The win is the second straight for USM which improves to 9-10 on the season. Suffering its second straight set back, Colby dips to 6-13.
Jackson was one of three Huskies in double figures. Senior guard Chris Pagentine (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) and junior guard Alex Kee (Bath, Maine/Morse) added 13 and 11 points each. Kee was difference maker for the Huskies in a solid floor game. Kee added seven rebounds, four assist and three steals without a turnover in 36 minutes of action.
Senior guard Ben Foreman (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) led the Mules in scoring with 12 points, while senior forward Kyle Donovan (Portland, Maine/Deering) scored 10 points and hauled down a career-best 17 rebounds.
With both teams struggling to find their range offensively with USM shooting in the low 30s and Colby in the high 20s, the Huskies were able to pull away for the win with a 10-2 run that spanned eight minutes and 13 seconds midway through the second half.
Ahead by five, 42-37, after Donovan sank a three-pointer with 10:56 to play, USM scored the next six points, including five points from Kee. After one free throw each from senior forwards Eric Beaulieu (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlile) and Alex Swanson (Lancaster, Pa.), the Huskies scored four more unanswered points on two free throws from Jackson and a driving layup from Pagentine for a 52-39 lead with 2:43 to play. Colby was an ice-cold 0-for-8 from the field during the Huskies' run.
Foreman pulled Colby to within 11, 52-41, with 2:22 remaining, but Kee shut the door on the game with a layup and a free throw on the Huskies' next possession for a 55-41 lead with 2:06 to play.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 34.6 (18-for-52) from the field. Colby shot 23.7 percent (14-for-59). Southern Maine outscored the Mules 16-10 in the paints and scored 14 of its 56 points off of turnovers.
Southern Maine travels to Keene State on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). Colby travels to Williams on Friday (8:00 p.m.).
–cac–