GORHAM, Maine  – All 11 players who entered the game scored as the University of Southern Maine Huskies' used a balanced team effort to route the Salem State University Vikings 77-37 in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium.

            The win is the second straight and the third in the last four games for the Huskies who improve to 5-3 overall.  Salem State drops to 2-4 with the loss. 

            Huskies' senior Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) led all scorers with 13 points, adding nine rebounds and three assists.  Junior Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) added 11 points, seven boards, three steals and a blocked shots.  Freshman Kate Lipka (Peabody, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) had a career-high nine points in a strong 4-for-4 performance off of the bench.  Seniors Stephanie Gallagher (York, Maine) and Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) each added eight points and freshman Miranda Nicely (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) added eight points, nine rebounds and four steals – all career-high totals – off of the bench.

            Salem State senior Rachael Carter (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) led the Vikings with a 12-point, 16-rebound double double.  She added three assists and four steals while playing all 40 minutes.  Freshman Gabriela Feraro (Douglas, Mass./Holy Name) added seven points and five rebounds and sophomore Malissa Saad (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) added six points and five rebounds.

            Leading by a modest five points, 18-13, more than midway through the first half, Southern Maine held the Vikings to just two points over the final eight minutes to bank a 35-15 lead at the break.  After a layup from the Vikings' Saad to make it a two-possession game with 8:07 to play, USM scored nine straight points, including five points from Lipka on a mid-range jumper and a three. The Vikings interrupted the Huskies' run with a layup from freshman Saran Kaba (Dorchester, Mass./O'Bryant) before USM closed out the half on an 8-0 run.   Four different players scored for the Huskies in the final push of the half.

            The Vikings scored the first points of the second half as Carter drained a three to cut the USM lead to 35-18, but the Huskies' again used a strong defensive effort holding their opponents to just three points over a seven and a half minute span to grab a commanding 50-21 lead.  After Carter's three, USM strung together a 16-3 run keyed by a Knight offensive rebound and a put-back and capped by a three from junior forward Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine/Deering).  Ramonas finished with six points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and one blocked shot.

            The Huskies' lead continued to grow throughout the half as Southern Maine led by as many as 42 points. USM's bench personnel, led by Lipka and Nicely,  turned in a strong overall performance accounting for 33 of the Huskies' 77 points.

            Southern Maine returns to Little East Conference action on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when it travels to Keene State.  Salem State hosts Plymouth State on Thursday (5:30 p.m.) in a non-conference game.

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