WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team outscored the University of Southern Maine 13-2 to open the fourth quarter, but the Huskies broke the only tie of the game with six straight points to pull away for a 64-56 Little East Conference victory Thursday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

Eastern (8-5, 4-2 LEC) and Southern Maine (9-2, 5-1 LEC) entered the game as two of four teams tied atop the Little East standings. The Huskies remain in a three-way tie for first while the Warriors fall into a two-way tie for second with its sixth straight victory.

Southern Maine's Victoria Harris came off the bench to score ten of her 14 points in ten second- half minutes and finished the game with five rebounds. Harris gave the Huskies the lead for good, breaking the 50-all tie with five minutes left with an inside basket despite being fouled and a jumper.

Jackie Luckhardt added 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals for the winners, with Kimberly Howrigan adding ten points and a team-high nine rebounds. Southern Maine out-rebounded Eastern, 37-29, including 13-3 on the offensive glass that provided it with a 10-1 advantage in second-chance points.

Junior guard Julie Jordan (Sterling) had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals for Eastern, with senior forward Kelsey Santagata (Stamford) adding ten rebounds and six points and junior forward Mya Villard (Cromwell) nine points, five rebounds, a career-high seven assists, and three steals. Junior guard Sabrina LeMere (North Branford) chipped in 11 point (4-of-6 FG) and four assists without a turnover in 35 minutes.

Eastern hosts Keene State College Saturday at 1 p.m. in a conference game.