Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Despite heading into the fourth quarter even at 48, UMass Dartmouth could not complete the road win on Saturday, falling to Southern Maine by a 68-55 final score.
The Huskies dropped 20 points to the Corsairs' seven in the final quarter, as senior Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine) earned seven of her game-high 19 points in the last stanza alone. Southern Maine improves to 4-1 in the Little East Conference with the win, having won its past three, while UMass Dartmouth slips to 9-5 overall and 1-4 in the league.
Corsair senior Beth Castantini (Newburyport, Mass.) was again the high scorer for her team, registering her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 boards. Equaling the scoring mark with 11 on the night was freshman Nakira Examond (New Bedford, Mass.), who amassed 11 boards for her team-best third double-double this season.
The contest was an even affair through the first three quarters. Southern Maine jumped out to a quick lead in the first quarter, going ahead by as much a nine. UMass Dartmouth was able to bring the lead down to four to close the period, thanks to layups from Examond and senior Colleen Kane (Arlington, Mass.).
Despite the Huskies holding the majority of possession for the first five minutes of the second quarter, a Kane 3-pointer at 3:48 closed Southern Maine's lead to its lowest point thus far at two. Kane then converted two free throws to tie the score at 27. Baskets were traded over the next two minutes when Castantini registered two foul shots over her own to give the Corsairs a 31-30 lead into the break.
Neither team could gain control in the third quarter, as the stanza featured five tied scores. To begin the fourth, Castantini posted the first bucket, but the Huskies then owned the next seven minutes, exploding out on a 14-0 run. The Huskies capitalized on numerous Corsair turnovers, with Ramonas dominating in the paint.
An and-one layup from Examond brought the lead down to only eight with a minute left, but UMass Dartmouth wouldn't score again. Southern Maine tallied the final six points, as freshman Alexa Srolovitz (Montreal, Quebec), sophomore Miranda Nicely (Farmington, Maine) and senior Gretchen Anderson (Kittery Point, Maine) made six of eight foul shots to seal the game.
Kane finished with 10 points and five rebounds on the night for the Corsairs, while the Huskies' Srolovitz continued her solid freshman campaign with 13 points and five boards. Southern Maine outperformed UMass Dartmouth on the shots, converting on 41 percent (22-of-53) from the floor to the Corsairs' 32 percent (19-of-58).
The Corsairs will look to curb their three-game skid on Monday when they host 9-5 Colby in a non-conference event at 6 p.m.
