Early lead gets away from Salve Regina in opener

FARMINGTON, Maine - Junior forward Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) led a balanced offense with 16 points and 11 rebounds – both game-high totals - as the University of Southern Maine Huskies overcome a rocky start to defeat the Salve Regina University Seahawks 67-45 in the first game of the 2013 UMaine Farmington Tip Off Tournament Friday night at Dearborn Gymnasium. The Seahawks led by as many as seven (9-2) and held its last lead at 20-17 with under four minutes left in the first half.

Southern Maine starts its 2013-2014 season with a win at 1-0 and advances to the championship round of the tip off tournament and will face either the host UMaine Farmington Beavers or the Fisher College Falcons. The Seahawks fall in their opening game to stand at 0-1.

Knight was 5-for-11 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line en route to her 16 points, adding tow steals, one assists and a blocked shot. Junior forward Abby Hasson (South Portland, Maine) tossed in 10 points and grabbed three rebounds off of the bench, while sophomore forward Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) and senior guard Mariah Callender (Portland, Maine) each scored eight points. Pelletier added six rebounds.

Sophomore guard Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) led the Seahawks with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Senior Marissa Pendergast (Medfield, Mass.) added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds. 

The Huskies started out the game ice-cold shooting just 1-for-6 from the field and turning the ball over three times in the opening four minutes of the game, to trail Salve Regina 9-2. The Huskies trailed the Seahawks for a majority of the opening half and didn't lead the game until a pair of Knight free throws put them ahead 22-20 with 2:46. The Huskies trailed Seahawks 20-17, before a three from Callender pulled USM even at 3:42 mark. Knight scored the next six points of the game on her two free throw, a layup and a jump shot to cap a 9-0 run by USM for a 26-20 lead with 1:17 to play. The Seawhawks hit one of two free throws for the 26-21 score at the break.

USM outscored the Seahawks 11-3 in the first three minutes of the second half to grab a 13-point lead. Junior Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) and Hasson each converted traditional three-point play to bookend a three-pointer from Harden, before Knight sank two frees and senior guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) canned a three for a 37-24 lead with 17:10 to play. 

The Huskies maintained that comfortable major, leading Salve Regina 41-30 with 12:59 to play, before using a 12-0 run over four minutes to blow open the game. Callender scored five of her eight points in the decisive run, while Knight scored back-to-back layups for a 53-30 lead with 8:41 to play.

USM held its largest lead of the game, 58-34, with 6:50 after a three-pointer from junior guard Stephanie Gallagher (York, Maine) and never led by less than 20 points the rest of the way.