GORHAM, Maine – Junior forward Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) had a career-high 18 points to lead three players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the tenth-ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears 63-49 in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine.
Earning its first win over Bowdoin since 2008, Southern Maine improves its record to 4-2 on the season. The loss is the first of the season for Bowdoin, which falls to 3-1 overall. The Huskies lead the series between the two schools 31-13,
Jordan was 6-for-10 from the field en route to her career-best 18 points and added nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Senior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) added 16 points, five assists and two steals, while junior forward Jordan Grant (Concord, N.H.) tossed in 15 points, five rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot. Senior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) chipped in with eight points and a game-high 18 rebounds, helping the Huskies to a 42-32 advantage on the boards.
Senior guard Jill Henrikson (Bath, Maine/Morse) led the Polar Bears with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Sophomore forward Anna Prohl (New London, N.H./Kearsarge) added 13 points and seven rebounds off of the bench.
Neither team shot particularly well in the first half. Bowdoin connected on just 8-of-28 (28.6 percent) of its first half attempts and USM had a meager advantage shooting 9-of-28 (32.1 percent). With a 5-5 effort at the free throw line however, the Huskies led Bowdoin 25-19. Jordan scored 10 of her 18 points in the opening half, while Garland added seven.
In the second half, Bowdoin rallied to tie the score up at 27-27 with 17:02 to play outscoring USM 8-2, but the Huskies countered with a 15-5 run to lead 43-32 with 12:53 to play. Garland scored seven of the Huskies 15 points in the run.
Bowdoin did not wilt however and stormed back to take its only lead of the game with a 14-0 run over the next four minutes and forty seconds to lead 45-43 with 8:13 remaining. Henrikson was the Polar Bears' spark in the running scoring seven of her 16 points.
Trailing 45-43, the Huskies' Jordan scored in the paint to pull her team even and Cochran scored back-to-back lay-ups to put Huskies ahead 49-45 with 6:15 as USM went on to ice the game with a 20-4 run in the last eight minutes.
Southern Maine travels to Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) for its first Little East Conference game. Bowdoin College travels to Colby College on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) for a non-conference game.
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