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Southern Maine at Bowdoin
Tuesday, December 2 (5:30 p.m.)
At Morrell Gymnasium Brunswick, Maine
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Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monks Maul Southern Maine 72-55
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman guard Zach O’Brien (Schenectady, N.Y./Bishop
Gibbons) scored a 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds – both game-high totals –
to lead the St. Joseph’s College (Maine) Monks to a 72-55 win over the
University of Southern Maine Huskies in non-conference men’s basketball action
Sunday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine.
With the win St. Joseph’s College improve to 3-1 overall and secured the
Costello Cup, presented to the winner of the annual contest between the two
schools. Suffering their second straight loss Southern Maine dips to 1-4.
Contested over the last 20 years, the Costello Cup honors former USM Athletic
Director and Coach Richard “Doc” Costello. St. Joseph’s now leads the cup
series 11-8.
O’Brien was one of three Monks in double-figures scoring. O’Brien was an
outstanding 8-for-12 from the floor including 2-for-3 from three-point range.
Junior forward Raymond Eatmon (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) and sophomore
forward Chris Davis (New York, N.Y./Hyde School (CT)) each chipped in with 12
points a piece as the Monks shot a torrid 49.2 percent (29-for-59) from the
field.
Southern Maine freshman guard Otis Smith (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Ocoee)
led the Huskies with 17 points in his collegiate debut sinking 6-of-9 from the
floor. Junior guard Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine) was the only other USM
player in double figures tossing in 12 points on a 5-for-8 mark from the field.
Led by nine points each from O’Brien and senior forward Mitch Ouellet (Fort
Kent, Maine) the Monks took a commanding 41-27 lead at the half. St. Joseph’s
shot 53.1 percent (17-for-32) from the field in the opening stanza, including
four three-point field goals. Conversely the Huskies struggled to hit their
marks shooting a sub-par 36.7 percent (11-for-30) from the field. The Monks
continued to click offensively in the second half taking a 20-point, 55-35, lead
midway through the half and leading by as many as 21 points with just over five
minutes to play en route to the win.
The Monks also enjoyed a decisive 41-27 advantage on the boards led by
O’Brien’s eight caroms. Ouellet and Davis each grabbed six rebounds, while
senior guard Scot Vachon (Schenectady, N.Y./Albany Academy) and junior guard
Alberto Rue (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Loomis-Chaffee) both snagged five.
Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) when it travels to
Bowdoin College for a non-conference game. St. Joseph’s College hosts Norwich
University on Wednesday (6:00 p.m.) in a Great Northeast Atlantic Conference
game.
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Bates Shoots Past Southern Maine 66-45
LEWISTON, Maine – Junior guard Chris Wilson (Brewer, Maine) and
sophomore forward Brian Ellis (Braintree, Mass.) combined to score 29 points as
the Bates College Bobcats overcame a 30-24 halftime deficit to defeat the
University of Southern Maine Huskies 66-45 in a non-conference men’s basketball
game Tuesday night at Alumni Gymnasium in Lewiston, Maine.
With the win Bates improves to 2-1 overall. Suffering their third loss in
four games, USM drops to 1-3 overall.
Wilson scored 12 of his 15 points while Ellis tossed in nine of his 14
points in the second half as the Bobcats outscored Southern Maine 42-15 in the
second stanza. Ellis recorded a double-double snatching a team-high 10
rebounds.
Southern Maine junior guard Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine) led the
Huskies with a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds. Whitaker finished
the game 7-for-14 from the floor. Sophomore guard Kione Morgan (Garland,
Texas/Naaman) was the only other USM player in double figures tossing in 11
points.
With both teams shooting well in the first half, Southern Maine held a
narrow 30-24 lead at the break. The Huskies opened the game shooting 50.0
percent (11-for-22) from the field including a 3-for-6 mark from three-point
range. Bates connected on 42.9 percent (9-for-21) of its field goal attempts.
