With the win, the Huskies extend their winning streak to 16 games and improve to 16-0 overall and 6-0 in the Little East Conference. The loss drops UMass Boston to 10-6 overall and 2-4 in the Little East.
Grant was 7-for-12 from the field despite foul trouble. The 5-10 forward added five rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Senior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) added 15 points, while sophomore forward Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) chipped in with 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Senior guard Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points.
UMass Boston freshman Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) notched her seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead the Beacons. Senior guard Teresa Pina (Boston, Mass./Charlestown) added 13 points and six rebounds.
The Huskies overcame a sluggish first half effort to pull away from the Beacons and earn the win. Southern Maine started the game on the right foot and held a solid 18-8 lead with 9:41 to play, before the Beacons rallied to tied the score up at 20 points each on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes. Pina scored five of the Beacons 12 points in the run, while sophomore guard Lauren Perra's (Taunton, Mass.) pulled her team even with 4:30 to play. Both teams exchanged baskets over the final four minutes of action and Pina's offensive rebound and layup was the final field goal of the half.
Southern Maine shot just 32.3 percent (10-for-31) from the field and found itself in a 26-26 deadlock at the half. Pina scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half to lead the Beacons.
Both teams matched each other point for point in the first two minutes of the second half and were locked at 33-33 with 17:53 on the clock, before the Huskies used a 16-4 run to separate themselves from UMB and grab a 49-37 lead with 12:48 to play. Jordan and Grant each scored six points in the run, while Knight had four.
The Beacons trimmed the Husky advantage to seven points three times over the next four minutes and trailed 54-47 with 8:14 to play following yet another offensive rebound and putback from Pina, but the Huskies responded with a 16-3 run to lead 70-50 with 3:05 remaining to shut the door on the game. Grant and Jordan again played pivotal roles for the Huskies in the run with Grant scoring five points and Jordan scoring four as five different players contributed. With the benches cleared, UMass Boston scored the final two field goals of the game for the 70-54 final.
Shooting a much-improved 48.1 percent (13-for-27) in the second half, Southern Maine finished the game shooting 39.7 percent from the field. UMass Boston finished the game shooting 33.9 percent (19-for-56) from the field.
Southern Maine travels to Eastern Connecticut on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) for an LEC contest. UMass Boston hosts Western Connecticut on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) also in a LEC game.
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