BANGOR, Maine – The Husson University women's basketball team continued its strong North Atlantic Conference campaign on Friday evening, defeating Vermont State University Lyndon, 70-56, at Newman Gymnasium.
Husson (16-8, 14-3 NAC) used a dominant effort on the glass and a balanced scoring attack to pull away in the second half, outscoring the Hornets (13-11, 8-9 NAC) in both the third and fourth quarters to secure the 14-point victory.
The Eagles weathered a slow start in the opening quarter. Lyndon jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes before freshman Abby Radel got Husson on the board with a jumper in the paint. Sophomore Lilly Roy followed with a fastbreak layup off a feed from senior Laela Martinez to cut into the deficit. Midway through the quarter, sophomore Saige Evans converted a pair of free throws and then scored inside to give Husson its first lead at 10-9. Radel added another pair of buckets in the lane and Roy finished a transition opportunity to help the Eagles close the first quarter in front, 16-14.
The second quarter featured five lead changes as both teams traded runs. Freshman Savannah Lorenz provided an early spark off the bench with a strong finish inside to extend the Husson advantage. After Lyndon reclaimed the lead behind back-to-back three-pointers, the Eagles responded with timely defensive stops and second-chance opportunities. Evans knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 23-23, and freshman Sophia Carnes drained a three-pointer from the right wing to cap a key 11-2 Husson run. Roy later added a pair of free throws and Lorenz finished inside in the final seconds, sending the Eagles into halftime with a 36-30 edge.
Husson seized control in the third quarter. Senior Danielle Dow opened the half with a jumper, and Roy connected on a mid-range shot to stretch the margin to double digits. Evans then took over in transition, scoring on a fastbreak layup off a Radel assist before converting again inside on the next possession. Dow added another finish in the paint, and the Eagles built their largest lead of the quarter at 52-41 heading into the final period.
In the fourth, Husson continued to control the tempo. Roy buried a three-pointer early in the quarter, and Evans added a strong finish through contact to keep the Hornets at bay. Mack and Begay responded for Lyndon to trim the deficit to 12 with just over four minutes to play, but the Eagles answered every challenge. Evans scored on a pull-up jumper with under two minutes remaining and later added a free throw in the closing minute to seal the win. Chloe Murphy's layup at the buzzer provided the final 70-56 margin.
Evans led Husson with 17 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double, while Roy added 15 points and six boards. Radel finished with nine points, Martinez chipped in seven, and Lorenz contributed 10 points off the bench. Dow also made a major impact on the glass with nine rebounds as Husson dominated the boards, 54-33.
The Eagles finished with 24 second-chance points and 23 points off turnovers, capitalizing on their defensive pressure and relentless work on the offensive glass.
Husson concludes its regular season schedule on Saturday with senior day against Vermont State University Johnson at 3 p.m.