The Huskies had a reversal of fortune in the second half, however, as they
went ice-cold from the field, making just four field goals in 30 tries in the
final 20 minutes of the game. Conversely, the Bobcats zeroed in on the basket
making 48.1 percent (13-of-27) of its shots in the second stanza, led by Wilson
and Ellis.
Trailing by five following a pair of USM free throws with 19:25 to play,
Bates rang up 14 unanswered points to take a 41-32 lead with 13:59 to play.
Wilson was pivotal in the Bobcats’ decisive run scoring 10 points, including a
pair of three-pointers.
A lay-up from USM sophomore guard Luke Pollock (Eliot, Maine/Marshwood) at
12:33 halted the Bobcat deluge, but Bates received scoring contributions from
six different players over the next seven minutes to rattle off a 14-3 and lead
Southern Maine 55-37 with 5:49 on the clock. From the there the Huskies never
got any closer than 15 points the rest of the way as the Bobcats cruised to the
win.
Bates finished the game shooting a solid 45.8 percent (22-for-48) from the
field, while the Huskies second half shooting woes left them with a 28.8 percent
(15-for-52) mark from the floor.
Southern Maine returns to action on Sunday (7:00 p.m.) at home against St.
Joseph’s College (Maine). Bates travels to Thomas College on Tuesday (7:00
p.m.).
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Whitaker, Tracy Lead USM Past UNE 85-71
GORHAM, Maine – Junior guard Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine) and
junior forward Andy Tracy (Ellsworth, Maine/Maine Central Institute) combined to
score 49 points to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 85-71 win
over the University of New England Nor’easters in a non-conference men’s
basketball Tuesday evening at Warren G. Hill Gymnasium in Gorham.
The win halts a two-game slide for Southern Maine to improve to 1-2
overall. Playing in their season-opener the University of New England stands at
0-1.
Whitaker notched a double-double for the Huskies shooting a blazing 12-for-
16 from the field while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Tracy was equally as
hot from the field draining 8-of-12 from the floor including a pair of three-
pointers. Sophomore guard Luke Pollock (Eliot, Maine/Marshwood) gave the
Huskies a spark off of the bench scoring 15 points, grabbing six rebounds and
hustling his way to four steals.
University of New England senior forward Johnnie Jefferson (Dallas,
Texas/David W. Carter) scored a team-high 21 points, while sophomore guard J.J.
Roseman (Dallas, Texas/Grand Prairie) chipped in with 10 points. Junior guard
Jaykyri Simpson (East Cleburne, Texas/Cleburn) and freshman guard Quentin
Thompson (Austin, Texas/William B. Travis) each added nine points.
Falling behind by 10 points, 15-5, in the opening five minutes of the game,
Southern Maine clawed its way back to even the score at 15-15 with 9:01 to play
in the first half. The Huskies continued to push the pace offensively over the
next four minutes to open up an eight point advantage, 24-16 with 5:33 to play.
Whitaker tallied six points in USM’s 19-1 run and Tracy and Pollock each added
four points a piece. Freshman guard Billy Zolper (Bangor, Maine) netted all
five of his points in the pivotal run including a capping three-pointer. Both
teams battled back and fourth over the next five minutes and USM never
relinquished its lead taking a 34-28 advantage at the break.
In the second half USM opened with a 14-8 run to lead the Nor’easters 50-36
with 14:26 showing as Whitaker, Tracy and Pollock again led the way. Whitaker
scored USM’S first five points of the second half, while Tracy added five points
and Pollock four. From there USM would bend but not break over the next 14
minutes as UNE battled back to within three possessions eight times over the
remainder of regulation. UNE pulled to within six twice, with the last
occurring following a deep three-pointer from freshman guard Victor Oruonyehu
(Austin, Texas/Crockett) with 2:56 remaining to trail USM 70-64. However,
Whitaker and Tracy answered with back-to-back lay-ups to grow the Husky lead to
10, 74-64 with 1:33 to go and seal the victory.
Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) when it travels to
Bates College. The Nor’easters travel to the Wentworth Institute of Technology
on Thursday (7:30 p.m.)
