Latest News

        
################################################################################

                                 SEASON COMPLETED

################################################################################

Friday, March 14, 2003

Southern Maine Eliminated by Bowdoin College, 64-47
Polar Bears Advance to Elite Eight

	WILKES-BARRE, Penn. -  Senior forward Kristin Royer (Lewiston, Maine) scored 
a game-high 22 points and the Bowdoin College Polar Bears employed a 19-4 run 
midway through the second half en route to a 64-47 triumph over the University of 
Southern Maine Huskies in the round of 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament 
Friday evening at Scandlon Gym.
	Bowdoin, which improved to 26-2, advances to the national quarterfinals, 
where it will face the winner of tonight's second contest between host King's 
College and Eastern Connecticut State University.  Southern Maine, which had its 
13-game win streak stopped, concludes the year with an overall mark of 26-4.
	A short jumper by senior center Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) pulled the 
Huskies within 35-33 with 14:08 remaining in the contest.  However, the Polar 
Bears answered with a 12-2 run, capped by a pair of free throws from junior 
forward Lindsay Bramwell (Marshfield, Mass.) to open a 47-35 advantage. 
	Junior forward Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) halted the run with a lay-up 
with 7:00 to play, as the Huskies trimmed the deficit to 47-37.
	However, Southern Maine would pull no closer. Bowdoin responded with a 7-0 
run to grab a commanding 54-37 advantage with 5:00 left in the contest. The Bears 
took their largest lead at 64-42 when freshman guard Lauren Withey (Rockport, 
Maine) drained a pair of free throws with 1:40 to play.
	Freshman forward Dianna Thibaudeau (Sanford, Maine) scored the game's final 
five points to account for the 64-47 final score. 
	Bowdoin held a slight edge on the glass (40-36), and converted on 18-of-22 
(.818) free throws, while Southern Maine attempted but 10 foul shots and made 
five.
	Withey and junior guard Lora Trenkle (Surry, Maine) each added 11 points for 
the Polar Bears, while Trenkle hauled in a team-high eight rebounds.
	The Huskies received nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds from junior 
guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine).  The game marked the final career appearance 
for Crockett, who tallied five points, four boards and six blocked shots, and 
senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine), who added five points and eight caroms.

################################################################################

Thursday, March 13, 2003

D3hoops.com To Provide NCAA Sectional Webcasts

	GORHAM, Maine  --  King's College, host institution for this weekend's Mid-
Atlantic and Northeast Regions Sectional semifinals and finals of NCAA Division 
III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament, announced Thursday that 
d3hoops.com will webcast all three games being played at Scandlon Gymnasium.  All 
games will be webcast live.
	Friday's webcasts will begin at approximately 5:45 p.m. with the University 
of Southern Maine (26-3) taking on Bowdoin College (25-2), followed by Eastern 
Connecticut State University (25-4) playing King's (24-3).
	The championship game will have a 6:45 p.m. webcast time with the game 
starting at 7:00 p.m.
	To access the games, go to d3hoops.com and view the broadcast list.

################################################################################

Tuesday, March 11, 2003

USM Huskies Head to Pennsylvania for NCAA "Sweet 16"

	GORHAM, Maine  --  The University of Southern Maine Huskies women's 
basketball team will travel to King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., to take part 
in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions Sectional semifinals and finals of the 
2003 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament this Friday and 
Saturday.
	The Huskies, 26-3 overall, will take on Bowdoin College, 25-2 overall, in the 
first semifinal game Friday evening at 6:00 p.m.  Eastern Connecticut State 
University, 25-4 overall, will battle tournament host King's College, 24-3, in the 
second semifinal at 8:00 p.m.  The two winners will play Saturday evening at 7:00 
p.m. for the right to advance to the Division III Finals at Rose-Hulman Institute 
of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana.
	Southern Maine received a first round bye in the Northeast Region tournament, 
then defeated Salem State College, 72-54, in a second round game last Saturday to 
advance to the Sectional tournament.  Bowdoin also received a first round bye in 
the Northeast Region.  The Polar Bears knocked out Emmanuel College, 73-50, 
Saturday to advance to the Sectional tournament.
	In the Mid-Atlantic Regional, Eastern Connecticut beat SUNY Farmingdale, 91-
49, in the first round, then upset DeSales University, 65-61, to move on to the 
Sectional semifinals.  King's College received a first round bye, then defeated 
the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 62-54, to advance.
	The Huskies are making their first trip to the "Sweet 16" since 2000, and 
their 12th trip since 1987.  Southern Maine will be seeking to advance to the 
Division III Finals for the fourth time in school history with a pair of wins this 
weekend.  USM has previously gone to the Division III Finals in 1988, 1998 and 
2000.
	To advance to the Sectional finals on Saturday, the Huskies will have to get 
past instate rival Bowdoin College.  The two teams met back in December at Bowdoin 
with the Polar Bears taking a thrilling, double-overtime decision, 78-76.  Bowdoin 
has won the last three times the teams have played, yet the Huskies still hold a 
26-6 edge in the all-time series that dates back to February 1975.  This is the 
first time that the two teams will meet in NCAA tournament play.
	Leading the Huskies this season are freshman forward Tiffany Jones 
(Skowhegan, Maine), junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) and senior co-
captains Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) and Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine).
	Jones, the Little East Conference and Maine Women's Basketball Coaches 
Association Rookie of the Year, is averaging 18.7 points per game.  Cressler 
follows averaging 11.5 points per game, and Libby is third on the scoring list 
averaging 9.1 points.
	Cressler leads the team in rebounding grabbing 6.8 boards per outing.  
Crockett is averaging 6.2 caroms a game, and has blocked a team-high 69 shots.  
Libby and Jones are averaging 5.1 and 4.3 rebounds per contest, respectively.
	Bowdoin is led by its standout senior forward Kristi Royer (Lewiston, Maine) 
and junior guard Lora Trenkle (Surry, Maine).  Trenkle leads the Polar Bears in 
scoring averaging 14.4 points per game, followed by Royer at 14.0 points a game 
and sophomore forward Erika Nickerson (Benton, Maine) at 10.4 points a contest.
	Royer leads Bowdoin in rebounding averaging 7.2 boards.  Four other players 
are averaging between 4.0 and 5.0 rebounds a game.  Bowdoin has out rebounded its 
opponents by 8.1 boards per game (43.1-35.0).
	Eastern Connecticut, the second place team in the Little East behind USM 
during the regular season, received an at-large berth into the tournament for the 
second straight year and has made the most of the opportunity.  The Warriors are 
led by three-time Little East Conference Player of the Year, junior guard Allison 
Coleman.  The 5-foot-9 Coleman leads three players in double figures, averaging 
17.8 points a game.  She is followed on the scoring list by senior forward Morgan 
Perry who averages 13.3 points and junior forward Deanne Prior who contributes 
10.6 points a game.
	Coleman also leads Eastern Conn. in rebounding, averaging 12.1 caroms, and 
assists with 153.  She also has 119 steals.  The Warriors were the top rebounding 
team in the Little East Conference averaging 49.8 boards per game, and they lead 
the LEC in rebounding margin at 14.9.
	King's College is making its fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance.  The 
Lady Monarchs are led by junior guard Tiffini Varrasse, the Freedom Conference 
Most Valuable Player.  Varrasse averages 12.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds 
and 3.4 steals per game.  Senior guard Nikki Kingston, a first team All-Freedom 
Conference this year and the 2002 conference MVP, averages 11.5 points, 5.0 
rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
	Up front, King's is led by 5-foot-11 senior forward Jen Wozniak, a second 
team All-Freedom Conference selection.  Wozniak leads the Lady Monarchs in scoring 
(15.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).

################################################################################

Monday, March 10, 2003

Game Times Set for NCAA Sectional Tournament

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Game times for this weekend's Mid-Atlantic and Northeast 
Regions Sectional semifinals and finals of the NCAA Division III Women's 
Basketball Championship tournament have been announced by King's College, the host 
institution.
	The first semifinal game Friday will pit the University of Southern Maine 
(26-3) against Bowdoin College (25-2) at 6:00 p.m.  Eastern Connecticut State 
University (25-4) will face King's College (24-3) in the second game at 8:00 p.m.
	The sectional final between the two semifinal winners will be Saturday 
evening starting at 7:00 p.m.
	The winner of the sectional tournament will advance to the NCAA Division III 
Women's Basketball Championship Finals in Terre Haute, Ind., the following 
weekend.

################################################################################

Sunday, March 9, 2003

King's College To Host NCAA Sectional Tournament

	GORHAM, Maine  --  King's College of Wilkes-Barre, Penn., has been selected 
to host the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions Sectional semifinals and finals of 
the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship tournament this Friday and 
Saturday (March 14-15).  The announcement was made by the NCAA Sunday afternoon.
	King's College, 24-3 on the season and a second-round winner over the 
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 82-67, will play Eastern Connecticut State 
University, 25-4 after defeating DeSales University, 65-61, in one semifinal game.
	The University of Southern Maine Huskies, 26-3 with their 72-54 win over 
Salem State College in a second round game, will take on Bowdoin College, 25-2, in 
the other semifinal.  Bowdoin defeated Emmanuel College, 73-50, in a second round 
game.
	The two semifinal winners will play Saturday for the right to advance to the 
Division III Finals being played in Terre Haute, Ind., March 21-22.
	Game times for the Sectional semifinals and finals, to be played in the 
3,200-seat Scandlon Gymnasium at King's College, will be announced Monday.
	Southern Maine is making its first trip to the "Sweet 16" since 2000 when it 
advanced to the national title game, and 12th trip since 1987.

################################################################################

Saturday, March 8, 2003

Southern Maine Advances to Sweet 16, Downs Salem State 72-54

	GORHAM, Maine -  Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a 
team-high 22 points to lead four Huskies in double figures and the University of 
Southern Maine cruised to a 72-54 triumph over the visiting Salem State College 
Vikings in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
	Southern Maine advances to the round of 16, where it will face Bowdoin 
College, which downed Emmanuel College, 73-50, this afternoon. The game will 
played on Friday, with the site and time to be determined. 
	Currently riding a 13-game winning streak, the Huskies improved to 26-3, 
while the Vikings, who saw their seven-game winning streak come to a halt, 
conclude the campaign with an overall slate of 23-6.
	Southern Maine led from start to finish, and sandwiched a 12-4 run around the 
intermission to turn a narrow 24-20 lead with 4:19 left in the first half into a 
commanding 36-24 advantage with 17:05 remaining in the game. 
	Salem State cut the deficit to 10 points on two occasions, with the final 
time occurring at 38-28, but could trim the margin no farther. The Huskies 
answered with a 12-3 run to forge a 50-31 lead with 11:17 to play in the game.
	The Vikings put together a final run and closed to within 52-41 on a driving 
lay up by senior guard Kara Smolinsky (Ashburnham, Mass.) with 8:17 to play in the 
game.
	However, the Huskies answered with six straight points, culminating with a 
pair of free throws from Jones to put the game out of reach at 58-41 with 6:46 to 
play in the contest.
	Southern Maine took its largest advantage at 70-49 with 1:38 remaining in the 
game.
	The Huskies held a slim 40-37 advantage on the boards, and converted on 25-49 
(.510) field goal attempts, while holding the Vikings to 20-64 shooting (.313)
	The Huskies received 13 points and eight rebounds from junior guard Meg 
Cressler (Appleton, Mass.), 12 points, seven boards, and five blocked shots from 
senior center Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine), and 11 points and six assists from 
freshman guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine).
	The Vikings received a game-high 23 points from Smolinsky, while freshman 
center Estrella Kuilan (Lowell, Mass.) contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.

################################################################################

Sunday, March 2, 2003

USM Huskies Receive First Round Bye in NCAA Tournament

	GORHAM, Maine  --  The University of Southern Maine Huskies, champions of the 
Little East Conference, have received a first round bye for the upcoming 2003 
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Women's Basketball 
Championship tournament, and will host a second round game on Saturday, March 8.  
	Pairings for the entire 50-team field were announced by Becky Geyer, 
chairperson of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee, and Donnie 
Wagner, Assistant Director of Championships and NCAA liaison to the selection 
committee, late Sunday night.
	Southern Maine, 25-3 overall, earned one of the 37 automatic qualifier berths 
by winning its seventh consecutive Little East Conference championship, beating 
Plymouth State College, 75-64, on Saturday.  USM is one of six schools from the 
Northeast Region to earn an automatic berth by winning its conference tournament.  
The Huskies are making their ninth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, and 
17th trip to the big dance in the last 18 years.
	Other schools in the Northeast Region to earn automatic berths were Salem 
State College (22-5), champion of the Massachusetts State College Athletic 
Conference; Emmanuel College (25-3), champion of the Great Northeast Atlantic 
Conference; Springfield College (20-8), champion of the New England Women's and 
Men's Athletic Conference; Bowdoin College (24-2), champion of the New England 
Small College Athletic Conference; and Salve Regina University (25-3), champion of 
the Commonwealth Coast Conference.
	Eastern Connecticut State University (23-4) received one of the seven Pool C 
at-large berths to make the field of 50.
	First round games, to be played Wednesday, have Springfield traveling to 
Salem State with the winner to play Southern Maine.  Salve Regina will play at 
Emmanuel with the winner taking on Bowdoin.
	Eastern Connecticut will host a first round game against SUNY Farmingdale.


