Ranked ninth in the most recent D3hoops.Com National Poll, Southern Maine improves to 26-1 and will face third-seeded UMass Dartmouth in the championship game at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Rhode Island College concludes its season at 16-11. UMass Dartmouth defeated second-seeded Western Connecticut State 74-64 in overtime in the second semifinal game to advance to its first LEC final.
Jordan paced three Huskies in double figures with a game-high 21 points. Jordan connected on 7-of-11 from the field, while converting on each of her six attempts from the foul. Garland produced 19 points, including five three-pointers, to establish a new Southern Maine single-season record for 3-pointers made (82). Garland held the previous record of 78 set during the 2011-12 season. Sophomore Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine) chipped in with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Junior guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added nine points, four assists and two steals.
The first half was a see saw affair with each team making a substantial run. Garland drained a pair of 3-pointers to push the Huskies lead to 12-5. She set the Southern Maine standard with her three-pointer from the right wing with 12:35 remaining in the half.
Following a timeout, Rhode Island College began to assert itself on the offensive end by scoring nine of the next 11 points to forge a 14-all tie. Senior forward Courtney Burns (Rockland, Mass.) knocked down a pair of jumpers, while freshman forward Vandell Andrade (Providence, R.I.) completed the run with a traditional 3-point play.
Jordan scored nine of the next 13 points to give the Huskies an advantage that they would not relinquish. Sophomore guard Stephanie Gallagher (York, Maine) sandwiched a pair of lay ups between a Jordan make to give Southern Maine a 31-21 lead heading into the locker room.
The Huskies opened the second half with a pair of buckets to stretch their advantage to a game-high 14 points, but Rhode Island College countered with a 12-2 run to trim its deficit to 37-33. Burns sparked the surge with four points, while freshman point guard Danielle LeBlanc (Warwick, R.I.) capped the run with back-to-back 3-pointers.
A Garland triple appeared to stem the tide for the Huskies, but the Anchorwomen continued to apply the offensive pressure with a 12-6 run to whittle their deficit to one point (50-49). Burns once again fueled the run with a lay up and a traditional three-point play, while senior guard Ashley O'Dell (Lincoln, R.I.) finished the surge with a 3-pointer.
Unfazed by the charging visitors, Southern Maine responded with a 10-0 run to break open the contest. Garland sandwiched a pair of triples between a pair of Jordan foul shots to balloon the Huskies' lead to 58-49 with eight minutes to go. Jordan completed the decisive run with a jumper in the paint.
The Huskies converted on 11 out of 12 free throws down to stretch to maintain their double-digit advantage. McNamara connected on five of six attempts, while Jordan sank a pair with just 37 seconds remaining to book Southern Maine's 27th appearance in the Little East championship game.
Burns led Rhode Island College with 17 points, while Andrade nearly posted a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. LeBlanc (Warwick, R.I.) piloted the Anchorwomen attack with four assists.
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