KEENE, N.H.  –  Junior forward Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead four players in double-figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies earned a 71-66 win on the road over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference women's basketball tilt Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gym.

            The win is the third straight for the Huskies' who improve to 6-3 overall and move to 2-0 in the Little East Conference.  The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Owls who dip to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the LEC.

            Pelletier was 7-for-12 from the field for the Huskies' game-high total.  Senior Stephanie Gallagher (York, Maine) had a huge game knocking down five three-pointers en route to a season-high 16 points, while junior forward Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine/Deering) added 13 points and nine rebounds.  Senior Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) added a career-high 12 points, six rebounds and a career-high five assists in a strong performance.

            Freshman guard Sandi Purcell (Hudson, N.H./Alvrine) led all scorers with 24 points off of the bench.  Purcell connected on seven three-pointers.  Purcell scored nine of her 24 points in the final 2:25 of the game as the Owls made a valiant bid at a comeback. Seniors Christan Wojtas (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) and Courtney Roberts (Sutton, Mass.) scored 12 and 10 points each.

            The Huskies trailed the Owls 7-4 with 13:34 to play in the opening half before assuming control with a 10-0 run. Gallagher scored six of the Huskies' 10 points in the run as USM led 14-7 with 11:50 to play. Gallagher, who scored 12 of her 16 points in the first half, knocked down her  fourth three-pointer of the game with 49 seconds to play as the Huskies led 35-25 at the break.

            The Huskies' remained comfortably ahead of the Owls in the second half and back-to-back threes from Ramonas and Gallagher midway through the stanza gave USM its biggest lead fo the game 54-39 with 9:46 on the clock. A three from USM rookie Kayla Stacy (Auburn, N.H. / Pinkerton Academy) made it and a nice drive to the basket by Flood mad it 64-51 in favor of the Huskies with 4:04 to go and the game seemed in hand for USM, before Owls strung together a desperation push.

            Wojtas and Purcell hit back-to-back threes for a quick six-point swing, quickly turning a 13-point deficit to a seven-point hole with 2:25 to go. The Owls were able to trim the lead to six, five and three in the waning moments of the game, but the Huskies got just enough done at the line (7-for-11) to hold on for the win.

            Southern Maine is off for the break and will return to action on Monday, December 29 (7:00 p.m.) when its faces WPI in the Westfield State Tournament. Keene State is off until Saturday, December 30 (1:00 p.m.) when the Owls host Anna Maria College in the KSC Holiday Tournament.

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