GORHAM, Maine – Junior Sean Caddigan (Bethel, Maine/Telstar) scored 11 points to lead four players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the University of New England Nor'easters 69-51 in a non-conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gymnasium.
The win is the first of the season for the Huskies, who stand at 1-2 on the season. UNE drops to 1-2 with the loss.
Caddigan was 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range to lead USM, which shot 45.3 percent (24-for-53) from the field as a team. Juniors Aaron Toman (Gardiner, Maine) and Jacob Littlefield (Mechanic Falls, Maine/Poland) and sophomore Zach Leal (York, Maine) each scored 10 points. Leal continued his strong play recording a double-double adding a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with four assists.
Freshman Drew Coveney (Londonderry, N.H.) led UNE with 11 points as the only Nor'easter to finish in double-digits. Freshman Evrim Ozkan (Istanbul, Turkey/IMG Academy (Fla.)) added eight points and sophomore Jean-Luc Parker (Georgetown, Texas) tossed in seven points. UNE shot just 30.2 percent (16-for-53) from the field.
Southern Maine took control of the game from the start as Littlefield canned a three on the Huskies' first possession as USM ran out to a 10-0 lead in the opening two minutes of the game. Southern Maine continued to cruise over the next 10 minutes, holding the Nor'easters to just five points for a 23-5 lead with 9:43 to play.
UNE rallied to cut the Huskies' lead to nine, 23-14, with a 9-0 run, but Southern Maine bounced right back outscoring UNE 11-1 in the final seven minutes for a commanding 34-15 lead at the break. Littlefield and Caddigan each scored eight points in the first half for USM.
UNE again made a push in the second half, outscoring USM 10-2, punctuated by a three from junior Devin Thompson (Winthrop, Mass./St. Mary's) in the first five minutes to trail by 11, 39-25, but Southern Maine squashed any thoughts of a comeback.
After Thompson's three, the Huskies' ran off a 15-3 spurt pushing the lead back into the 20s. Junior Jalen Lincoln (Nobleboro, Maine/Lincoln Academy) knocked down back-to-back threes for a quick six-point swing. One of two free throws from Thompson and a layup from Coveney interrupted the USM run, before Caddigan hit for a three and Leal added a traditional three-point play for a 48-28 USM lead with 12:12 to play. Two possessions later, Toman completed the decisive flurry with a three of his own for a 51-28 Huskies' lead with 11:28 to play. UNE never got any closer than 17 points the rest of the way as USM rolled to its first win of the season.
Southern Maine travels to Bates on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.). UNE hosts Bowdoin on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.).
-cac-