The win lifts the Warriors to 7-14 overall and 3-9 in the conference with one week left in the regular season. Southern Maine dropped its fourth straight game to fall to 8-15 overall and 3-9 in the conference.
The game was a see-saw affair throughout as each team held the lead at various times, but it was a decisive 12-2 run by the Warriors and some poor free throw shooting by the Huskies late in the game that proved to be the difference.
With the game tied at 59-59 with 6:08 to play after junior Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine) made a base line jumper for USM, the Warriors took the lead for good as Stallings scored on a layup. Sophomore Leon Martin (Woodbury, Conn.) followed with a basket and two free throws to increase the lead to six. After a Ryan Garland (Hermon, Maine) basket cut the lead to four with 3:34 to go, Bartunek buried a three-pointer from the corner to up the margin to seven.
The Huskies had a pair of one-and-one situations over the next 30 seconds, but failed to convert the front end on both occasions. Stallings made them pay with a three-pointer to give the Warriors a 10-point edge (71-61) with 1:56 to play.
A 6-0 run, sparked by a Hardwick basket and four points from freshman Josh Daniels (Seattle, Wash.) got USM within four (71-67) with 1:10 to go, but ECSU made 9 of 12 free throws in the final minute to preserve the win.
In the opening half, Southern Maine enjoyed a 10-0 run midway through the half to erase a four-point deficit and take a six-point lead (22-16). Hardwick, who had a career-high 24 points in the game, scored six points during the run.
Eastern Connecticut answered back with a 15-2 run over the final 3:11 to take a 38-30 lead into the locker room at the break. Bartunek, who made 5 of 7 three-point tries in the game, buried three trifectas and Stallings added four points during the run.
An 11-0 run by the Huskies early in the second half wiped out a seven-point ECSU lead (44-37) and gave the visitors a 48-44 advantage with 14:04 to play. Hardwick had four points in the run. Neither team would lead by more than four until the Warriors decisive run.
Hardwick connected on 10 or 16 shots from the field on the way to his 24 points to lead the Huskies. Senior guard Jason Levecque (Westbrook, Maine) added 17 and Daniels finished with 11 points.
Stallings made 6 of 10 shots from the floor and converted 12 of 15 free throws for his game-high 26 points. Bartunek finished with 18 points. Martin contributed a “double-double” with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Jeroy Smith (New Haven, Conn.) added 11 points.
Southern Maine closes out the regular season this week with a home game Tuesday against Plymouth State University and a road game Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Eastern Connecticut has a game at Keene State College on Tuesday before closing the regular season at home on Saturday.
The Little East Conference championship tournament will begin on February 22 at on-campus sites of the top four seeded teams. The semifinals and finals will be hosted at the highest seeded team remaining February 25-26. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth into the 2005 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship tournament.