The win is the third straight for the Huskies who improve to 13-7 overall. The win ensures the Huskies a winning record for the season marking their first since the 2007-2008 season when they finished 14-13. Suffering its third consecutive loss, Colby drops to 6-13 overall.
Sullivan was 6-of-14 from the field to lead a balanced Southern Maine attack. Seniors Alex Kee (Bath, Maine/Morse) and Sean Bergeron (Kennebunk, Maine) each had 10 points, while senior Mike Poulin (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook) added seven points, seven rebounds. Including Sullivan, Kee, Bergeron and Poulin, eight players scored at least five points for the Huskies.
Freshmen forwards Ryan Jann (Westford, Mass.) and Sam Wilson (Watertown, Conn.) each scored 12 points to lead the Mules in strong efforts off of the bench. Junior guard Connor O'Neil (Freeport, Maine) added eight points, and freshman forward Patrick Stewart (Bangor, Maine) had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Southern Maine led 32-19 at the half, as Poulin scored all seven of his points in the first 20 minutes of action. The Huskies used a strong defensive effort, forcing the Mules into 11 first-half turnovers and just a 6-for-26 effort (23.1 percent) from the floor. USM scored 13 of its 32 points off of Colby turnovers.
The second half was much of the same. The Mules committed a pair of turnovers on their first two possession. The first, a steal from Kee, led to a bucket from Bergeron and the second, a steal from Bergeron, led to a fast-break layup from Kee and the Huskies quickly led by 17, 36-19 before one minute had ticked away in the second half.
The Huskies held a comfortable double-digit margin the rest of the way, and Colby never got any closer than 10 points. A three from Colby's O'Neil trimmed the deficit to 42-32 with 13:58 to play, but USM Sullivan and freshman guard Cole Libby (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) each scored buckets to extend the lead to 46-32 with 12:33 to play. USM led by as many as 22 points, 60-38, following a running jumper from Bergeron with 6:25 to play and cruised to the 70-50 final.
Southern Maine hosts Keene State College on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference match up. The game will be the Huskies' "Think Pink" game. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game. Raffles, baked goods and t-shirts will be sold as part of a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Colby College hosts Williams College on Friday (6:00 p.m.) in a NESCAC contest.
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