GORHAM, Maine—UMass Boston women's basketball (16-8, 8-5 Little East) overcame a 10-point second-half deficit, to earn the program's first-ever win over Little East conference foe University of Southern Maine (12-12, 8-5 Little East) Tuesday night by a 62-60 score at the Hill Gymnasium.
After dropping 67-consecutive games from 1984 to January, the Beacons finally knocked off the Huskies in the 68th all-time contest between the two LEC teams. With the victory, UMass Boston set a new program-record for wins in a season with their 16th victory in 24 games.
Things looked grim for the Beacons, as UMass Boston saw their 13-point first-half lead disappear, only to have the Huskies grab a 47-37 advantage with 12:17 to play. The Beacons answered right back with a 28-14 run to grab a 55-51 lead with 3:35 to play, only to have the game come down to the final 30 seconds.
Sophomore point guard Taje Burston (Springfield, Mass.) who had already hit two game-winning 3-pointers earlier this season, knocked down 3-of-4 free throws in the final minute and added a steal, to help the Beacons tie the program record with their eight conference win of the season. The Beacons tied the 06-07 squad that finished 8-6 in conference play, and that team also hosted the only home playoff game in program history.
Burston finished as one of four Beacons with double-figures as UMass Boston spoiled Southern Maine's Senior Day. She finished with 10 points and tied for the game-high with her four assists.
Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) and Kirsten Morrison (North Reading, Mass.) each recorded 12 points and the two forwards also combined for 13 rebounds, four steals and four blocks.
Freshman guard Katie Mathieu (Coventry, Conn.) chipped in with all 10 of her points coming in the second half. She teamed up with Grace Geary (Falmouth, Mass.) to help the Beacons' bench outscore Southern Maine's 24-8.
Senior Stephanie Gallagher and junior Ella Romonas each finished with a game-high 17 points for the Huskies, who are in danger of suffering their first losing season since the 1976-77 campaign. Gallagher knocked down four 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and three assists, while Romonas chipped in by going 11-11 from the free throw.
Southern Maine's leading scorer Megan Pelletier finished with seven points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes, but she was forced to miss the final five minutes after suffering an ankle injury.
The Beacons shot 45.5 percent (20-of-44) from the field and knocked down 5-of-14 (35.7 percent) of their 3-point attempts. On the other side, the Huskies went 17-of-56 (30.4 percent) from the field and just 6-of-24 (25 percent) from distance. Both teams enjoyed big days from the free throw line, as UMass Boston finished at 77.3 percent (17-of-22) and Southern Maine went a perfect 20-of-20.
Morrison, Burston and Geary combined for all 14 points during a 16-6 run, only to have the Huskies erase most of the lead before halftime. Kristie McNall and Gretchen Anderson hit back-to-back threes and Romonas added four points of her own to cut the visitors' lead to 33-28 at the break.
After UMass Boston stretched the lead to 37-30 to start the second stanza, Southern Maine went on a 17-0 run to grab their largest lead of the game at 47-37 with 12:17 left in regulation. The Huskies held UMass Boston without a point for five minutes and 49 seconds and knocked down 7-of-10 shots during their big run.
That's when the Beacons began clawing back, as Mathieu knocked down a triple and Katrina Edwards (Springfield, Mass.) and Geary followed with baskets to immediately cut the deficit to 47-45 with 10:13 to play.
From that point on, neither side would hold a lead larger than four, as the two teams went through two ties and one lead change.
After knocking down a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to one, Mathieu buried a 3-pointer with 4:24 remaining to give the Beacons a 53-51 lead.
Trailing by four with 1:23 to play, Romonas hit a pair of free throws, grabbed a defensive rebound and knocked down a layup to tie the game at 58 with 1:02 to play.
The two teams would trade a pair of turnovers, before Burston was fouled with 27 ticks left. The sophomore hit one of two and then intercepted a Romonas kick-out to force another foul. On her second trip to the free throw line, she knocked down both shots to push it out to a 61-58 edge.
With 12 seconds left on the clock, Jill Madden tried to find a teammate but was fouled on her drive and the junior sank both free throws.
Mathieu inbounded the ball to Murphy who was fouled, and Murphy hit one of two to make it 62-60 with four seconds left.
On the final inbounds, the Beacons' lone Maineiac Mallory Nelson (Topsham, Mass.) stripped a Husky and forced a tie-up as the final buzzer sounded.
UMass Boston will look to close out the regular-season on a four-game winning streak, when they host Western Connecticut State University Saturday at 1 p.m. The Beacons will honor seniors Brittany Moore (Billerica, Mass.) and Morrison before the contest.