The win was the 15th straight and 62nd consecutive home win for Southern Maine, which improves to 18-1 overall. The loss is the fourth straight for the Eagles who dip to 7-11 overall.
Currently third in all-time career points (1703) and second all-time in career rebounds (1005) at USM, Marble joins former USM men’s basketball players Tom Wheeler (1962-66), John Jordan (1977-81) and recently deceased Fay Morrill (1970-74) in the ranks of players who have reached at least 1000 points and 1000 rebounds. USM women’s basketball alumna Robin Blattenberger (1983-84, 85-87) reached the milestone but played her first season of collegiate basketball at now defunct Nasson College.
Junior forward Angela Santa Fe (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) led all scorers netting a game-high 16 points on an outstanding 7-for-9 effort from the field. Sophomore guard Stacey Kent (Northwood, N.H./Coe-Brown Academy) tossed in nine points, while freshman forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) and senior forward Lauren Samuelson (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) each scored eight points.
Senior guard Carmen Ballard (Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan) led the Eagles with 12 points and freshman guard Chere Wickstrom (Bangor, Maine/John Bapst Memorial) and sophomore guard Jenny Rollins (Corinth, Maine/Central) chipped in with 11 points each.
Despite shooting a sub-par 37.9 percent (11-for-29) from the field in the first half, USM lead Husson 34-21 at the break as Santa Fe and Kent tallied eight and seven points respectively in the opening stanza.
USM jumped out to a 22-point advantage in the opening five minutes of the second half, outscoring the Eagles 13-4. Santa Fe netted six points in the run. The Huskies led by as many as 21 points with just over three minutes to play, but the Eagles were able to keep the game close as they caught fire from three-point range. Husson finished the game sinking nine three-pointers, including six in the second half.
Husson freshman guard Jennifer Plourde (Howland, Maine/Penobscot Valley) scored five of the Eagles final 11 points canning a three-pointer and a long-range jumper as the Eagles outscored USM 11-3 in the final two and a half minutes for the 70-57 final.
USM finished the game shooting a respectable 45.5 percent (25-for-55) from the field and 38.5 percent (5-for-13) from the three-point line, but struggled from the charity stripe making just 15 of its 23 attempts for a 65.2 percent mark.
Husson shot 38.2 percent from the floor making 21 of its 55 field goal attempts and was 9-for-23 from the three-point line (39.1 percent).
Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (February 3) when its hosts Little East Conference opponent Western Connecticut State University. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. Husson College returns to action on Friday (February 2) at 8 p.m. when it hosts Mt. Ida College.