                  NCAA Division III Northeast Region Tournament
First Round Games, Wednesday, March 5
Springfield at Salem State                                               tba
Salve Regina at Emmanuel                                                 tba

Second Round Games, Saturday, March 8
Salve Regina-Emmanuel winner at Bowdoin                                  tba
Springfield-Salem State winner at Southern Maine                        2:00


            NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament

Who:     University of Southern Maine  vs.  Winner of Springfield at Salem State
When:    Saturday, March 8, 2003    (2:00 p.m.)
Where:   Warren G. Hill Gymnasium,  Gorham, Maine

Team Info:  Southern Maine  25-3 overall, 13-1 Little East Conference (first 
place)
            Little East tournament champion (seventh consecutive year)
            9th straight NCAA tournament appearance, 17th in the last 18 years 
               since moving from NAIA to NCAA in 1985.
            All-time record in NCAA play is 28-17.
            Best finishes - 2nd place in 1998 and 2000
               4th place in 1988
            Last year - Lost to Emmanuel College in the first round
            Head Coach:  Gary Fifield  (Vermont '74,  396-70 (.850 pct.) overall 
               collegiate record)

Scoring Leaders: - Tiffany Jones, Frosh, F, 18.3 ppg;  Meg Cressler, Jr., G, 11.4 
            ppg;  Jess Libby, Sr., F/G, 9.2 ppg;  Nikki Allen, Soph., F, 7.2 ppg;  
            Kara Crocket, Sr., F, 6.4 ppg;  Katie Frost, Frosh., G, 6.2 ppg
Rebounding Leaders - Cressler, 6.8 rpg;  Crockett, 6.1 rpg;  Libby, 5.1 rpg;  
            Jones, 4.2 rpg.
Assist Leaders - Cressler, 3.6 apg;  Frost, 2.8 apg;  Libby, 2.6 apg

################################################################################

Saturday, March 1, 2003

Southern Maine Captures 7th Consecutive Little East Conference Crown
Huskies Defeat Plymouth State, 75-64, in Championship Game

	GORHAM, Maine -  Freshman Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) earned Tournament 
Most Outstanding Performer honors after scoring a game-high 24 points, including 
16 in the second half, and hauling in a team-co-high eight rebounds to lead the 
University of Southern Maine Huskies to their seventh consecutive Little East 
Conference Tournament title with a 75-64 win over the Plymouth State College 
Panthers Saturday afternoon at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
	In the 17-year history of the Conference Tournament, the Huskies have now won 
the title 14 times, and will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA 
Tournament.  It will be the Huskies ninth consecutive appearance in the NCAA 
Tournament and their 17th overall.  Pairings, dates and times for the 50-member 
Tournament field will be announced tomorrow evening.
	In addition, Southern Maine extended its current winning streak to 12 in a 
row to improve to 25-3.  Plymouth State slips to 20-8.
	Southern Maine took its largest lead of the game at 53-43, when sophomore 
guard Kristen Tong (Swanzey, N.H.) scored a spinning layup and converted the 
ensuing free throw with 10:51 to play. 
	The Panthers answered with an 11-3 run, culminating on a driving layup by 
senior guard Jenn Pelletier (Derry, N.H.) run to pull within 56-54 with 8:29 
remaining. However, the Panthers would cut the deficit no further.
	Southern Maine went up by as many as eight points on two occasions, with the 
final time occurring at 66-58 with 2:30 to play. A three-pointer by junior guard 
Brandy Adams (Jaffrey, N.H.) cut the deficit to 66-61 with 2:10 remaining.
	The Huskies closed out the game with a 9-3 run, connecting on 7-of-8 foul 
shots down the stretch to account for the 75-64 final.
	Southern Maine closed out the first half with a 7-0 run to take a 34-28 
advantage into the break. The six point lead represented the largest advantage 
either side had enjoyed in the first half, which featured six ties and nine lead 
changes. 
	The Huskies' halftime lead was on the strength of their outside shooting. Six 
players combined to score nine three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Overall, 
Southern Maine scored just 11 first half baskets.
	Junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) added 18 points, eight rebounds 
and four assists, while senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) contributed nine 
points and nine rebounds.
	Plymouth State was paced by senior forward Whitney Morin (Derby Line, VT), 
who scored 21 points, while senior forward Courtney Albert (Hudson, N.H.) 
contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Pelletier added 12 points.

################################################################################

Friday, February 28, 2003

Southern Maine Survives Keene State, 53-48, 
USM Will Face Plymouth State in Saturday's Final

	GORHAM, Maine -  Senior forward Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) collected a 
defensive rebound, was fouled, and drained a pair of free throws with nine seconds 
remaining to ice the University of Southern Maine's 53-48 triumph over the Keene 
State College Owls in the semifinal round of the Little East Conference Playoffs.
	Triumphant in 11 consecutive contests, the Huskies advance to tomorrow's 
title tilt (3:00 pm) where they will face the third-seeded Plymouth State College 
Panthers (20-7), who scored an 87-85 upset over Eastern Connecticut in overtime of 
the first semifinal game. Southern Maine improves to 24-3, while Keene State 
College falls to 16-11.
	Southern Maine had an opportunity to extend a 49-48 lead with 40 seconds 
remaining, but freshman Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) missed the first of a 
one-and-one foul shot. However, the Huskies retained possession when Crockett 
hauled in the rebound.
	The possession concluded with freshman Katie Frost (Calais, Maine) sinking a 
pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to give the Huskies a 51-48 lead.
	Keene State worked the ball inside, but senior guard Julie Tardif's 
(Atkinson, N.H.) short jumper hit the iron and bounced out and into the hands of 
Crockett with nine seconds to play.
	Southern Maine held a 49-44 advantage with 4:16 remaining, but a pair of 
baskets from senior forward Hayley Alaimo (Ellington, Conn.) pulled the Owls 
within 49-48 with 2:39 to play. With her second basket Alaimo eclipsed the 1,000-
career point plateau.
	The game was close from start to finish with neither team leading by more 
than six points. The Huskies twice held a six-point lead in the second half, with 
the final time occurring at 45-39 with 5:38 to play.
	Keene State led throughout much of the early minutes, before Southern Maine 
took the lead for good at 12-11 on a layup by Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) 9:40 
remaining in opening half. The Owls rallied to tie the affair twice, but could 
never regain the lead. The final tie came at 26-26 on a basket by freshman guard 
Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.) with 17:59 to play in the game. 
Senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) answered with a short jumper to ignite a 
4-0 lead, and the Huskies never trailed the remainder of the contest.
	Jones led all players with 20 points, while Crockett added 6 points, 12 
rebounds and 4 blocks, and junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) contributed 
7 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. 
	Keene State was led by Alaimo, who tallied 15 points, while freshman Liz 
Donnelly (Littleton, N.H.) added 12 points.

################################################################################

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Southern Maine Ambushes RIC, 92-26 Advances to LEC Tournament Semifinals

	GORHAM, Maine -  All 13 Huskies contributed at least one point as the 
University of Southern Maine recorded the largest margin of victory in Little East 
Conference Tournament history with a resounding 92-26 triumph over the visiting 
Rhode Island College Anchorwoman Tuesday night at the Hill Gym.
	Southern Maine, which improved to 23-3 and extended its current winning 
streak to 10 games, will host this weekend's semifinals and championship game, and 
will entertain Keene State College in a semifinal match-up on Friday evening (8:00 
pm). The other semifinal (6:00 pm) will pit Plymouth State College against Eastern 
Connecticut State University.
	Rhode Island College concludes the year at 3-23.
	The 66-point margin of victory eclipses the former record of 57 points, 
established by Southern Maine in an 81-24 triumph over UMass Boston in 1999. 
	Rhode Island was in trouble before the game began, as it entered the contest 
with but six players in uniform. The Anchorwomen's fortunes quickly turned from 
bad to worse, when the Huskies opened the contest with a 23-0 run, capped by a 
layup from freshman Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine) with 7:15 remaining in the 
first half.
	Rhode Island answered on its ensuing possession, scoring its first points of 
the contest on a layup by freshman guard Lynn Bertherman (North Smithfield, R.I.). 
	After taking a 40-12 lead into the break, Southern Maine opened the second 
half with a 27-3 run to build a 67-15 lead with 11:54 remaining.
	Southern Maine's largest lead was 66 points, which they held on three 
occasions including the final score.
	Freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) led the Huskies with 15 
points, while sophomore Nicole Judkins (Fort Drum, N.Y.) came off the bench to 
score 12 points and collect 10 rebounds, and freshman Jess Cyr (Caribou, Maine) 
added 10 points.
	Rode Island College was led by junior guard Angela Sarette (Putnam, Conn.) 
and freshman forward Liz Barrette (North Providence, R.I.), who tallied nine 
points apiece.

################################################################################

Monday, February 24, 2003

Tiffany Jones Named LEC Rookie of the Week for the 9th Time

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) of the 
University of Southern Maine women's basketball team has been named the Little 
East Conference Rookie of the Week for the second straight week, and the ninth 
time this season, for her standout play the week of February 17-23.  The 
announcement was made by the conference office Monday afternoon.
	The 5-foot-9 Jones averaged 16.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in two games last 
week to help the Huskies to a pair of wins, including a 71-66 triumph over Eastern 
Connecticut State University on Saturday to give USM the Little East Conference 
regular season title and top seed in the championship tournament.
	Against UMass Boston last Tuesday (Feb. 18), Jones had 14 points, three 
rebounds and two assists in the Huskies' 67-53 win.  Against Eastern Connecticut, 
she had a game-high 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.  For the two games, 
she shot 46.2 percent (12 of 26) from the floor.
	The leading scorer in the Little East Conference, Jones is averaging 18.5 
points per game heading into Tuesday night's first round playoff game against 
eighth-seeded Rhode Island College.  Jones also is averaging 4.1 rebounds a game, 
has 45 assists, 37 steals and 35 three-point field goals.
	She is shooting 48.4 percent (150 of 310) from the floor, including 31.8 
percent (35 of 110) from beyond the three-point arc, and 74.7 percent (127 of 170) 
at the foul line.  Jones leads the LEC in scoring, is fifth in field goal 
percentage and seventh in free throw percentage.
	Southern Maine is 22-3 on the season and finished the Little East Conference 
regular season with a 13-1 mark.

################################################################################

Saturday, February 22, 2003

Southern Maine Wins LEC Regular-Season Title, Downs Eastern Connecticut, 71-66

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a 
game-high 19 points and the University of Southern Maine Huskies held off the 
Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to capture the Little East 
Conference regular season title with a 71-66 triumph on Saturday afternoon at the 
Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
	Southern Maine extended its current winning streak to nine in a row, and 
concluded the regular season with an overall mark of 22-3 and a league slate of 
13-1.  The league title is the Huskies' first outright since the 1998-99 campaign. 
Southern Maine had shared the regular-season title with Eastern Connecticut in 
each of the past two years.  Overall, in the 17-year history of the league, the 
Huskies have won or shared the regular-season title on 15 occasions.
	Southern Maine will entertain eighth-seeded Rhode Island College on Tuesday 
night in the opening round of the LEC Tournament.  If the Huskies win that game, 
they will host the semifinals and finals to be played on Friday and Saturday.  
Eastern Connecticut, which had its nine-game unbeaten streak come to a halt, 
concludes the year at 22-3 and 12-2, and will host seventh-seeded UMass Dartmouth 
on Tuesday night.
	A three-pointer by Kristen Tong (Swanzey, N.H.) gave Southern Maine its 
largest lead of the second half at 62-50 with 3:58 remaining.  However, it would 
be the Huskies' last basket of the game.  Eastern Connecticut responded with an 
11-2 run to pull within 64-61 with 1:32 to play. 
	The Huskies iced the game at the free throw line, where they made 7-of-8 foul 
shots down the stretch.
	Eastern Connecticut held a 42-33 advantage on the glass, but Southern Maine 
connected on 22-41 (.537) field goals, while limiting the Warriors to 23-75 
(.307).  Eastern Connecticut actually outscored Southern Maine from the floor by a 
50-47 margin.  Southern Maine made up the difference at the line where the made 
24-32 (.750), while Eastern Connecticut made 16-20 (.800).
	Senior Morgan Perry (Scotland, Conn.) lead the Warriors with 17 points, while 
juniors Allison Coleman (Scotland, Conn.) and Kathleen Burdelski (Newington, 
Conn.) contributed 13 points apiece.
	Southern Maine received 17 points and eight rebounds from junior guard Meg 
Cressler (Appleton, Maine), 14 points from Tong, and 11 points from senior forward 
Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine).

