DOGS TOP BIG CATS AS REGIS FALLS IN CLASSIC

GORHAM, Maine  -  Senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) scored a game-high 16 points to lead four players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Regis College Pride 74-59 in the final game of the USM New Year's Classic Monday evening at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine.

The win is the fourth straight for the Huskies who improve to 8-3 overall. Suffering its fourth straight loss, Regis College evens out at 6-6 on the season.

Paradis was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.  Senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) joined Paradis on the all-tournament team after posting a pair of double-doubles in two games.  Johnson had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Regis on a stellar 7-for-9 effort from the field.  Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) had 15 points, eight assists and four rebounds while freshman forward Curran Leighton (Dover, N.H.) had 10 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and two steals.

Regis senior Jessica Page (Quincy, Mass.) led the Pride with a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds.  Sophomore guard Stephanie Crawford (Rockland, Mass.) had 10 points and four assists and freshman guard Bianca Flores (Dorchester, Mass./New Mission) chipped in with nine points off of the bench.

Leading by 13, 31-18, with 6:35 to play in the first half, Southern Maine saw its lead whittled away to four points at the break as the Pride outscored the Huskies 18-9.  After a three-pointer from Paradis to take the 31-18 lead, Regis held USM scoreless for three minutes as sophomore guard Megan Tobin (Quincy, Mass.) scored eight straight points on back-to-back three pointers and a jumper.  Following the 8-0 run, both teams traded blows before sophomore guard Stephanie Crawford (Rockland, Mass.) netted a jumper in the paint during the Pride's final possession to trail 40-36 at the break.

In the second half, Regis pulled to within one of USM on its first possession with a three-pointer from junior guard Stephanie Wozmak (Auburn, N.H./Memorial), before the Huskies used an 11-2 run, including nine straight points, to take a 51-41 lead with 15:38 to play.  Johnson had four points in the run for USM. 

A three-pointer from Flores stymied the Huskies scoring briefly, before the Huskies strung together a 14-2 run to take their largest lead of the game, 65-46, with 7:53 to play. Five different players scored for USM in the decisive run. 

Regis cut the lead to 15 on a pair of free throws from Crawford with 3:28 on the clock, but it was as close as the Pride would get the rest of the way.

Southern Maine finished the game shooting 43.1 percent (28-for-65) from the floor and 39.1 percent (9-for-23) from three-point range.  Regis shot 34.0 percent (18-for-53) fro the field and 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from three-point range. 

Southern Maine travels to Husson University on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) for non-conference game.  Regis College hosts Colby-Sawyer on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).