With the win the Huskies improve to 5-9 overall, while Salem State drops just its second game of the season to fall to 10-2.
The Huskies opened the game on fire connecting on four of their first five shots to run out to a 9-0 lead and continued the trend throughout the half. Shooting an outstanding 55.6 percent from the floor in the opening stanza, the Huskies drilled 15 out of their 27 shots, including a solid 3-for-6 mark from three-point range, to take an 18-point advantage into the halftime break.
Salem State struggled to start the game, shooting just 30.3 percent from the field on 10-of-33 shooting, including a 1-for-9 effort from beyond the arc. Salem State’s Ifesinachi Anosike (Staten Island, N.Y.), who entered the game averaging a team-best 21.5 points per game, was held to just two points.
The Huskies continued to have the hot-hand in the second half, and maintained at least a 16-point advantage midway through the second half. Salem State managed to cut the Husky lead to five (58-53) riding the three-point shooting of Allen Reid (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge). Reid pulled his Vikings to within two possessions when he converted a four-point play with 9:50 to go in the game, after sinking a three after being fouled by Husky freshman guard Josh Daniels (Seattle, Wash./Maine Central Institute) to cap a 20-5 run. Reid scored 12 of his team-high 28 points in the run.
Southern Maine responded quickly, however, on 7-0 run. Senior guard Mike Franceour (Somersworth, N.H./Chesire) hit one of his two second half three-pointers, and then followed a lay-up from Levecque with a short-jumper to give the Huskies a 65-55 lead with 8:10 to go. Franceour finished the game with 10 points, including eight in the second half, and a team-high seven assists.
The Huskies held off Salem State over the final eight minutes of action as Levecque scored seven of the Huskies final 15 points and junior forward Caleb Sayward (Raymond, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) provided the Huskies with timely rebounding, collecting all eight of his caroms in a clutch performance off of the bench.
The Huskies also received 10 points from junior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) and a team-high 12 rebounds from junior forward Jesse McKinnell (Manomet, Mass./Scituate) to go along with six points and two blocked shots.
Southern Maine returns to action Saturday, January 15 at 3 p.m. against Little East Conference opponent UMass Dartmouth. Salem State returns to the hardwood at home against Fitchburg State.