################################################################################

Tuesday, February 18, 2003

Southern Maine Holds Off UMass Boston, 67-53

	GORHAM, Maine - Senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) shared a game-high 
scoring honors with 15 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds to lead the 
University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 67-53 triumph over the visiting 
University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons in Little East Conference action on 
Tuesday night at the Hill Gym
	The win was the eighth consecutive for Southern Maine, which improved to 21-3 
overall and 12-1 in the conference, while UMass Boston fell to 13-12 and 6-7.  The 
teams close out the regular season on Saturday, when the Huskies entertain the 
Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State to determine first place in the regular 
season and the number-one seed at next week's conference tournament, while the 
Beacons travel to Western Connecticut.
	Southern Maine never trailed, but struggled to gain control of the contest. A 
pair of free throws from senior center Jamilia Gales (Boston, Mass.) pulled the 
Beacons within 29-27 with 1:43 remaining in the half.
	However, the Huskies closed out the frame with five straight points to take a 
34-27 margin into the break, and opened the second half with four consecutive 
points to forge a 38-27 advantage with 17:32 to play.   
	The Beacons cut the deficit to eight points on three occasions, with the 
final time coming at 46-38 on a three-pointer by senior guard Kristen Bowes 
(Quincy, Mass.) with 13:05 to play.
	Southern Maine responded with a 14-2 run to build a commanding 60-40. The 
Huskies took their largest lead at 63-42 on a pair of free throws by freshman 
guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) with 4:01 to play, but UMass Boston closed 
out the contest with a 10-4 run to account for the 67-53 final.
	The Beacons held a commanding 50-33 advantage on the glass, but were held to 
just 18 field goals on 64 attempts (.281).
	The Huskies received 14 points from Jones and junior forward Nikki Allen 
(Blue Hill, Maine), while  the Beacons were paced by Gales, who tallied 15 points 
and 13 boards, while senior forward Andreen Gilpin (Boston, Mass.) contributed 14 
points and 21 rebounds, and freshman guard Elmina Darville (Randolph, Mass.) added 
10 points.

################################################################################

Monday, February 17, 2003

USM's Tiffany Jones Named Little East Conference Rookie of the Week
Also Shares MWBCA Player of the Week Honors

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) of the 
University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team has been named the 
Little East Conference Rookie of the Week for the eighth time this season for her 
standout play the week of February 10-16.  The announcement was made Monday 
afternoon.
	In addition, Jones was also named Co-Player of the Week by the Maine Women's 
Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA).  She shared that award with senior Sarah 
Walsh of Colby College.  It was the second time this season that Jones has been 
named MWBCA Co-Player of the Week.  She also has been named MWBCA Rookie of the 
Week, or Co-Rookie of the Week, on four occasions.
	Jones garnered her latest weekly honors on the strength of her 40-point 
effort in the Huskies' 100-61 victory over Plymouth State College.  The 5-foot-9 
small forward connected on 17 of 24 shots from the floor, including a pair of 
three-pointers, and 4 of 5 free throws.  The 40-point game was the second highest 
single-game total in school history, eclipsed only by Maureen Burchill's school 
record 47 points against Western New England College in February 1985.  Jones' 17 
field goals were one shy of Burchill's single-game record of 18.
	Against Rhode Island College, Jones tossed in 10 points to help the Huskies 
defeat the Anchorwomen, 64-49, for their 20th win of the season.  The 20-win 
season extended the Huskies' NCAA Division III record for consecutive 20-win 
seasons to 23 (1980-81 through present).
	For the season, Jones, the leading scorer in the Little East Conference, is 
averaging 18.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.  She is shooting 48.6 percent 
(138 for 284) from the floor, including 32.7 percent (35 for 107) from beyond the 
three-point arc, and 76.1 percent (118 for 155) from the foul line.
	Southern Maine returns to action tomorrow night (Tuesday, February 18) when 
its host Little East rival, the University of Massachusetts Boston, at 5:30 p.m.  
The Huskies close out the 2002-03 regular season on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. 
contest against Eastern Connecticut State University.

################################################################################

Saturday, February 15, 2003

Southern Maine Shrugs off Rhode Island College, 64-49
Huskies Win 20th Game to Extend NCAA Record for 20-Win Seasons

	PROVIDENCE  --  Junior guard Meg Cressler hauled in a career-high 18 rebounds 
and added 12 points and the University of Southern Maine Huskies overcame a slow 
start to extend their current winning streak to seven in a row with a 64-49 
triumph over the host Rhode Island College Anchorwomen in Little East Conference 
action on Saturday afternoon in Providence.
	Southern Maine improves to 20-3 overall and 11-1 in the conference, while 
Rhode Island College falls to 3-20 and 1-11. Each team returns to action on 
Tuesday, when the Huskies play host to UMass Boston, while the Anchorwoman travel 
to UMass Dartmouth.
	Southern Maine extended its NCAA Division III record to 23 consecutive 
seasons with 20 or more wins.  The Huskies have won 20-or-more games every season 
since the 1980-81 campign.
	The Huskies trailed twice in the early going.  A driving lay up from the 
baseline by junior Liz Shields (Warwick, R.I.) gave the Anchorwomen their final 
lead of the afternoon at 8-6 with 14:14 remaining. Southern Maine responded with a 
16-1 run capped by a lay up off a rebound from Cressler to build a 22-9 lead with 
6:57 remaining in the half. Rhode Island cut the deficit to 24-14 with 4:15 
remaining, but Southern Maine rallied to take a 32-20 advantage into the halftime 
break.
	The Huskies maintained a double digit lead throughout the second half, and 
went up by as many as 19 points on two occasions. The final time came at 50-31 
with 11:24 to play in the half, when junior guard Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) 
stole the ball and dribbled in for an uncontested lay up. 
	Rhode Island College chipped away at the deficit and twice pulled to within 
12 points late in the game. The final time occurred at 61-49 with 1:33 remaining.
	The Anchorwoman connected on 20-47 (.426) field goals, while holding the 
Huskies to 25-67 (.373). However, the Huskies owned a commanding 48-28 advantage 
on the boards.
	Senior center Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) scored a game-high 14 points 
and added nine rebounds, while senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) 
contributed 13 points and freshman Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) added 10 
points. 
	Rhode Island College was paced by sophomore Becca Bissonnette (Danielson, 
Conn.), who tallied 13 points, while Shields added 13 points. 

################################################################################

Thursday, February 11, 2003

Southern Maine Runs Away From Plymouth State, 100-61

	GORHAM, Maine  -  Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a 
career-high 40 points and the University of Southern Maine Huskies led from start 
to finish en route to an easy 100-61 triumph over the visiting Plymouth State 
College Panthers in Little East Conference action Tuesday night at the Hill Gym.
	It marked the most points Southern Maine has scored since downing St. 
Joseph's by a 100-54 margin on February 12, 1997 (178 games ago).
	Southern Maine, which extended its current winning streak to six in a row, 
improved to 19-3 overall and 10-1 in the conference, while Plymouth State fell to 
14-7 overall and 7-4 in the league. The Panthers return to action on Thursday, 
when they entertain Newbury College. The Huskies' next game will be Saturday at 
Rhode Island College.
	Southern Maine broke the contest open early in the first half and was never 
seriously threatened. A short jumper from senior forward Heather Adey (Nashua, 
N.H.) pulled the Panthers to within 6-4 with 17:12 to play in the first half. 
However, the Huskies responded with a 20-2 run, to grab a commanding 26-6 
advantage with 13:02 to play in the half. Jones, who scored 15 of the Huskies' 20 
points during this stretch, finished the first half with 28 points.
	The Panthers pulled to within 26-9 on a three-pointer from Jenn Pelletier 
(Derry, N.H.) with 13:02 to play, but they would cut the deficit no further the 
rest of the way. The Huskies continued to extend their advantage, and entered the 
break enjoying their largest lead of the half, 56-24. 
	The Huskies continued to pull away in the second half, and took their largest 
lead of the game at 95-54 on a three-pointer from freshman guard Donna Cowing 
(Weeks Mills, Maine) with 4:38 to play.
	Sophomore forward Coley Stetler (Lamoine, Maine) scored on a follow-up with 3 
seconds remaining to account for the 100-61 final.
	Southern Maine converted on 40-75 (.533) field goals, while limiting Plymouth 
State to 20-62 (.258). The Huskies also forced the Panthers into 29 turnovers.
	Junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) added 16 points and six assists, 
while senior Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) contributed 14 points, and senior Kara 
Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) led all players with eight rebounds.
	Plymouth State was led by senior guard Whitney Morin (Derby Line, Vt.), who 
finished with 13 points to improve her career-scoring total to 1,002 points. 
Senior forward Courtney Albert (Hudson, N.H.) added 10 points for the Panthers.

################################################################################

Saturday, February 8, 2003

Southern Maine Trounces UMass Dartmouth, 76-44

	NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) scored a 
game-high 18 points to lead three players in double figures as the University of 
Southern Maine Huskies led from start to finish en route to an easy 76-44 triumph 
over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs in Little East Conference 
action Saturday afternoon at North Dartmouth, Mass.
	Southern Maine, which has won five straight and 10-of-11, improved to 18-3 
overall and 9-1 in the LEC.  UMass Dartmouth fell to 4-16 overall and 1-9 in the 
conference.  The teams return to action on Tuesday night, when Southern Maine 
plays host to Plymouth State, while UMass Dartmouth travels to UMass Boston.
	The Huskies jumped to an early 11-5 lead behind the outside shooting of 
Libby, who scored eight of the team's points. The Corsairs pulled to within 11-7 
on a short jumper from freshman guard Celina Vital (Cambridge, Mass.) with 13:45 
remaining, but they would cut the deficit no further.
	A lay up from junior guard Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) capped a 14-5 run, 
and gave the Huskies a 25-12 lead with 7:22 to play. Southern Maine went up by as 
many as 16 points on two occasions in the first half, with the final time 
occurring on a pair of free throws by freshman Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine) 
with 9.9 seconds remaining to send the Huskies into the halftime break enjoying a 
36-20 advantage. 
	The Corsairs twice cut the deficit to 13 points in the second half.  A short 
jumper by junior forward Amy Satkevich (Quincy, Mass.) pulled UMass Dartmouth 
within 43-30 with 15:50 to play, but the Huskies responded with a 14-6 run to grab 
a 59-38 lead with 9:36 remaining and put the game out of reach. 
	The Huskies took their largest lead at 76-41 on a pair of free throws from 
Cowing with 1:40 remaining.
	Southern Maine converted on 26-53 field goal attempts (.491), while holding 
UMass Dartmouth to just 17 field goals on 56 attempts (.304).
	Allen and junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) each contributed 10 
points, while senior forward Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) hauled in a game-high 
11 rebounds for Southern Maine.  Satkevich scored a team-high eight points for 
UMass Dartmouth, and sophomore forward Maura Armstrong (Worcester, Mass.) 
collected a team-high eight rebounds.

################################################################################

Wednesday, February 5, 2003

Southern Maine Cruises By St. Joe's, 77-54

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a 
team-high 19 points and the University of Southern Maine Huskies led from start to 
finish en route to a 77-54 triumph over the visiting St. Joseph's College Monks in 
non-league action on Wednesday evening at the Hill Gym.
	The win was the fourth straight and ninth in 10 outings for Southern Maine, 
which improved to 17-3 overall, and will resume the Little East Conference portion 
of its schedule on Saturday when tit travels to UMass Dartmouth.  St. Joe's, which 
fell to 12-7, will entertain Lasell on Saturday.
	The Huskies took control of the contest midway through the first half. After 
a short jumper by junior forward Morgan Brownlee (Portland, Maine) pulled the 
Monks within 16-15 with 11:02 to play, the Huskies answered with a 15-4 run to 
forge a 31-19 advantage on a layup by senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) 
with 5:30 remaining.
	The Monks closed to within 31-23 on a pair of free throws from junior center 
Abbie Rice (South Portland, Maine) with 4:25 remaining. The Huskies closed out the 
half with a 10-6 run culminating on a three-pointer from Libby to take a 41-29 
edge into the break. 
	The Huskies gradually added to their margin throughout the second half, and 
enjoyed their largest advantage at 67-42 with 9:43 to play on a rebound and basket 
from junior forward Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine).
	St. Joe's pulled to within 20 points on two occasions, with the final time 
occurring at 71-51 on a three pointer by sophomore forward Laura Pelkey (Palmyra, 
Maine) with 5:19 remaining.
	Both teams registered strong shooting performances, with the Huskies 
connecting on 32-60 (.621) field goal attempts, including 18-29 (.621) in the 
first half, while the Monks made 18-40 (.450).
	Joining Jones in double figures in points were sophomore guard Kristen Tong 
(Swanzey, N.H.) and Libby, who tallied 11 points apiece. St. Joe's was paced by 
Rice, who led all players with 23 points, while Pelkey contributed 13 points.