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Sunday, November 16, 2008
Endicott College Escapes Southern Maine 53-46
BEVERLY, Mass. – Junior guard Bobby Montrond (Brockton, Mass.) scored a
game-high 12 points to lead the Endicott College Gulls to a 53-46 win over the
University of Southern Maine Sunday afternoon in the second day of the DIME
Magazine Tip-Off Tournament in Beverly, Mass.
The win is the second straight for the Gulls who open their 2008-2009
season at 2-0. Suffering their second straight loss, Southern Maine dips to 0-2
on the season.
In a low-scoring affair, Montrond was the only Gull player in double-
figures. Junior guard Graham Whitelaw (Kennebunk, Maine/Cheverus) added eight
points for Endicott College, while senior guard Ross Stewart (Palm Harbor,
Fla./East Lake) and sophomore forward Chris Galbraith (Lowell,
Mass./Marianapolis) each tossed in six points.
Junior guard Andy Tracy (Ellsworth, Maine/Maine Central Institute) led
the Huskies offensively with 10 points, while freshman forward Sean Bergeron
(Kennebunk, Maine) added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior
guard Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine) added eight points for the Huskies.
Holding a commanding 35-20 lead at the break, Endicott was able to hold
off the Huskies in the second half to earn the win. The Gulls held Southern
Maine to just seven field goals in the first half on a frigid 25.9 percent (7-
for-26) effort from the floor. Conversely, the Gulls connected on 14-of-30
(46.7 percent) attempts, including an outstanding 5-for-6 mark from three-point
range. After a slow start in the first half, USM came out of the gates in the
second half with an 15-2 run to close the gap to 37-33 with 12:07 to play.
However, the Gulls were able to push back with an 8-2 run over the next three
minutes to return their cushion to a double-digit margin, 45-35, to fend off the
Huskies’ surge.
USM pulled to within five of the Gulls with 1:31 to play following a
pair of free throws from Whitaker, but Stewart threw down an emphatic dunk and
Montrond sank two free throws during the Gulls ensuing possessions to close the
door on any thought of a USM come-back bid.
Southern Maine returns to action in its home opener against the
University of New England on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.). Endicott College travels to
Emmanuel College on Saturday (5:00 p.m.).
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wentworth Downs Southern Maine 72-59
BEVERLY, Mass. – Senior guard Todd Doyle (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) scored 19
points to lead four players in double figures at the Wentworth College Leopards
defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 72-59 in the opening game of
the DIME Magazine Tip-Off Invitational Saturday night at Endicott College in
Beverly, Mass.
The opening game for both teams, Wentworth begins its 2008-2009 season with
a 1-0 record. It is the first time since the 1998-1999 season that Wentworth
has won its season-opener. The Huskies fall to 0-1 with the loss.
Doyle was 5-for-11 from the field including a 3-for-4 mark from three-point
range to lead the Leopards. Junior forward Shane West (Saco, Maine/Milford) and
junior forward Matt Abbott (Falmouth, Mass.) each chipped in with a double-
double to lead a balanced Wentworth attack. West tossed in 17 points and Abbott
added 13 while both players tied for game-high rebounding honors with 10 each.
Freshman guard Brendan Monteiro (Brockton, Mass./Catholic Memorial) scored 11
points to round out the double-digit scoring for Wentworth.
Junior forward Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine) led the Huskies with 16
points on a 7-for-15 mark from the field, while sophomore guard Kione Morgan
(Garland, Texas/Naaman Forest) added 13 points. Junior guard Andy Tracy
(Ellsworth, Maine/Maine Central Institute) added 10 points off of the bench.
Both teams struggled offensively in the opening half and Wentworth went
into the break clinging to a slim 23-22 lead. In the second half, Wentworth was
able to rally from a seven-point deficit in the first five minutes of the second
stanza outscoring the Huskies 49-37 in the second half to take the win.
Wentworth’s second half surge was due in part to an outstanding 68.0 percent
(17-for-25) effort from the field including a perfect 4-for-4 mark from three-
point rage.
Southern Maine returns to action on Sunday (3:00 p.m.) when the Huskies
will face host the Endicott College Gulls. The Gulls defeated Lesley College
71-40 in the late game.
