Huskies Hang On to Defeat Bowdoin 80-79

GORHAM, Maine   – Four players scored in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies held on to defeat the Bowdoin College Polar Bears 80-79 in a non-conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine. 

         Senior guard Chris Pagentine (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) led the Huskies with 21 points, canning four three-pointers as Southern Maine improved its overall record to 5-1.  Suffering its second straight loss, Bowdoin falls to 3-2. 

         Pagentine was 8-for-16 from the field and 4-for-9 from three-point range en route to his team-high total.  He added five rebounds and three assists.  Sophomore guard Brandon Tomah (Princeton, Maine/Calais) added 19 points, seven rebounds and a game-high five assists and junior guard Alex Kee (Bath, Maine/Morse) chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.  Senior forward Jeremy Jackson (Laplace, La./Independence) continued his dominant play in the post racking up his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds.  The 6-5 forward added one assist, two steals and two blocked shots. 

         Bowdoin's Will Hanley (New Canaan, Conn.) was a force down low for the Polar Bears.  Hanley finished the game with 32 points and 18 rebounds – both game-high totals – while shooting and impressive 12-for-19 from the field.  Sophomore guard Andrew Madlinger (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) and senior guard Ryan O'Connell (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) each scored 13 points.

         With both teams struggling from the field in the first half, Southern Maine headed into the halftime break with a narrow 29-25 lead.  The Huskies opened up the game in the opening four minutes of the second half on an 11-2 run to lead Bowdoin 42-27 and seemed to have the game in hand before Bowdoin countered with a 17-5 run to trailed by three 47-44 with 10:57 on the clock.

         USM's Jackson nearly kept the Polar Bears at bay by himself scoring 11 of the Huskies next 14 points in the a three-minute span as USM used a 14-4 run to lead 61-48. 

         Again the Huskies seemed in control leading by as much as 10, 65-55, with five minutes to play, but Bowdoin clawed its way back to within a basket of USM with just under a minute to play.  Bowdoin outscored USM 16-5 over that stretch on the strength of three pointers from Madlinger, freshman guard Bryan Hurley (Watertown, Mass./Boston College High) and senior guard Wyatt Littles (Dallas, Texas/Southlake Carroll). 

         The Huskies were able to close out the game on the free throw line making 6-of-6 in the final minute of action.

         Southern Maine travels to Eastern Connecticut on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) for its first Little East Conference game.  Bowdoin College hosts UMaine Presque Isle on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). 

–cac–