################################################################################

Monday, February 3, 2003

USM's Tiffany Jones Earns Seventh LEC Rookie of the Week Award
Also Named MWBCA Co-Player of the Week

	GORHAM, Maine  -  After averaging 28.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game to 
lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a pair of Little East Conference 
road wins last week, freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) has been 
cited by a pair of women's basketball organizations.
	She was selected as the LEC Rookie of the Week for the fifth consecutive week 
and seventh time overall this year, while she was additionally recognized as the 
Co-Player of the of the Week by the Maine Women's College Basketball Coaches 
Association. She shared the honor with University of New England junior center 
Missy Stults (Goshen, IN).
	Jones connected on 8-13 (.615) field goal attempts and 11-14 (.786) free 
throws en route to a 30-point outing in the 65-50 win at Keene State College. She 
scored but three points in the opening half, before exploding for 27 second-half 
points. Included in her totals were a pair of free throws with under four minutes 
to play, to give the Huskies the lead for good at 60-58 with 3:52 remaining.
	Earlier in the week, Jones tallied 26 points, hauled in nine rebounds, and 
sank a single-game, school-record 16 free throws, as Southern Maine rolled to a 
72-52 triumph at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In the two games, she 
made 13-24 (.542) field goals, and 27-32 (.844) free throws.
	On the year, Jones currently leads the conference in scoring (18.7 per game), 
while she is third on the team in free throw percentage (104-136; .765), second in 
shooting percentage (110-228; .482), and fourth in rebounds (4.4).
	Her efforts have helped Southern Maine compile a 16-3 mark overall and an 8-1 
slate in the Little East Conference, where it is tied for first with Eastern 
Connecticut State University.
	The Huskies will entertain St. Joseph's College on Wednesday, February 5, 
before resuming their LEC schedule with a trip to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday 
afternoon.

################################################################################

Saturday, February 1, 2003

Tiffany Jones Scores 30, Southern Maine Downs Keene State, 65-60

	KEENE, N.H. - Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a 
game-high 30 points, including 27 in the second half, to lead the visiting 
University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 65-60 come-from-behind triumph over the 
Keene State College Owls in Little East Conference action on Saturday afternoon.
	Southern Maine improves to 16-3 overall and 8-1 in the conference, and 
returns to action on Wednesday when it entertains St. Joseph's College. Keene 
State slipped to 12-7 overall and 4-5 in the league, and will host Williams on 
Tuesday.
	Leading 34-28 at the break, Keene State scored six straight points to take 
its largest lead of the second half 42-30 with 16:42 remaining. Southern Maine 
answered with a 13-0 run to grab the lead at 43-42 with 13:43 to play. Jones, who 
scored three first half points, contributed 12 points to the run, including the go 
ahead lay up.
	The Owls regained the lead on their ensuing possession, and eventually took a 
55-48 advantage on a baseline three-pointer from freshman guard Liz Donnelly 
(Littleton, N.H.) with 9:05 remaining.
	Southern Maine responded with a 15-3 run, to forge a 63-58 advantage with 
2:24 to play. Jones scored 11 of the team's 15 points, including a pair of free 
throws to give the Huskies the lead for good at 60-58 with 3:52 to play. 
	Keene State pulled to within 63-60 with 2:03 remaining on a lay-up by 
freshman guard Brittany Faulkner (Lebanon, N.H.), but could trim the deficit no 
further. Jones sank a single free throw with 16.2 seconds remaining and another 
one with 1.9 seconds to play to account for the 65-60 final. 
	In the first half, Southern Maine's only lead was at 2-0 on a short jumper 
from junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) at 19:42. Keene State scored the game's 
ensuing 16 points to grab its largest lead of the contest at 16-2 with 15:34 
remaining.
	The Huskies slowly chipped away at the deficit, and pulled to within six 
points on three occasions with the final time occurring at 34-28, when senior 
forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) banked a three-pointer from half court at the 
buzzer.
	Keene State outscored Southern Maine by a 58-43 margin from the floor, but 
the Huskies made 22-29 (.759) free throws, while the Owls were awarded just four 
foul shots and made two.
	Cressler contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, while senior forward Kara 
Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) added six points and a game-co-high nine rebounds for 
the Huskies.
	The Owls were paced by senior forward Hayley Alaimo (Ellington, Conn.), who 
scored a team-high 20 points, and freshman forward Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H.). 
who contributed 10 points. Senior guard Julie Tardif (Atkinson, N.H.) and junior 
forward Andrea Arsenault (Dover, N.H.) each grabbed nine rebounds. 

################################################################################

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Jones Leads Huskies Past Beacons 72-52

	BOSTON  --  Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) poured in a 
game-high 26 points, including a school single-game record 16 free throws, to 
lead the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 72-52 victory over 
the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons in a Little East Conference 
contest Tuesday night at the Clark Athletic Center.
	The win improved the Huskies overall mark to 15-3 and 7-1 in Little East 
play.  Southern Maine has won its last two, seven of its last eight and 12 of 
its last 14 games.  UMass Boston, one of the league’s most improved team’s this 
season, dropped its third straight game to slip to 10-7 overall and 4-4 in the 
Little East.
	Jones scored the game’s opening basket to give the Huskies the lead for 
good just 22 seconds into the contest.  UMass Boston pulled within one (8-7) on 
a three-point shot by senior Felicia Haynes (Hyde Park, Mass.) before USM took 
command with an 8-0 run, highlighted by a pair of baskets by sophomore forward 
Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine).  UMB would get no closer than five (16-11) the 
rest of the first half.
	Southern Maine shot 52 percent (13 for 25) and used a stifling defense 
that held the Beacons to 23 percent shooting (7 for 31) in the opening half to 
build a 34-18 lead at the break.
	The Huskies protected their double-digit lead throughout the second half 
before busting the game open in the final three minutes.  Leading by 10 (60-50) 
after a Haynes basket with 4:12 to play, the Huskies put together a 10-0 run to 
ice the game.  Jones had the last eight points in the run, including six-for-six 
from the foul line.
	Jones finished the night hitting on 5-of-11 shots from the floor and 16-
of-18 free throw attempts.  The 5-foot-9 rookie was a perfect 14-of-14 from the 
line in the second half.  The 16 free throws made is a USM single-game record, 
breaking the previous mark of 14 held by three players, including Jones who made 
14 at Bowdoin earlier in the season.
	Junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) had another strong all-around game 
for USM scoring 15 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out a game-high seven 
assists and making six steals.
	Haynes was the only member of the Beacons to reach double figures, 
finishing the game with 19 points. She also grabbed 10 rebounds.  Senior forward 
Andreen Gilpin (Boston, Mass.) had a game-high 11 rebounds.
	Southern Maine finished the game shooting 42 percent from the floor (20 
for 47) and 73 percent from the foul line (29 for 40).  The Huskies connected on 
22-of-23 charity tosses in the second half.  UMass Boston improved its shooting 
in the second half to finish game hitting on 30 percent (20 of 66) of its shots 
from the floor.  UMB went to the line just 10 times.  The Beacons, the top 
rebounding team in the Little East, did enjoy a 45-38 advantage on the boards.
	The Huskies hit the road again this Saturday when they travel to Keene 
(N.H.) State College (1:00 p.m.) for another Little East game.  UMass Boston 
will host Springfield College (6:00 p.m.) in a non-conference contest on 
Thursday.  The two teams will meet again at USM on February 18.

################################################################################

Monday, January 27, 2003

USM's Tiffany Jones Earns Sixth LEC Rookie of the Week Award
Named MWBCA Co-Rookie of the Week

	GORHAM, Maine  -  After averaging 22.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in two outings 
last week, University of Southern Maine freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, 
Maine) has been recognized as the Rookie of the Week by a pair of basketball 
organizations.
	She was selected as the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week for the 
fourth straight week and sixth time overall this year, while she was additionally 
cited as the Maine Women's College Basketball Coaches Association Co-Rookie of the 
Week. She shared the honor with freshman guard Holly Gracie (Frankfort, Maine) of 
Husson College. Jones has now shared the state award three times and was the solo 
recipient once.
	She scored a team-high 26 points and collected four rebounds in the 77-66 
setback at Plymouth State College, before contributing 19 points in the 65-55 home 
win over Western Connecticut State University. In the two games she connected on 
18-37 (.486) field goals, including 8-15 (.533) against Western Connecticut. 
	On the year, Jones currently leads the Huskies in scoring (17.6 per game), 
while she is second in free throw percentage (77-104; .740), third in shooting 
percentage (97-204; .475), and fourth in rebounds (4.2).
	Her efforts have helped Southern Maine compile a 14-3 mark overall and a 6-1 
slate in the Little East Conference, where it isp tied for first with Eastern 
Connecticut State University.
The Huskies will play a pair of road games this week, traveling to UMass Boston on 
Tuesday and venturing to Keene State on Saturday, before returning home to face 
St. Joseph's on Wednesday, February 5.

################################################################################

Saturday, January 25, 2003

Southern Maine Holds Off Late Western Connecticut Rally, 65-55

	GORHAM, Maine  -  The University of Southern Maine Huskies built a 30-point 
second half lead and withstood a late rally by the Western Connecticut State 
University Colonials to post a 65-55 Little East Conference triumph Saturday 
afternoon at the Hill Gym.
	Southern Maine, which improved to 14-3 overall and 6-1 in the league, travels 
to UMass Boston on Tuesday, while Western Connecticut, which fell to 6-11 and 2-5, 
will play host to Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday.
	A driving lay up from freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) capped 
a 19-6 run to open the second half and gave Southern Maine a 49-19 advantage with 
13:35 to play. After junior forward Christin Morgatto (Seymour, Conn.) scored on a 
follow-up to cut the deficit to 49-21 at 13:32, sophomore forward Coley Stetler 
(Lamoine, Maine) restored the Huskies 30-point lead at 51-21 on a short jumper 
with 13:20 remaining.
	The teams traded baskets over the ensuing four-plus minutes, with Western 
Connecticut gradually pulling closer on the strength of its three-point shooting. 
Senior guard Tory Anderton (Ridgefield, Conn.) drained a base-line trey to pull 
the Colonials within 56-35 with 8:58 remaining.
	Southern Maine would go up by 23 points on two occasions, with the final time 
coming at 60-37 on a spinning lay up by junior forward Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, 
Maine) with 7:50 left to play.
	Western Connecticut answered with 10 straight points to ignite a game-ending 
18-5 run to account for the 65-55 final score.
	In the first half, the Huskies received at least two points from each member 
of the starting five to a grab a12-0 lead with 16:25 remaining. Freshman Alva 
Jeffreys (Bridgeport, Conn.) hit the second of two free throws to put the 
Colonials on the board at 12-1 with 15:21 to play.
	Southern Maine responded with a 9-0 run to grab a commanding 21-1 advantage 
on a lay up from  Stetler with 11:39 remaining.
	A jumper from senior guard Tory Anderton (Ridgefield, Conn.) pulled the 
Colonials within 23-8 with 7:10 remaining. However, The Huskies closed out the 
half with a 10-4 run to take a 33-12 advantage into the break.
Jones scored a game-high 19 points while Allen contributed 14 points, and junior 
guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) added eight points, seven rebounds and six 
assists for the Huskies.
	Western Connecticut was led by sophomore forward Kristie Brickner (Galway, 
N.Y.), who scored 13 points, while Morgatto added 10 points.

################################################################################

Tuesday, January 21, 2003

Plymouth State Hands Southern Maine First LEC Loss

	PLYMOUTH, N.H.  --  The Plymouth State College Panthers shot a blistering 56 
percent from the field in the second half to overcome a seven-point halftime 
deficit and defeated the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies 77-66 in a 
Little East Conference game at Foley Gymnasium Tuesday night.
	The win was the fourth straight for the Panthers who improved to 9-5 overall 
and 4-2 in the conference.  It was the Panthers third win at home in the last four 
seasons against the Huskies.  Southern Maine, which had its five-game winning 
streak snapped, slipped to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in Little East play.
	Trailing 36-29 at halftime, the Panthers chipped away at the Huskies' lead to 
tie the game at 40-40 on a pair of free throws by senior Courtney Albert (Hudson, 
N.H.).  The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes until senior Albert 
buried a three-point shot with 11:01 to play to give the hosts the lead (50-47) 
for good.
	Plymouth State pushed its advantage to 10 (61-51) with an 11-4 run over the 
next five minutes.  Southern Maine responded with a 9-4 run of its own, keyed by a 
pair of baskets from freshman Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) and a three-point 
shot by freshman Donna Cowing (Weeks Mills, Maine) to pulled back within five 
(65-60) with 3:09 left.
	PSC senior Jenn Pelletier (Derry, N.H.), who was held scoreless in the first 
half, hit her third three-point shot of the second half with 2:54 to play to break 
the Huskies momentum.  The Panthers converted 9 of 10 free throws from that point 
to seal the victory.
	In the opening half, Jones came out firing, scoring the Huskies first 13 
points as Southern Maine built a 13-8 lead.  The Panthers came back with a 15-9 
run over the next eight minutes to take a 23-22 lead.  The Huskies, sparked by a 
pair of three-points shots from senior Jess Libby (Orono, Maine), would outscore 
the Panthers 14-6 over the final four minutes to take a 36-29 lead to the locker 
room.
	Plymouth State hit on 14 of 25 shots from the floor in the second half, 
including 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, and converted 15 of 18 free throws.  In 
contrast, Southern Maine made just 13 of 38 shots (34 percent), including 3 of 18 
three-point tries, and had only two free throw attempts.
	Jones led all scorers with 26 points.  Junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) 
finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while Libby finished the 
night with 10 points.
	Albert led four PSC scorers in double figures with 20 points and grabbed a 
game-high 16 rebounds.  Pelletier and seniors Heather Adey (Nashua, N.H.) and 
Whitney Morin (Derby Line, Vt.) each had 12 points.
	Southern Maine returns home Saturday to face Western Connecticut State 
University.  Plymouth State travels to Colby-Sawyer College on Thursday.