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November 11, 2008
Anchormen Unanimous Choice In Little East Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
(Courtesy of Jack Holleran, Little East Conference)
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Rhode Island College sits atop the Little East
Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll for the fourth straight
season after a vote by the conference’s eight head coaches. The Anchormen are
the first unanimous selection in the history of the Little East, earning all
eight first-place votes for a total of 64 points.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is predicted to finish second
with 55 points, while Keene State College and Western Connecticut State
University share the third spot in the annual survey with 43 total points.
Under the watchful eye of Head Coach Bob Walsh, Rhode Island College has
raised the Little East Conference Tournament trophy the past two seasons. The
Anchormen will attempt to become just the second team to capture three
consecutive conference tournament crowns since the Corsairs recorded the three-
peat from 1993-95. Rhode Island College has already garnered some national
attention, earning the No. 16 ranking in the D3Hoops.com national preseason
poll. Walsh returns all five starters and top-seven scorers from last season’s
club that posted an overall record of 23-7, marking the third most single-season
victories in the program’s history. Senior guards Tirrell Hill (Bronx, N.Y.) and
Cameron Stewart (Newport, R.I.) are the top-returning offensive threats. Hill
averaged 13.9 points to earn all-conference first-team honors, while Stewart
poured in 10 points per game. Senior guard Bobby Bailey (Fall River, Mass.) can
fill up a stat sheet, averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0
steals per game. The all-Little East second-team pick was named the conference
most outstanding player in the 2008 Little East Conference Tournament. The
Anchormen begin their title defense at 7 p.m. on Nov. 18 at Manhattanville
College.
Head Coach Brian Baptiste led UMass Dartmouth to the program’s first
regular season title since 2001 and a first round bye in the NCAA Division III
Tournament. The Corsairs were ranked among the top-25 teams in the nation for
the majority of the campaign, rising to No. 2 in the country on Feb. 3, 2008.
UMass Dartmouth posted the second most single-season victories in the program’s
history, boasting an overall record of 25-4. Baptiste will welcome back all-
conference first-team senior guard Reece Freeman (Cambridge, Mass.) and the 2008
Little East Rookie of the Year, Brandon Stephens (Dorchester, Mass.).
The Corsairs host Framingham State College at 3 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the semifinal
round of the annual Hampton Inn Classic.
A year ago, the Owls reached the Little East Conference Tournament
semifinal round for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. Head Coach Rob
Colbert led Keene State to an overall record of 16-11, including an 8-6 mark in
the conference. The Owls’ will depend on the front-court combination of senior
Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt.) and classmate Nate Anderson (Westminster, Mass.) to
provide the scoring punch. Kathan was recently named to the D3Hoops.com
Preseason All-America, first-team. The two-time All-Little East first-team
selection nearly averaged a double-double during his junior campaign, scoring
18.1 points and pulling in 8.3 rebounds per game. Anderson also averaged double
figures in points with 10.6. Keene State College will host Springfield College
at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 in its season debut.
The Colonials are ranked among the top-four teams in the preseason
conference standings for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons. Head Coach Bob
Campbell and Western Connecticut are coming off a 15-12 record and a berth in
the Eastern College Athletic Conference New England semifinals. The guard
combination of senior Dashon Jennings (Bridgeport, Conn.) and junior Tyshawn
Gillespie (Hartford, Conn.) will power Colonials’ offense. Jennings is the top-
returning scorer, averaging 13.0 points, while Gillespie is top-playmaker,
handing out a team best 115 assists. Western Connecticut will open the campaign
at the Roger Williams Tournament on Nov. 21 against Tufts University.
Completing the coaches’ poll in projected order of finish are Eastern
Connecticut State University (30), Plymouth State University (25), University of
Massachusetts Boston (15), and the University of Southern Maine (13).
Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball
conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-
school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics:
baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field
hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's
swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and
women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.
