GORHAM, Maine   –  Junior guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and junior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) combined for 30 points and 27 rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 67-62 win over the Husson University Eagles in a non-conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. Junior forward Brianna Hanscom (Mattawamkeag, Maine/Mattanawcook Academy) led all scorers with 18 points and had a team-high seven rebounds.

Nicholas and Cochran each had 15 points.  Cochran notched her team-leading seventh double-double with a game-high 16 rebounds. Nicholas, a 5-7 guard, grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds and added a pair of assists and three steals.  Senior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) added 12 points, while freshman guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added 10 points, four assists and two steals. 

            Senior guard Bethany Sevey (Skowhegan, Maine) added 13 points and six rebounds.

            Led by nine points each from Nicholas and DeMillo the Huskies led the Eagles 39-26 at the half.  The Huskies shot a solid 41.4 percent (12-for-29) from the field in the opening stanza, including five three-pointers. 

            Southern Maine held a double-digit lead midway through the second half, 55-44, with 10:24 to play following a pair of free throws from Nicholas, before the Eagles slowly chipped away at the USM lead to pull to within a basket of the Huskies, 61-59, with 48 seconds on the clock. 

            After the Nicholas free throws, the Huskies shooting went ice cold making two of 13 field goal attempts over the final 10 minutes.  Outscoring USM 18-12 down the stretch, Husson senior guard Noelle Lincoln (Dixmont, Maine/Nokomis) canned her second three-pointer of the contest with 48 seconds showing on the clock.   On its next possession, USM received two free throws from sophomore guard Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) for a four point, 63-59, lead with 29 seconds to play.  Forced to foul, Husson put the Huskies on the line and the Huskies responded with four consecutive free throws – two each from Cochran and McNamara. 

            Southern Maine shot just 29.6 percent (8-for-27) from the field in the second half and finished the game shooting 35.7 percent (20-for-56) from the field.  Southern Maine was a solid 80.0 percent (20-for-25) from the free throw line.  Husson finished the game shooting 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the field. 

            Husson faces the University of New England on Thursday (6:00 p.m.).