################################################################################

Monday, January 20, 2003

USM's Tiffany Jones Earns Fifth LEC Rookie of the Week Award
Jones Also Named MWBCA Rookie of the Week for the Third Time

	GORHAM, Maine  -  After helping the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 
trio of triumphs last week (January 13-19), freshman forward Tiffany Jones 
(Skowhegan, Maine) has been cited as the Rookie of the Week by both the Little 
East Conference and the Maine Women's College Basketball Coaches Association.
	This marks the fifth time through the first seven weeks of the campaign that 
she has been honored by the LEC.  In addition, this marks her first solo state 
award.  On two occasions earlier this year she was recognized as the state's co-
rookie of the week.
	Jones averaged 19.7 points and 3.3 rebounds, while collecting three-game 
totals of six assists and five steals.  She connected on 21 of 41 field goal 
attempts (.512) and made 9 of 11 (.818) free throw attempts.  Her efforts helped 
the Huskies cruise to an 87-49 triumph over Rhode Island College, a narrow 54-51 
decision over Salem State College, and a 70-59 win at 13th-ranked Eastern 
Connecticut State University.
	The latter contest improved the Huskies to a perfect 5-0 in the Little East 
Conference, where they stand alone in first place, a full game in front of second-
place Eastern Connecticut (4-1).  Southern Maine, which has now won five 
consecutive contests, currently sports an overall mark of 13-2.
	In the win over Rhode Island College, Jones scored the team's first 15 points 
en route to a game-high 26-point effort in just 24 minutes of action.  She added 
20 points and four boards against Salem State, and 13 points and three assists at 
Eastern Connecticut.
	On the year, Jones currently leads the Huskies in scoring (16.9 per game), 
free throw percentage (73-98; .745) and field goal percentage (79-16; .473), while 
she is second in total steals (22) and fourth in rebounds (4.3 per game).
	The Huskies return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to league-rival 
Plymouth State College for a 5:30 p.m. contest.  The Huskies return to the Warren 
G. Hill Gymnasium University on Saturday afternoon to entertain Western 
Connecticut State University.

################################################################################

Saturday, January 18, 2003

Southern Maine Snaps Eastern Connecticut's 11-Game Winning Streak, 70-59

	WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Senior forward Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) registered 
career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds as the University of Southern Maine 
Huskies snapped the Eastern Connecticut State Warriors' 11-game winning streak 
with a 70-59 Little East Conference triumph on Saturday afternoon at Geissler Gym.
	Southern Maine, which has now won five straight and 10-of-11, improves to 
13-2 overall and grabs sole possession of first place in the LEC with a perfect 
5-0 mark.  Eastern Connecticut slips to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in the league.
	Junior forward Allison Coleman (Jewett City, Conn.) hit a baseline jumper to 
give the Warriors a 37-32 advantage with 16:28 remaining in the contest.  However, 
Southern Maine responded with an 8-2 run, culminating with a three-pointer from 
freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) to forge a 40-39 advantage with 
1:43 remaining.
	Eastern Connecticut regained the lead at 41-40 on its ensuing possession when 
junior forward Deanne Prior (Scituate, R.I.) drained a pair of free throws with 
12:13 remaining.  It would stand as the Warriors' final lead of the afternoon.
	Southern Maine took the lead for good at 42-41 on a steal and breakaway layup 
by junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) with 11:30 to play.  The basket 
sparked a 9-0 run, which concluded on a layup from Jones to give Southern Maine a 
49-41 advantage with 9:34 remaining. 
	Eastern Connecticut closed to within six points on two occasions, with the 
final time occurring at 56-50, when Prior sank two foul shots with 6:17 to play.  
Southern Maine answered with a driving layup from sophomore guard Kristen Tong 
(North Swanzey, N.H.) and a three pointer from Cressler to grab a commanding 61-50 
advantage with 3:43 left in the contest. 
	The Warriors pulled to within 61-54 on a baseline jumper from junior guard 
Kathleen Burdelski (Newington, Conn.) with 1:47 remaining, but Southern Maine 
connected on 9-10 free throws over the final 1:15 to seal the win.
	The Huskies connected on 14-26 (.538) second half field goal attempts, and 
finished the game by making 25-55 (.455), while holding the Warriors to 22 baskets 
on 56 attempts (.393).  Southern Maine additionally enjoyed a 36-31 advantage on 
the boards.
	Tong finished with a career-high 15 points, while Jones added 13 points and 
Cressler contributed nine points and 10 rebounds.
	Eastern Connecticut was paced by Coleman, who led all players with 26 points 
and a game-co-high 12 rebounds, while senior forward Morgan Perry (Scotland, 
Conn.) added 14 points and Prior finished with 12.
	The teams return to action on Tuesday when Southern Maine visits Plymouth 
State, while Eastern Connecticut entertains Keene State.  

################################################################################

Thursday, January 16, 2003

Jones Leads Huskies Past Vikings 54-51

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) shared 
game-high scoring honors with 20 points as the University of Southern Maine 
Huskies survived a second-half scare to defeat the Salem State College Vikings 
54-51 in a non-conference game Thursday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.
	The win was the fourth straight, and ninth in the last 10 games, for the 
Huskies who improved to 12-2 overall.  Salem State had its five-game winning 
streak stopped by the loss to fall to 7-3 overall.
	Leading 29-20 at the break, the Huskies expanded the advantage to 13 (35-22) 
with 15:42 to go as Jones buried a pair of three-point shots.
	Over the next seven minutes, the Vikings put together a 16-4 run to pull 
within one (39-38) after freshman center Estrella Kuilan (Lowell, Mass.) scored 
six consecutive points.
	Baskets by seniors Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) and Jess Libby (Orono, 
Maine) pushed the margin back up to five (43-38) in favor of the Huskies.
	Salem State came right back with a 9-3 run to take its first lead (47-46) 
since early in the first half when sophomore guard Gillian Almeida (Mattapoisett, 
Mass.) hit a three-point shot from the left side with 4:35 left to play. 
	After the teams traded baskets, the Huskies regained the lead for good as 
Libby and freshman Katie Frost (Calais, Maine) each made a pair of free throws.  
Kuilan's final basket with 2:19 to play got the Vikings back within one (52-51), 
but the only points scored by either team down the stretch were single free throws 
by junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) and Jones.
	In the first half, the Huskies took charge with a six-point spurt that broke 
an 8-8 tie as Libby hit a three-pointer and one of two free throws, and Jones had 
a basket.  USM's largest lead was 13 (29-16) on Jones' basket and follow-up free 
throw with 1:22 left.  Salem State scored the final four points of the half to get 
the deficit into single digits.
	Libby was the only other Southern Maine player to reach double figures, 
finishing with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
	Kuilan came off the bench to connect on 10 of 17 shots for 20 points to share 
game-high scoring honors Jones.  Senior Kara Smolinsky (Ashburnham, Mass.) 
finished with 11 points before fouling out with 1:32 to play.
	Southern Maine travels to Willimantic, Conn., on Saturday to battle Eastern 
Connecticut State University in a key Little East Conference contest.  Salem State 
opens up MASCAC play this Saturday at Fitchburg State.

################################################################################

Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Southern Maine Sinks Rhode Island College

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan) scored a game-high 
26 points and all 13 Huskies who entered the game tallied at least one point, as 
the University of Southern Maine rolled to an 87-49 Little East Conference triumph 
over the visiting Anchorwomen of Rhode Island College Tuesday night at the Hill 
Gym. 
	Southern Maine improves to 11-2 overall and remains unbeaten in the 
conference at 4-0, while Rhode Island College slips to 1-11 and 0-4. The teams 
return to action on Thursday, when Southern Maine concludes its three-game home 
stand by hosting Salem State College and Rhode Island College visits Pine Manor 
College
	After Rhode Island took a 2-0 lead at 19:10 on a short jumper by junior guard 
Abby Ferri (Greene, R.I.), the Huskies responded with a 25-7 run to grab a 25-9 
advantage with 11:53 to play in the half. Jones scored the Huskies' first 15 
points, and finished the first half with 22 points to give Southern Maine a 
comfortable 56-26 advantage at the break.
	The lead was never threatened in the second half, but Rhode Island did put 
together a 13-1 run late in the game to pull within 72-49 with 4:51 to play. 
However, the Huskies closed out the affair with a 15-0 run to account for the 
87-49 final.
	Sophomore forward Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine), who tallied 11 points, was 
the lone remaining Southern Maine player to register double figures in points. 
Junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) contributed nine points, while 
sophomore Nicole Judkins (Fort Drum, N.Y.) recorded career highs of eight points 
and 10 rebounds. 
	Rhode Island College received 14 points from sophomore forward Becca 
Bissonnette (Danielson, Conn.) and 13 points from Ferri.
	Southern Maine, which made but 23-60 (.383) field goals, connected on 12-26 
(.462) three pointers, while holding Rhode Island College to 19-65 (.292) 
shooting. Southern Maine also connected on 29-39 free throws (.743), while Rhode 
Island attempted but 13 foul shots and made nine (.692). The Huskies enjoyed a 
decided 51-38 advantage on the boards.   

################################################################################

Monday, January 13, 2003

USM's Tiffany Jones Earns Fourth LEC Rookie of the Week Award
Also Named MWBCA Co-Rookie of the Week

	GORHAM, Maine  - After leading the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 
pair of triumphs last week, freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) has 
been cited as the Rookie of the Week by a pair of women's basketball 
organizations.
	She earned Little East Conference Rookie of the Week honors for the fourth 
time through the first six weeks of the campaign, and also received Co-Rookie of 
the Week recognition from the Maine Women's College Basketball Coaches 
Association. She shared the honor with freshman guard Holly Gracie (Frankfort, 
Maine) of Husson College.
	Jones averaged 16.5 points, while connecting on 10-18 (.556) field goals and 
10-14 (.714) free throws, and collected six assists, four steals and two blocked 
shots to help the Huskies pull out a narrow, 67-66 triumph at Colby College and 
cruise to a convincing, 85-52 home triumph over LEC foe UMass Dartmouth.
	In the win over Colby, she accounted for the decisive point by sinking one-
of-two free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation. She finished the game 
with 17 points, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
	Against UMass Dartmouth, Jones contributed 16 points, four assists, two 
steals, a blocked shot and one rebound in just 16 minutes of action. After the 
Corsairs took a 2-0 lead in the opening minute, Jones responded with a three-
pointer to give the Huskies the lead for good.  
	On the year, Jones currently leads the Huskies in scoring (16.2 per game) and 
free throw percentage (64-87; .736), while she is third in total steals (17) and 
tied for third in rebounds (4.5 per game).
	Her efforts have helped Southern Maine post a 10-2 mark through the first 12 
games. In Little East Conference play, the Huskies are a perfect 3-0, where they 
remain tied for first with perennial rival Eastern Connecticut. 
	The Huskies return to action on Tuesday, when they entertain league-foe Rhode 
Island College at 5:30 p.m., before concluding their three-game home stand against 
Salem State College on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Southern Maine will close out the 
week with a trip to Eastern Connecticut on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