Rk. Institution (First Place Votes) Total Points
1. Rhode Island College (8) 64
2. UMass Dartmouth 55
3. Keene State College 43
Western Connecticut State 43
5. Eastern Connecticut State 30
6. Plymouth State University 25
7. UMass Boston 15
8. Southern Maine 13
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Whitaker, Morgan Named USM Men’s Basketball Captain
GORHAM, Maine – Junior forward Greg Whitaker (Presque Isle, Maine/Presque
Isle) and sophomore guard Kione Morgan (Garland, Texas/Naaman Forest) have been
named co-captains of the 2008-2009 University of Southern Maine Huskies men’s
basketball team. The announcement was made by USM head coach Karl Henrikson as
the Huskies prepare for their season opening game against Wentworth at the
Endicott College Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday (5:00 p.m.).
Whitaker, a 6-5 small forward, is the Huskies top returning scorer from
last season. As a sophomore, Whitaker averaged 9.2 points per game while
shooting 43.8 percent (99-for-226) from the field and 41.0 percent from three-
point range (32-for-78). Whitaker scored in double-figures on 11 occasions
netting a season-high 18 points on a 7-for-14 effort from the field including a
4-for-6 mark from three-point range in a 58-48 win over the University of Maine
at Farmington.
“Greg has gained great respect from his teammates for his on the court
abilities and his off the court character,” noted Henrikson who is entering his
fifth season with the Huskies. “As a veteran his leadership will be crucial to
the development of our very youthful squad.”
Morgan, a 5-10 guard, played a reserve role for the Huskies in his freshman
campaign, averaging 1.2 points per game while taking on some of Southern Maine’s
most demanding defensive assignments.
“Kione is a very mature young man with a strong work ethic,” said
Henrikson. “He will provide both vocal leadership and leadership through
example.”
Following its opening night tip-off with Wentworth, Southern Maine will
face host Endicott College (Nov. 16, 3:00 p.m.). USM will face local rival the
University of New England (Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.) in its home opener before
traveling to Lewiston, Maine for a game against Bates College (Nov. 25, 7:30
p.m.). Southern Maine closes out the month with a home game against St.
Joseph’s College (Maine) for the annual Costello Cup (Nov. 30, 7:00 p.m.).
A pair of away contests bookend two home games in the month of December for
the Huskies. USM travels to Bowdoin College (Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m.) and then hosts
Keene State College in its first Little East Conference game of the season (Dec.
6, 3:00 p.m.) and UMaine Farmington (Dec. 8, 7:00 p.m.) before traveling to LEC
foe UMass Dartmouth (Dec. 13, 3:00 p.m.).
In the New Year, Southern Maine travels to Schenectady, N.Y. for the Union
College Invitational. The Huskies will face Rutgers-Newark in the first game
(Jan. 2, 6:00 p.m.) and then will play either Union College or Medgar Evers
(Jan. 3, 1:00/3:00 p.m.). USM hosts Husson University (Jan. 7, 7:00 p.m.) and
LEC rival Eastern Connecticut State (Jan. 10, 3:00 p.m.) before travelling to
Rhode Island College (Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m.) and Western Connecticut State (Jan.
17, 3:00 p.m.) for a conference games. The Huskies hosts UMass Boston (Jan. 20,
7:30 p.m.) and then travels to Keene State (Jan. 24, 3:00 p.m.) before welcoming
Plymouth State (Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m.) and UMass Dartmouth (Jan. 31, 3:00 p.m.).
In February the Huskies begin the month with three consecutive away games
at Colby (Feb. 3, 7:00 p.m.), Eastern Connecticut State (Feb. 7, 3:00 p.m.) and
UMass Boston (Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.). Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College
(Feb. 14, 3:00 p.m.) and then travels to Plymouth State (Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m.)
before closing out its regular season at home against Western Connecticut State
(Feb. 21, 3:00 p.m.).
The Little East Conference tournament begins on February 24 with the four
quarterfinal round games played at the higher seeded team. The semifinal and
championship games will be played at the highest remaining seed on February 27
and February 28 respectively. The winner of the Little East Conference
tournament receives the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III
Men’s Basketball Championship.
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