With the win, Southern Maine improves to 4-0 and earns the rights to the Costello Cup, presented annually to the winner of the contest between the two schools. Contested over the past 23 years, the Costello Cup honors the late Dr. Richard "Doc" Costello, former USM Athletic Director and long-time basketball coach. The loss is the first of the season for the Monks to fall to 2-1. Southern Maine leads the Costello Cup series 19-4.
Despite a sub-par shooting 39.7 shooting percentage (25-for-63), the Huskies were able to walk away with their fourth straight victory limiting the Monks to a 34.0 percent performance from the field (17-for-50), while forcing the Monks into 31 turnovers and grabbing 17 steals.
With the shooting woes starting in early in the game, USM led by three, 21-18, with just under 10 minutes left in the half. USM was able to open up the game on a 15-5 run to close out the half and grab a 36-23 lead. McNamara paced the Huskies in the opening half scoring 11 of her 12 points with an outstanding 4-for-6 effort from the field including a pair of three-pointers. Garland added nine of her 12.
The Huskies looked to take control of the game early in the second half on back-to-back layups from Jordan and Knight for a 40-23 lead with 18:21 remaining, but the Monks countered with an 8-0 run to pull to within nine, 40-31. Three-pointers from senior guard Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt./Lydon Institute) and junior guard Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine/Cony) bookended a layup from freshman center Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) to give the Monks a three-possession disadvantage with 16:23 on the clock.
Both teams traded punches over the next two and a half minutes and the Monks trailed by 12, 48-36, after a pair of free throws from Shufelt, but the Huskies rattled off a 9-0 run to grab their largest lead of the game 57-36 with 7:32 to play. Four players contributed to the run, led by three points each from Jordan and junior forward Nash Biliew (Portland, Maine).
The Huskies were never threatened the rest of the way and led by as many as 21 points, 65-44, with 2:29 to play before the Monks used a 8-2 run to close out the game for the 67-52 final.
Shufelt and sophomore guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) led the Monks with 10 points each. Dufour, Cahill and senior forward Alyssa Grigware (Biddeford, Maine) each chipped in with seven points. Cahill had nine rebounds.
Southern Maine travels to Bowdoin College on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.). St. Joseph's travels to Husson on Thursday (5:30 p.m.).
–cac–