################################################################################

Saturday, January 11, 2003

Southern Maine Trounces UMass Dartmouth, 85-52

	GORHAM, Maine - The University of Southern Maine Huskies received points from 
13-of-14 players, including a game-high 18 points from freshman guard Katie Frost 
(Calais, Maine), and rolled to an easy 85-52 triumph over the visiting University 
of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs Saturday afternoon at the Warren G. Hill 
Gymnasium.
	The win improved Southern Maine's record to 10-2 and 3-0 in the Little East 
Conference, while UMass Dartmouth fell to 3-8 overall and 0-3. Each team returns 
to action on Tuesday, when the Huskies entertain Rhode Island College, and the 
Corsairs travel to Eastern Connecticut State University.
	Trailing 38-19 at the break, the Corsairs could whittle the deficit to no 
less than 18 points (44-26) on a short jumper by sophomore guard Maura Armstrong 
(Worcester, Mass.) at 18:15. The Huskies responded with a 19-4 run, highlighted by 
four three-pointers, including one from freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, 
Maine) with 12:40 remaining to grab a commanding 65-30 advantage.
	UMass Dartmouth trimmed the margin to 29 points on two occasions, with the 
final time coming at 71-42 with 7:36 remaining on a layup from junior guard Kelly 
O'Neil (Mansfield, Mass.).
	Freshman guard Dianna Thibaudeau (Sanford, Maine) sank the second of two free 
throws to give the Huskies their largest lead of the afternoon at 82-46 with 3:20 
to play.
	Southern Maine trailed only once in the contest, 2-0 on a long jumper by 
sophomore guard Bridget Bowes (Mansfield, Mass.) at 19:18 of the first half. 
However, the Huskies took the lead for good at 3-2 on the ensuing possession when 
Jones drained a three-pointer from the left baseline at 19:04. The basket sparked 
a 19-4 run for Southern Maine, culminating on a layup from junior guard Megan 
Cressler to give the Huskies a 19-6 lead with 13:58 to play in the half. 
	The Corsairs pulled to within 26-16 at 7:24, when freshman guard Sarah Lynch 
(Lakeville, Mass.) made the first of two foul shots, but the Huskies closed out 
the half with a 12-3 run to enter the intermission with a 38-19 advantage.
	Southern Maine held a decided 52-34 advantage on the boards and connected on 
14-17 (.824) free throws, while UMass Dartmouth made but 5-12 (.231) from the 
line.
	In addition to Frost, the Huskies received double digits in points from 
Jones, who had 16, and Cressler, who added 11. Freshman guard Donna Cowing (Weeks 
Mills, Maine) and sophomore forward Coley Stetler (Lamoine, Maine) each collected 
a team-co-high seven rebounds.
	The Corsairs were paced by Bowes, who scored 14 points, and freshman forward 
Stephanie Senat (Malden, Mass.) who added nine points and a game-high eight 
rebounds.

################################################################################

Tuesday, January 7, 2003
(courtesy of Colby Sports Information)

SOUTHERN MAINE WOMEN FIGHT BACK FOR WIN OVER COLBY
Jones Free Throw Gives Huskies 67-66 Win

	WATERVILLE, Maine --- Freshman forward Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) hit 
one of two free throws with 1.1 seconds left in regulation as University of 
Southern Maine battled back from a ten-point halftime deficit for a 67-66 win 
against Colby College in women's basketball Tuesday at Wadsworth Gymnasium.
	After Colby senior Drea DeAngelo (Cincinnati, Ohio) tied the game at 66-66 
with a three-point shot, Southern Maine (9-2) held for the last shot.  Jones, who 
drove to the basket and was fouled, made the first of two free throws for the 
winning margin.
	Jones finished with 17 points, including 8-for-12 shooting from the foul 
line.  Junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) and freshman guard Katie Frost 
(Calais, Maine) each finished with 10 points.  Cressler also dished out seven 
assists.
	DeAngelo had 11 of her game-high 19 points in the first half as Colby led by 
as many as 17 early and settled for a 38-28 halftime lead.  Senior Sarah Walsh 
(Catonsville, Md.) added 17 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals.  
Senior Bianca Belcher (Lewiston, Maine) had 10 points and nine assists, while 
sophomore Wendy Bonner (Lexington, Mass.) finished with eight points and 14 
rebounds.  Senior Christine O'Donnell (Salem, Mass.) had nine points and six 
rebounds for Colby.
	The Mules shot 53 percent from the field in the first half, but just 36 
percent in the second half.  The Huskies shot 43 percent for the game.  Colby also 
hurt its own cause with 24 turnovers compared to USM's 15.
	The Mules play at Bates College on Thursday at 7 p.m. while the Huskies are 
off until Saturday when they host the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in a 
Little East Conference game beginning at 1:00 p.m.

################################################################################

Monday, January 6, 2003

USM's Tiffany Jones Earns LEC Rookie of the Week Award

	GORHAM, Maine  - University of Southern Maine freshman guard Tiffany Jones 
(Skowhegan, Maine) has been named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week 
for her play in the Huskies' two games at the Naismith Classic hosted by 
Springfield College. 
	Jones averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, while connecting on 11-23 (.478) 
field goal attempts and 10-12 (.833) free throws. She converted 9-14 (.643) field 
goals, including 2-3 (.667) from beyond the three-point arc, en route to a game-
high 20-point, seven-rebound performance in the 74-51, opening-round win over 
Muhlenberg. In the title game, Jones contributed 12 points, nine rebounds, two 
assists and a blocked shot, as Southern Maine suffered a 56-51 setback to host 
Springfield College.
	This marks the third time in the first five weeks of the season that Jones 
has been cited as the league's top rookie. She currently leads the team in scoring 
(16.2 per game) and free throw percentage (54-73; .740), while she is third in 
rebounds (4.9 per game) and total steals (13). Among the conference leaders, she 
is fifth in scoring and third in free throw percentage.
	Her efforts have helped Southern Maine post an 8-2 mark through the first 10 
games. In Little East Conference play, the Huskies are a perfect 2-0. After seeing 
their five-game winning streak come to a halt at Springfield, the Huskies will 
look to rebound when they travel to Colby College on Tuesday night. Southern Maine 
will return home to face UMass Dartmouth on Saturday.

################################################################################

Sunday, January 5, 2003

Pride Edge Huskies 56-51 to Take Naismith Classic

	SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  --  Tournament MVP Carah Dawe's (North Dighton, Mass.) 
three-point play with 1:09 left in regulation broke a tie game and the Springfield 
College Pride hung on to defeat the 13th-ranked University of Southern Maine 
Huskies 56-51 in the championship game of the Eighth Annual Naismith Classic 
played at Springfield.
	The win was the fifth straight for the Pride who improved to 7-2 overall.  
The tournament title was the fourth for Springfield in the eight-year history of 
the tournament.  Southern Maine, playing in the tournament for the first time, had 
its five-game win streak stopped and fell to 8-2 overall.
	Southern Maine rallied from a seven-point deficit (51-44) with four minutes 
to play to tie the game at 51-51 on a layup and free throw by sophomore forward 
Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) with 1:34 to go.  Dawe responded with a driving 
layup and free throw of her own to give the Pride the lead for good.
	Springfield used a 9-2 run midway through the second half to take a 51-44 
advantage, forcing Southern Maine to play from behind.
	In the first half, Southern Maine raced out to a 7-2 lead in the first six 
minutes.  Springfield, sparked by Dawe's three-point shot, came back with a 14-6 
run to take a three-point lead (16-13).  There were five lead changes and three 
ties over the final six minutes of the half before the Huskies took a 27-26 
advantage to the locker room after a basket by freshman forward Tiffany Jones 
(Skowhegan, Maine).
	Allen, who played 36 minutes, led all scorers with 16 points.  Junior guard 
Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) added 13 points and Jones contributed 12 points and 
a game-high nine rebounds.
	Dawe was the lone Springfield player to reach double figures, finishing with 
13 points.  All nine Springfield players that saw action scored.
	The Huskies shot an ice-cold 21 percent (5 for 24) in the second half to 
finish the game shooting 28 percent (14 for 51), including connecting on just 5 of 
29 attempts from beyond the three-point line.  The Pride shot just 38 percent from 
the floor (20 for 53).  Southern Maine held its own on the boards against the 
bigger Pride, taking a 39-37 advantage.
	There were 12 lead changes and 12 ties during the contest.
	In the third place game, Muhlenberg College defeated College Misericordia 
78-72.
	Named along with Dawe to the all-tournament team were sophomore Lauren 
Jackson (Warwick, R.I.) of Springfield, Allen and Cressler of Southern Maine, 
senior Leslie Livingstone (Forty Fort, Penn.) of Misericordia and senior Randi 
Baran (Hazelton, Penn.) of Muhlenberg.
	Southern Maine travels to Colby College on Tuesday for its next game while 
Springfield hosts Williams College on Wednesday.

################################################################################

Saturday, January 4, 2003

Southern Maine Knocks off Muhlenberg 74-51; Advances to Title Game

	SPRINGFIELD, Mass - Freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) 
registered a game-high 22 points to lead a trio of Huskies in double figures as 
the University of Southern Maine roared past the Muhlenberg College Mules, 74-51, 
in the opening round of the Holiday Inn Naismith Classic hosted by Springfield 
College.
	Southern Maine, which improved to 8-1, will face tournament host Springfield 
in tomorrow's championship game, while Muhlenberg, which slipped to 3-4 will 
tangle with Misericordia College in the consolation game. Springfield posted a 
61-54 triumph over Misericordia in the other opening round contest.
	Southern Maine trailed only once in the game, 9-8 at 15:38, but a three 
pointer from Jones gave the Huskies the lead for good at 11-9 with 14:57 
remaining. The Huskies broke the game open late in the first half when the 
outscored the Mules by a 15-4 margin to turn a tight 22-20 contest with 6:06 
remaining, into a comfortable 37-24 advantage at the break.
	The Huskies opened the second half with a 17-8 run to put the game out of 
reach at 54-32 with 13:06 to play.  Southern Maine led by as many as 26 points on 
two occasions, with the final time coming at 68-42 on a lay-up by Sunshine Anders 
(Richmond, Maine) with 5:58 to play.
	Southern Maine held a decided advantage on the boards (50-34) and connected 
on 28 of 57 (.491) field goal attempts, while holding Muhlenberg to 19 of 68 
(.279) from the floor.  The Huskies made 11 of 15 free throws (.733), while the 
Mules made but 8 of 21 (.381).
	Junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) contributed 11 points and a game-high 
nine rebounds, while freshman guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine) added 10 points, 
and senior Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) dished out a game-high seven assists.
	The lone Mule to register double figures in points, was senior guard Randi 
Baran (Hazleton, Pa.), who finished with 12.

################################################################################

Saturday, December 14, 2002

Southern Maine Outlasts Keene State 70-67

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine) blocked freshman 
guard Liz Donnelly's (Littleton, N.H.) potential game-tying three-pointer with 2.3 
seconds remaining, and the University of Southern Maine Huskies overcame a furious 
second-half rally by the Keene State College Owls to post a 70-67 triumph in 
Little East Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Hill Gymnasium.
	With the win Southern Maine improves to 7-1 and 2-0 in the conference, while 
Keene State slips to 5-4 and 0-2. The teams return to action on Saturday January 
4, when Keene State faces Baruch in the opening round of the SUNY-Potsdam 
Tournament, while Southern Maine will tangle with Muhlenberg College in the first 
round of the Naismith Classic at Springfield, Mass. 
	A short jumper by senior forward Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) gave the 
Huskies a seemingly comfortable 59-48 advantage with 9:25 to play in regulation. 
However the Owls responded with a 12-2 run, culminating on a lay up by junior 
forward Andrea Arsenault (Dover, N.H.) to pull within 61-60 with 5:20 to play. 
	Southern Maine received a pair of free throws from junior guard Meg Cressler 
(Appleton, Maine) and an old-fashion three-point play from classmate Nikki Allen 
(Blue Hill, Maine) to forge a 66-60 lead with 2:20 to play. 
	Keene answered with a 4-2 run to pull within 68-64 with 48 seconds to play. A 
free throw from Cressler gave the Huskies a 69-64 lead with 34.8 seconds to play, 
but senior forward Hayley Alaimo (Ellington, Conn.) drained a three-pointer to 
pull the Owls within 69-67 with 18.3 seconds remaining.
	Freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) sank one of two free throws 
to give the Huskies a 70-67 advantage with 10.2 seconds to play, before Frost 
preserved the win by blocking Donnelly's shot.
	Keene State made more field goals than Southern Maine (26-20) and registered 
a higher shooting percentage (.500 - .392). However the Huskies dominated the 
boards (42-28), and converted on 26-40 free throws, while the Owls attempted but 
12 and made nine.
	Jones led four Huskies in double figures with 16 points, while Allen added 15 
points, Cressler contributed 14 points and a game high 11 rebounds, and Frost 
finished with 11  points. 
	For the owls, Alaimo scored 16 points, while freshman forward Stacey Morse 
(Lebanon, N.H.) added 14, and Arsenault and senior guard Julie Tardif (Atkinson, 
N.H.) contributed 10 points apiece.

