FITCHBURG STATE ELIMINATED FROM
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 

Box score 

GORHAM, ME, March 4, 2007 - Sophomore forward Stacey Kent (Northwood, NH) scored a game-high 17 points to lead three players in double-figures as the eighth-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies downed the Fitchburg State College Falcons 65-54 in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament Sunday afternoon at Warren Hill Gymnasium on USM's Gorham campus.

With the win Southern Maine improves its overall mark to 27-2 and advances to the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" for the seventh consecutive season and 18th time since USM move to the NCAA in 1985. Fitchburg State completes its season with a 26-3 record.

Southern Maine travels to Emmanuel College in Boston for its next competition and will face Calvin College on Friday, March 9 at a time to be determined. Calvin (27-2) advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" with a second round win over Wilmington (Ohio) 73-67.

Kent was clutch from three-point range draining 5-of-7 from the beyond-the-arc to lead USM. Senior forward Ashley Marble (Topsfield, ME) recorded her 22nd double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds and junior forward Angela Santa Fe (Derry, NH) tossed in 12 points and five rebounds. Freshman guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, ME) chipped in with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from three point range to compliment two assists, a blocked shot and a steal.

Freshman guard Krystle O'Brien (Malden, MA) led three Falcon players in double-digit scoring with 13 points on a solid 6-for-12 effort from the floor. O'Brien added three rebounds, a team-high four assists and two steals as the Falcons' point guard. Senior D'yana Delpero (Peabody, MA) and sophomore forward Steph Payette (Townsend, MA) each scored 12 points, while Payette recorded a team-high four steals.

Despite taking a 15-point, 21-6, lead midway through the first half, Southern Maine trailed the Falcons by a point at the halftime break, 31-30, and found itself in a seven-point hole with eight and half minutes remaining in the game.

Led by Payette (nine points), O'Brien (six points) and Delpero (six points) the Falcons outscored the Huskies 25-9 over the final eight minutes of the first half to surge ahead of the Huskies 31-30 at the half. In the second half, Fitchburg State opened with a 10-4 run to take a 41-34 lead with 13:32 to play as the Falcons received baskets from five different players. The Falcons held off any Husky runs over the next five minutes and led by seven, 51-44, with 8:33 remaining as Delpero connected on a deep three-point strike following an assist O'Brien.

Southern Maine was able to counter however running off 11 unanswered points to retake the lead and control of the game. Senior guard Lindsey Welch (Newport, ME) keyed the USM run draining a three-pointer to cut the Fitchburg State advantage to four, 51-47, with 8:13 on the clock. Marble scored the Huskies' next four points to tie the score at 51 all with 5:41 on a lay-up and a pair of free throws. Santa Fe and Marble then combined to score four points, all from the free throw line, to cap the run and give the Huskies a 55-51 lead with 3:42 showing.

O'Brien snapped the Falcons scoring drought with one-of-two free throws, but Southern Maine received back-to-back threes from Kent and Paradis to lead by nine, 61-52 with 2:18 to play. From there USM outscored Fitchburg State down the stretch for the 65-54 final.

Despite a tepid 8-for-20 performance from the field in the second half, USM finished the game shooting 48.8 percent (20-for-41) from the field and was 72.7 percent (16-for-22) from the free throw line.

Fitchburg State shot a solid 45.1 percent from the floor making 23 of its 51 field goal attempts, but struggled from the free throw line, making just 4-of-10 (40 percent).