With the win, Southern Maine improves its record to 3-4 overall.  The win was the 70th for the Huskies in the 92 meetings between the two schools dating back to 1938.  The loss is the second straight for UMF, which drops its record to 2-5.

            Caddigan was an efficient 5-for-6 from the field, including a 3-for-4 mark from three-point range.  Caddigan added six rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.  Sophomore Fred Knight (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) added 11 points and six boards on 5-for-10 from the field, while junior Jacob Littlefield (Mechanic Falls, Maine/Poland) added 10 points and six rebounds. 

            Senior Uriah Forest-Bulley (Turner Falls, Mass.) led the Beavers with 14 points and seven rebounds – both game-high totals.  Junior Nick Hilton (Wilton, Maine/Mt. Blue) added 13 points and seven rebounds.

            The Huskies' shot an outstanding 53.3 percent (16-for-30) from the field in the first half to take a commanding 39-20 lead at the break. The Huskies' had held a modest 26-18 lead with 5:17 to play after UMF's Hilton knocked down a pair of free throws, but Southern Maine closed out the half on a 13-2 run.  Caddigan figured heavily in the game-separating scoring spurt, scoring eight points, including a late three to give the Huskies a commanding 19-point advantage just seconds before heading into the locker room.

            The Huskies remained in control to start the second half, growing their lead to 25 in the opening five minutes of the second stanza.  Sophomore Zach Leal (York, Maine) hit a tough layup in the paint to start a 13-6 run yielding a 52-27 Huskies' lead with 14:28 to play.  Four different players scored in the run for USM capped by a coast-to-coast drive from Leal.

            UMF hung around and trimmed its deficit to 15 points three times, but never got any closer the rest of the way.  A late three from Beaver junior Justin Meader (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) made it 57-42 in favor of USM with 3:59 to play, but Southern Maine eight straight points – including back-to-back threes from freshman Isaiah Stone-Patterson (Rockland, Maine/Oceanside) and junior Mitch Loeman (Dresden, Maine/Freeport) - to return to a 23-point, 65-42, advantage with just over a minute to go and cruise to the win.

            Southern Maine returns to Little East Conference action on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) when it travels to Keene State College.  UMaine Farmington hosts Bowdoin College on Friday (7:00 p.m.) in a non-conference game.

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