################################################################################

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Southern Maine Runs Away From Clark, 90-54

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a 
game-high 19 points to lead five players in double figures and the University of 
Southern Maine Huskies continually pulled away from the visiting Clark University 
Cougars en route to a convincing 90-54 triumph Tuesday night at the Hill Gym.
	Southern Maine, which improved to 6-1, will entertain Keene State College on 
Saturday, while Clark, which fell to 4-2, will play host to Eastern Connecticut 
State University on Saturday.
	Leading from start to finish, the Huskies built a 10-point lead less than 
five minutes into the affair, took a 21-point bulge into the break, and spent the 
second half slowly adding to their advantage. 
	Jones sank two-of-three free throws to give the Huskies a 15-5 lead at 15:13. 
Clark cut the deficit to single digits on three occasions, with the final time 
coming at 31-23 on a three-pointer from senior guard Rachael Turkington (Holland, 
Mass.) with 6:50 remaining in the half.
	However, Southern Maine responded with an 18-5 run - highlighted by a pair of 
three-pointers from freshman guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine) - to forge a 49-28 
advantage at the intermission.
	The Huskies opened the second half with an 8-2 run, culminating on a three-
pointer form senior guard Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) to increase the advantage to 
57-30 with 17:20 to play.  The Cougars responded with a lay up from junior guard 
Heather Kamyck (Sutton, Mass.) and a pair of free throws from sophomore center 
Briana Freeman (Maynard, Mass.) to pull within 57-35 with 16:24 remaining. 
However, Clark would trim the margin no further.
	Southern Maine took its largest advantage at 90-48 on a put back by freshman 
forward Dianna Thibaudeau (Sanford, Maine) with 2:17 remaining.
	Joining Jones in double figures for the Huskies were Frost and Libby, each of 
whom had 14 points, while senior forward Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) added 12, 
and Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) contributed 10 points and 7 assists.
	The Cougars were paced by Briana Freeman who scored 15 points.
	Southern Maine connected on 33 of 62 shots (.532) of its field goal attempts, 
while holding Clark to 20 of 52 (.385) from the floor. In addition, the Huskies 
forced 29 turnovers, while committing 16.

################################################################################

Monday, December 9, 2002

USM's Tiffany Jones Named LEC Rookie of the Week

GORHAM, Maine  -  For the second straight week, University of Southern Maine 
freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) has been selected as the Little 
East Conference Rookie of the Week.  The announcement was made Monday afternoon by 
the conference office.
	In three games last week, Jones averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 points per game, 
while dishing out six assists, and registering three steals and three blocks. She 
connected on 14-31 (.452) field goal attempts, including 3-7 (.429) from beyond 
the three-point arc, and 15-20 (.750) free throws.
	Jones began the week with a 33-point effort in the 78-76, double-overtime 
loss at number-three ranked Bowdoin College. Her point total stands as the second-
highest, single-game total by a first-year player in University history. Maureen 
Burchill set the mark with 34 points in January of 1982.
	In addition, Jones equaled the single-game mark for free throws, by 
connecting on 14-16 against the Polar Bears. Laura Pate, in February of 1991 and 
Trisha Ripton, in March of 2000, have also made 14 free throws in single contest.
	Included in her 33 points was a driving lay-up with 0.2 seconds remaining in 
the first overtime to force the second extra session. She finished the game by 
draining 8-13 field goals (.615), including 3-4 three-pointers.
	Following the Bowdoin contest, Southern Maine posted consecutive triumphs 
over the University of New England (59-55) and Western Connecticut State 
University (73-59). Against UNE, Jones contributed 7 points, 6 boards, 3 blocks 
and 3 steals. She rejected the potential game-tying shot with 15 seconds remaining 
in regulation, before adding a lay up in the waning moments to preserve the win.
	In the win at WCSU, Jones tallied 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in 18 
minutes of action, as Southern Maine jumped to a 48-22 halftime lead, and was 
never threatened.
	On the year, Jones currently leads the team in points with 15.5 per game, 
while she is tied for third in rebounds at 4.5 per game. She has also connected on 
28-59 (.475) field goal attempts, and 30-42 foul shots (.714), while registering 9 
steals, 9 assists, and 4 blocks
	Her efforts have helped Southern Maine jump to an impressive 5-1 overall 
record and a 1-0 slate in the Little East Conference. The Huskies return to action 
on Tuesday when they host Clark University, before concluding the first semester 
on Saturday by entertaining Keene State College.

################################################################################

Saturday, December 7, 2002

Huskies Win LEC Opener 73-58

	DANBURY, Conn.  --  The University of Southern Maine Huskies women's 
basketball team shot a blistering 64 percent in the first half building a 26-point 
halftime lead and cruised to a 73-58 victory over the Western Connecticut State 
University Colonials in the Little East Conference opener for both teams Saturday 
afternoon at the O'Neill Center.
	Southern Maine improved to 5-1 overall while Western Connecticut dipped to 
1-4.  The win was the Huskies sixth straight over the Colonials.
	USM never trailed in the game as senior Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) buried a 
pair of three-point shots in the first minute.  The Colonials hung close over the 
opening 10 minutes before the Huskies took control.
	The Huskies went on a 30-7 run over the final 10 minutes of the half to 
expand a slim one-point lead (16-15) into a comfortable 26-point margin (48-22) at 
the break.  Junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) ignited the outburst with seven 
straight points.  At one point, the Huskies had scored 18 straight points before 
senior Tory Anderton (Ridgefield, Conn.) could counter from the Colonials.
	As hot as the Huskies were in the first half (21 of 33 from the floor), they 
were ice cold in the second half, shooting only 29 percent (9 for 31) for the 
field.  The Colonials, trailing by 24 (57-33) with 10 minutes to play, began a 
14-3 surge, keyed by sophomore Kristi Brickner's (Galway, N.Y.) seven points, that 
trimmed the lead to 13 (60-47) with six minutes remaining.  The Colonials would 
get no closer the rest of the way as the Huskies regained control.
	Senior Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) had her best all-around game of the 
season for the Huskies, scoring a game-high 16 points, grabbing a career-best 
equaling 16 rebounds, passing out four assists and blocking three shots.  
Sophomore Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) added 14 points, and Libby and Cressler 
each chipped in 12 points.
	Brickner paced the Colonials with 13 points while freshman Alva Jeffreys 
(Bridgeport, Conn.) finished with 10 points.
	The Huskies finished the game shooting 47 percent (30 for 64) from the floor, 
including 5 of 9 from beyond the three-point line.  
	Southern Maine returns to the hardwood this Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) when it hosts 
Clark University in a non-conference game.  Western Connecticut also returns to 
action on Tuesday (6:00 p.m.) when it visits Westfield State College.

################################################################################

Thursday, December 5, 2002

Southern Maine Holds Off University of New England

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman guard Katie Frost (Calais, Maine) scored a team-high 
13 points and freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) rejected the 
potential tying shot with 20 seconds to play, and the University of Southern Maine 
Huskies overcame a late rally to post a 59-55 triumph over the visiting University 
of New England Nor'easters Thursday night at the Hill Gym.
	Southern Maine, which improved to 4-1will travel to Western Connecticut State 
University on Saturday, while the University of New England, which fell to 1-3, 
will entertain Salve Regina on Saturday.
	After trailing by as much as 51-41 with 7:03 to play in regulation, UNE 
employed a 14-6 run to pull within 57-55 on a three-pointer by junior guard 
Melissa Roller (East Sandwich, Mass.) with 1:15 to play.
	Southern Maine failed to extend the lead, and UNE brought the ball up court 
with a chance to tie in the final minute. The Nor'easters worked the ball into 
junior guard Amanda Brown (Scarborough, Maine), but Jones blocked her lay up 
attempt. 
	Jones concluded the play by sinking an open lay up at the far end of the 
court with seven seconds remaining to account for the 59-55 final.
	UNE led throughout much of the first half, and built its largest advantage at 
23-16 with 5:24 remaining. However, Southern Maine closed out the half with a 12-2 
run to take a 28-25 advantage into the break. The Huskies proceeded to open the 
second half with a 12-4 run to take their largest lead of the game at 40-29 on an 
old-fashion three-point play by junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) with 17:00 
minutes remaining.
	The Nor'easters held a slight, 37-35, rebounding advantage, but committed 23 
turnovers, while the Huskies committed 18. UNE actually made more field goals than 
Southern Maine (22-21), but the Huskies converted on 13-17 (.764) free throws, 
while UNE made 6-9.
	Junior center Missy Stults (Goshen, Ind.) led the Nor'easters with a game-
high 21 points and nine rebounds, while Brown contributed 13 points. 
	Southern Maine received 11 points and nine rebounds from Cressler and 11 
points from junior guard Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine), while senior forward Kara 
Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) contributed nine rebounds.

################################################################################

Monday, December 2, 2002

Bowdoin Takes Double OT Thriller 78-76

	BRUNSWICK, Maine  --  Junior guard Lora Trenkle (Surry, Maine) and freshman 
forward Justine Pouravelis (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) combined to score all nine 
points in the second overtime as the Bowdoin College Polar Bears hung on defeat 
the University of Southern Maine Huskies 78-76 in double overtime Monday night in 
a non-conference battle between two unbeaten and nationally-ranked teams at the 
Morrell Gymnasium.
	The win was the fourth straight for the unbeaten Polar Bears who travel to 
Worcester Polytech on Saturday.  The loss was the first of the season for the 
Huskies after three wins.  USM hosts the University of New England on Thursday for 
a 5:30 p.m. game.
	Trenkle gave the Polar Bears the lead for good in the second overtime when 
she hit a three-point shot to erase a two-point Husky lead with 3:10 to go.  
Pouravelis scored the next four points to give Bowdoin a five-point cushion 
(78-73).
	The Huskies, who forced the game into overtime on junior Meg Cressler's 
(Appleton, Maine) three-point shot with 5.4 seconds to play in regulation and the 
second extra session on rookie Tiffany Jones' (Skowhegan, Maine) drive with 0.2 
seconds left in the first OT session, cut a point off the lead on a free throw by 
senior Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine).  Jones pulled the Huskies within two with 
the last of her game-high 33 points, but sophomore Kristen Tong's (North Swanzey, 
N.H.). shot to force a third overtime came up short at the buzzer.
	Southern Maine led twice in the first overtime, the last at 67-66 on a 
Crockett field goal, but needed Jones drive to tie the game at 69-69 after Trenkle 
hit a three-pointer from the wing with 17.5 seconds to play.
	Trailing by eight (51-43) with 8:28 to play in regulation, the Huskies began 
chipping away at the Polar Bear lead.  Jones accounted for all the Huskies points 
in a 9-2 run that trimmed the lead to two (53-51) with 4:36 left.  
	Bowdoin nursed the lead back to five (59-54) with 1:18 to go, but Jones and 
Tong scored to make it a one-point game.  Junior Courtney Trotta (Sharon, Mass.) 
made both ends of a one-and-one to give the Polar Bears a 61-58 advantage with 
29.3 second to play, setting the stage for Cressler's three-point shot that pushed 
the game into overtime.
	The game featured nine lead changes and six ties in regulation, and neither 
team had bigger than a eight-point lead.
	Jones hit on 8 of 13 shots from the floor, including 3 of 4 from beyond the 
three-point line, and a record-tying 14 of 16 free throws for her 33 points.  
Cressler, who was held scoreless in the first half and Tong each added 10 points.
	Trenkle, also scoreless in the first half, finished with 24 points, 13 coming 
in the two overtime periods.  Pouravelis finished with 20 points, and senior 
Kristi Royer (Lewiston, Maine) had 13 points and shared game-high rebounding 
honors with Trenkle, each grabbing 11 caroms.

################################################################################

Monday, December 2, 2002

USM's Tiffany Jones Named Rookie of the Week

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Freshman guard Tiffany Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) of the 
University of Southern Maine women's basketball team has been named Rookie of the 
Week by the Little East Conference for her play in the Huskies' 69-66 win over 
Bates College last week.  The Little East Conference office made the announcement 
Monday afternoon.
	In addition, the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association also announced 
Monday that it has tabbed Jones as its Rookie of the Week for the period of 
November 25 through December 1.
	Against the high-regarded Bobcats, Jones came off the bench to score 20 
points, grabbed five rebounds and made three steals in the Huskies' come-from-
behind win.  The 5-foot-9 Jones scored the go-ahead basket and subsequent free 
throw for a three-point play with 59 seconds to play to cap off the Huskies' 
comeback from a 16-point second-half deficit.  She converted seven of 11 shots 
from the floor and added six of nine free throws for her 20 points.
	After three games, Jones is averaging a team-high 15.7 points and 4.0 
rebounds.  She has made 50 percent of her shots from the floor (14 of 28), 
including 36 percent (4 of 11) from three-point territory, and 68 percent from the 
foul line (15 of 22).  She also has a team-leading six steals.
	In the Huskies' season-opening USM Tip-Off Tournament (Nov. 22-23), Jones was 
named to the all-tournament after scoring 27 points, including 16 in the 
championship game against Ithaca College, to help USM win the title.
	Southern Maine is 3-0 on the season heading into Monday night's game at 
nationally-ranked Bowdoin College.  The Huskies return home on Thursday to face 
the University of New England.

