huskies to First Win
PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) scored a
game-high 34 points to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 90-80
win over the Curry College Colonels Saturday night in the second round of the
Plymouth State College Tip-Off Classic.
Midway through the first half, the Colonels were clinging to a four point
lead (22-18) when Fennessy exploded for seven unanswered points in a span of two
minutes. For the remainder of the half, the Huskies held the lead, and with five
minutes to go had opened up a 12-point margin (34-22). However, the Colonels'
Brian Williams (Marlboro, Mass.) scored nine points in the final 4:44 to bring
Curry College to within four (41-37) at halftime.
Fennessy came out of the gate to begin the second half by hitting two-
three pointers to increase the Huskies' lead to ten (47-37). Southern Maine
continued to add to their lead and with 6:30 gone were leading by 17 points.
Curry went on a 26-9 run over the next 6:15 span to tie the game at 69-69.
The lead changed hands several times over the next four minutes until a
jumper by Fennessy with 3:38 to go gave the Huskies a lead for good.
Two other players reached double figures for Southern Maine. Senior guard
Corey Zimmerman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) scored 19 points, including 17-for-18
shooting from the free throw line and freshman guard Nick Johnston (Ellsworth,
Maine) added 10 points.
For the Colonels, Williams finished with 24 points, Eric Ferris (Taunton,
Mass.) 18 points, Will McCoy (Franklin, Mass.) 13 points and Lavar White
(Milton, Mass.) rounded out the high scores for Curry with 10 points.
In the other game Saturday night, Plymouth State knocked off Ithaca
College, 76-70.
Named to the all-tournament team were Fennessy of Southern Maine and
Ferris of Curry, Shannon Gallagher of Plymouth State, and Pat Britton and Ryan
Bamford of Ithaca. Plymouth State's Tony Martinez was named the Most Valuable
Player.
*******************************************************************************
Friday, November 19,1999
Huskies Drop Season Opener at Plymouth State Tourney
PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Senior guard Ryan Bamford (Plymouth, N.H.) scored a
game-high 22 points to lead Ithaca College Bombers (1-0) to 80-62 win over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies (0-1) in the first round of the Plymouth
State Tap-Off Tournament Friday night. This was the season opener for both
teams.
The game was tight for the first five minutes before the Bombers went on a
9-0 run to take a 17-8 lead. Ithaca continued to add to their lead, and at the
9:03 mark of the first half, the Huskies found themselves 15 points behind (27-
12). Southern Maine was able to cut the lead to 11 by halftime, behind seven-
for-eight shooting from the free throw line.
Three three-pointers by senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston, Maine) in
a span of four minutes helped the Huskies to get within four (47-43) points of
the Bombers. However, that would be the closest Southern Maine would get as the
Bombers scored 11 unanswered points to build their lead back up to 15 (58-43).
Southern Maine was unable to close the margin and Ithaca pulled away for the
victory.
Pat Britton and Kevin Heiss joined Bamford in double digits with 18 and 11
points, respectively.
Sophomore forward Jason St. Pierre (Bangor, Maine) lead the Huskies with
20 points. Fennessy finished with 18.
In the other first round game, Plymouth State College knocked off Curry
College, 80-65.
Both teams return to action on Saturday with Southern Maine playing Curry
in the first game at 6:00 p.m., followed by Ithaca taking on the host Plymouth
State at 8:00 p.m..
*******************************************************************************
Monday, November 15, 1999
Fennessy, Millett Named USM Men's Basketball Captains
Huskies Open 1999-2000 Season This Weekend
GORHAM, Maine -- Fifth-year senior forward Mike Fennessy (Lewiston,
Maine/Bridgton Academy) and junior swingman Wade Millett (East Waterboro,
Maine/Massabesic HS) have been named captains of the University of Southern
Maine Huskies men's basketball team for the upcoming 1999-2000 season. Fourth-
year head coach Dan Costigan made the announcement.
The Huskies open their 1999-2000 season this Friday (November 19) playing
Ithaca College at 6:00 p.m. in the first round of the Plymouth State College
Tap-Off Tournament. The Huskies will play Curry College in the second round of
the tournament on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
"This weekend will be a good test for us. We have a good blend of veteran
players and a large group of new people. It will be interesting to see how we
respond to game situations, and this weekend will be a good learning experience
for us. By Saturday night, we should have a good idea of where we'll be this
season," Costigan said as he prepares the Huskies for their opener.
"For Michael, it's great to know we have him back for another year. He's
a proven player who should make us a better team. He leads by example and is
the hardest working player on the team.
"Wade is a very vocal leader and an intense competitor. He's the one that
gets us all on the same page. It's a good combination of leadership skills,"
said Costigan.
Fennessy, who was recently granted an additional year of eligibility on a
medical hardship waiver, averaged 19.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The 6-
foot-4 forward was named to the All-Little East Conference and the MCBCWA All-
State first teams, and also earned an All-ECAC Division III New England second
team citation.
Millett was the team's third leading scorer last season averaging 6.7
points per game. The 6-foot-1 swingman averaged 2.2 rebounds per game and
knocked down 45 three-point field goals. He led the team in three-point field
goal percentage hitting 45 of 112 long-range shots (40.2 percent).
The Huskies enjoyed their first winning season (13-12) since the 1992-93
season last winter, including a 7-7 mark in the Little East Conference that
earned them a home court berth in the tournament.
The remainder of the Huskies' 1999-2000 schedule is as follows: Nov. 23,
at Thomas (7:30); Nov. 29, Bowdoin (7:30); Dec. 2, at University of New England
(7:30); Dec. 4, at Keene State (3:00); Dec. 8, Colby (7:30); Dec. 11, at UMass
Dartmouth (3:00); and Dec. 29-30, at Salem State Holiday Tournament.
Also Jan. 8, Eastern Connecticut (3:00); Jan. 11, Rhode Island College
(7:30); Jan. 15, at Western Connecticut (3:00); Jan. 18, UMass Boston (7:30);
Jan. 22, Keene State (3:00); Jan. 25 at Plymouth State (7:30); and Jan. 29,
UMass Dartmouth (3:00).
The final month schedule includes: Feb. 2, at St. Joseph's (7:30); Feb.
5, at Eastern Connecticut (3:00); Feb. 8, at UMass Boston (7:30); Feb. 12, at
Rhode Island College (3:00); Feb. 15, Plymouth State (7:30); and Feb. 19,
Western Connecticut (3:00).
The Little East Conference tournament dates are February 22 (first round)
at the sites of the top four seeds, and February 25-26 (semifinals and finals)
at the site of the highest remaining seed. The Little East tournament champion
gains an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
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