################################################################################

Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Southern Maine Rallys Past Bates 69-66
Huskies Come From 16 Down to Stay Unbeaten

	LEWISTON, Maine  --  The University of Southern Maine Huskies women's 
basketball team outscored the Bates College Bobcats 11-0 over the final 4:10 to 
take a thrilling, 69-66 come-from-behind victory Tuesday night in a non-league 
game at Alumni Gymnasium.
	The win was the third straight for the unbeaten Huskies who are off until 
next Monday (December 2) when they travel to Brunswick, Maine, to face nationally-
ranked Bowdoin College.  Bates, playing its fourth game in five days, lost for the 
first time this season to slip to 3-1.  The Bobcats travel to Salem State College 
for their next contest, also on Monday.
	Trailing by 16 (58-42) with 11:34 to play, the Huskies began chipping away at 
the Bobcat lead.  Over the next five-and-a-half minutes, USM cut the deficit in 
half behind the offense of senior Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) and freshman Tiffany 
Jones (Skowhegan, Maine).  A Jones layup with 5:14 cut the margin to six (64-58).
	Senior Carla Flaherty (Gorham, Maine) scored the last of her game-high 26 
points (10 for 15 from the floor) on a corner jumper to give Bates a 66-58 
advantage.  It would be the last points of the night for the Bobcats.
	Senior Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) ignited the Huskies' decisive run with 
a pair of baskets.  Junior Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) buried a three-pointer 
to trim the margin to one (66-65) before Jones gave USM its first lead since the 
first half (27-24) when she converted an old-fashion three-point play with 1:05 to 
play.  Sophomore Kristen Tong (Swanzey, N.H.) made the front end of a 1-and-1 with 
30 seconds to go for the final margin.
	Bates had two three-point shots in the final five seconds to tie the game and 
force overtime, but junior Laura Nafe (Roland, Ark,) could not get either shot to 
fall.
	Flaherty was the story of the first half, hitting 8-of-9 shots from the 
floor, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc, for 19 points.  Bates took command 
early building a 17-8 lead over the first eight minutes.
	Southern Maine responded with a 19-5 run over the next seven minutes behind 
Jones (6 points), sophomore Nikki Allen (6 points; Blue Hill, Maine) and Crockett 
(4 points) to take a 27-22 lead.
	Bates closed with a 14-7 run to take a 38-34 lead to the locker room at the 
break.
	Jones made 7-of-11 shots and 6-of-9 free throws for 20 points to lead the 
Huskies.  Crockett and Cressler each had 13 points.  The Huskies shot a red-hot 
61.4 percent (27 for 44) from the floor.
	Sophomore Olivia Zurek (Arlington, Mass.) was the only other Bates player in 
double figures with 18 points, and she grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

################################################################################

Saturday, November 23, 2002

Southern Maine Holds off Ithaca College to Capture Tournament Title

	GORHAM, Maine - Junior guard Meg Cressler (Appleton, Maine) earned Tournament 
MVP honors after equaling a career-high with 24 points and hauling in a game co-
high 11 rebounds to lead the University of Maine Huskies to a 69-60 triumph over 
the Ithaca College Bombers in the title game of the USM Tip-Off Tournament.
	Southern Maine, which improved to 2-0 will return to action on Tuesday, when 
it travels to Bates, while Ithaca College, which slipped to 1-1, will entertain 
Rochester on Sunday, December 1.
	A short jumper from senior guard Jess Libby (Orono, Maine) gave the Huskies a 
54-43 advantage with 11:42 remaining in the game, However, the Bombers responded 
with a 15-4 run, culminating with an old-fashioned three-point play from junior 
forward Kelly Gawronski (West Seneca, N.Y.), to tie the affair at 58-58 with 4:41 
remaining to play. 
	Southern Maine answered right back with a 7-0 run to put the game out of 
reach at 65-58 with 1:10 left in regulation. Freshman forward Tiffany Jones 
(Skowhegan, Maine), who finished with a career-high 16 points, sank a pair of free 
throws with 3:53 remaining to give the Huskies the lead for good at 60-58.
	Ithaca was led Gawronski, who scored a team-high 17 points and added a game-
co-high 11 rebounds, while sophomore guard Stephanie Cleary (Tappan, N.Y.) added 
14 points.
In the consolation game played earlier today, the University of Maine-Farmington 
Beavers received a team-high 14 points from All-Tournament selection Jocelyn 
Sawyer (Porter, Maine) to rout the Husson College Braves by a score of 76-44.
	The Beavers employed a 25-4 run midway through the first-half to turn a 
narrow, 11-7 advantage into a commanding 36-11 lead with 6:38 to play. UMaine-
Farmington enjoyed its largest lead at 74-30, when freshman guard Meagan Cyr 
(Howland, Maine) drained a three pointer with 6:18 remaining. Husson rallied to 
close the contest with a 14-2 run to account for the 76-44 final.
	Sophomore guard Cheryl Kempton (Cumberland, Maine) contributed 11 points, and 
Cyr added 10 points for UMaine Farmington, while Husson was paced by freshman 
guard Holly Gracie (Frankfort, Maine), who registered a game-high 16 points.
	UMaine Farmington returns to action on Tuesday, when it travels to St. 
Joseph's College, while Husson will host Rivier in the Paul Bunyan Tournament on 
Saturday, December 7.  

NOTE: All-Tournament Team: Tiffany Jones (USM); Jess Libby (USM); Kelly Gawronski 
(Ithaca); Stephanie Cleary (Ithaca); Jocelyn Sawyer (UMF)
Tournament MVP: Meg Cressler (USM).

################################################################################

Friday, November 22, 2002

Southern Maine, Ithaca College Advance to Final of USM Tip-Off Tournament

	GORHAM, Maine - Freshman guard Jess Cyr (Caribou, Maine) began her collegiate 
career with a team-high 12 points to lead four Huskies in double figures as the 
University of Southern Maine cruised to an easy, 93-35 triumph over the visiting 
Husson College Braves in the opening round of the USM Tip Off Tournament Friday 
night at the Hill Gymnasium.
	Southern Maine will now advance to tomorrow afternoon's championship game 
where they will face the Ithaca College Bombers, who posted a 65-57 triumph over 
the upstart University of Maine-Farmington Beavers in this evening's other opening 
round contest. Husson and Maine-Farmington will meet in the consolation game.
	Despite the one-sided final, Husson opened the scoring on a three-pointer by 
freshman guard Holly Gracie (Frankfort, Maine) at 19:34. However, Southern Maine 
answered with a 26-1 run to grab a 26-4 advantage with 8:45 remaining in the half. 
The Huskies increased their advantage to 42-17 at the break.
	After trading baskets through the opening moments of the second half, 
Southern Maine scored 34 consecutive points to grab a 91-31 advantage with 1:45 to 
play. A short jumper from junior forward Megan Hughes (Dexter, Maine) ended the 
drought, and made the score 91-33 with 1:25 to play.
	The Huskies dominance was fueled by their perimeter shooting, where they 
connected on 16-39 three-point attempts (.400). In addition, the Huskies 
outrebounded the Braves by a 68-29 margin. 
	Southern Maine also received 11 points apiece from freshman guard Tiffany 
Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) and senior guard Jess Libby (Orono, Maine), and 10 points 
from sophomore guard Kristen Tong (Swanzey, N.H.), while sophomore forward Coley 
Stetler (Lamoine, Maine) led all players with 12 rebounds and freshman Dianna 
Thibaudeau (Sanford, Maine) added 11 caroms.
	The Braves were led by Gracie, who scored a game-high 14 points, while Hughes 
hauled in nine rebounds.
	In the first opening round game, sophomore guard Stephanie Cleary (Tappan, 
N.Y.) scored a game-high 21 points to lead a trio of Bombers in double figures. 
After taking a 35-27 lead at the break, Ithaca scored the first five points of the 
second half, to build its largest lead of the game at 40-27 with 19:12 left to 
play.
	The Beavers answered with a 9-2 run, capped by a layup from freshman guard 
Hannah Socoby (Howland, Maine) to pull within 42-36 with 14:48 to play. Maine-
Farmington was unable to pull any closer until the final minutes of play, when a 
short jumper from freshman guard Lydia Coverdale (Malden, Mass.)  pulled the 
Beavers to within 62-57 with 2:09 remaining. 
	Cleary added a running layup and sank the ensuing free throw with 10 seconds 
to play to close out the scoring. Senior guard Kerri Brown (Bayport, N.Y.) added 
16 points and junior forward Kelly Gawronski (West Seneca, N.Y.) contributed 10 
points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Bombers.
	The Beavers were paced by Socoby (Howland, Maine), who scored 17 points and 
grabbed seven boards, while sophomore forward Kate LaHaye (Belfast, Maine) added 
11 points and eight rebounds. 

################################################################################

Tuesday, November 5, 2002

USM to Host St. Mary's University in Preseason Exhibition Game

	GORHAM, Maine  --  The University of Southern Maine Huskies women's 
basketball team will see its first action of the 2002-03 season this Saturday 
evening (November 9) when they host the visiting St. Mary's University Huskies of 
Halifax, Nova Scotia, in a preseason exhibition game at the Warren G. Hill 
Gymnasium.  Game time is set of 7:00 p.m.
	Veteran USM head coach Gary Fifield has seven members back from last season's 
team that finished 25-3 overall and won its sixth straight Little East Conference 
tournament championship.  Among the returning players are senior co-captains Kara 
Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) and Jess Libby (Orono, Maine), junior Meg Cressler 
(Appleton, Maine) and sophomores Nikki Allen (Blue Hill, Maine) and Kristen Tong 
(Swanzey, N.H.).
	The Huskies open the 2002-2003 regular season November 22-23 when they host 
the USM Tip-Off Tournament.  In Friday's (Nov. 22) opening round games, Ithaca 
College will play the University of Maine at Farmington (5:30 p.m.) followed by 
the Huskies entertaining Husson College (7:30 p.m.).  The consolation and 
championship games will be Saturday (Nov. 23) afternoon at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., 
respectively.

################################################################################

Thursday, October 31, 2002

Crockett, Libby Named USM Women's Basketball Captains

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Seniors Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) and Jess Libby 
(Orono, Maine) have been named captains of the University of Southern Maine 
Huskies women's basketball team for the upcoming 2002-2003 season.  Veteran head 
coach Gary Fifield made the announcement.
	Crockett and Libby were key members of last year's team that finished 25-3 
overall, 13-1 in the Little East Conference and won the Little East tournament for 
the sixth straight season.
	An All-Little East Conference first team selection last winter, the 6-foot 
Crockett, a post player, averaged 11.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 26 games.  She 
converted 49 percent (114 of 233) of her shots from the floor and 74 percent (46 
of 62) from the foul line.  Crockett also led the conference in blocked shots per 
game (2.6).  This is Crockett's second season serving as a captain.
	Libby averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds while playing in all 28 games.  
The 5-foot-10 guard-forward connected on 38 percent of her shots (77 of 205) from 
the floor, including 32 percent of her three-point attempts (27 of 85), and 69 
percent (47 of 68) of her free throws.  Libby was second on the team with 67 
assists and third in steals with 32.  This is Libby's first season serving in the 
captain's role.
	"(Kara and Jess) are excellent choices to serve as co-captains of this year's 
team," commented Fifield who brings a 371-68 (.845 W-L percentage) career record 
into the new season.
	"Kara is a fourth-year player who emerged as one of the top post position 
players in New England over her sophomore and junior seasons, and she brings great 
leadership skills to our team.  Jess is another fourth-year player who has the 
unique ability to play many different positions.  She knows how to play and 
understands the game very well."
	The Huskies open the season November 22-23 when they host the USM Tip-Off 
Tournament.  Friday's first round pairings have the University of Maine at 
Farmington taking on Ithaca College in the opening game at 5:30 p.m., followed by 
Southern Maine against Husson College at 7:30 p.m..  The third place and 
championship games will be played Saturday at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
	The remainder of the 2002-03 schedule is as follows:  November 26, at Bates 
(5:30);  December 2, at Bowdoin (7:30);  December 5, University of New England 
(5:30);  December 7, at Western Connecticut (1:00);  December 10, Clark (7:00) and 
December 14, Keene State (1:00).
	USM will open the New Year playing in the Naismith Classic at Springfield 
College January 4-5.  The rest of the schedule includes:  January 7, at Colby 
(5:30);  January 11, UMass Dartmouth (1:00);  January 14, Rhode Island College 
(5:30);  January 16, Salem State (7:00);  January 18, Eastern Connecticut (1:00);  
January 21, at Plymouth State (5:30);  January 25, Western Connecticut (1:00) and 
January 28, at UMass Boston (5:30).
	Also February 1, at Keene State (1:00);  February 5, St. Joseph's (5:30);  
February 8, at UMass Dartmouth (1:00);  February 11, Plymouth State (5:30);  
February 15, at Rhode Island College (1:00);  February 18, UMass Boston (5:30);  
February 22, Eastern Connecticut (1:00).
	The Little East Conference tournament begins February 25 with first round 
games involving all eight teams (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5).  The 
semifinal and championship games will be held February 28-March 1 at the on-campus 
site of the highest remaining seed.  The winner of the tournament receives an 
automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament.