01/04/2008
Women's Basketball Shoots Past Maine Maritime, 71-55

GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Sarah Roderigue (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) scored a game-high 20 points to lead three players in double-figures as the Clark University Cougars defeated the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners, 71-55, in a first round game of the USM Invitational Tournament Friday evening at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.

The win halts a five-game losing streak for the Cougars who improve to 4-5 overall. The Mariners, suffering their second consecutive defeat, fall to 5-4.

The Cougars advance to the tournament's championship game Saturday afternoon (3:00 p.m.) against the host University of Southern Maine Huskies, a 76-33 winner over the University of Maine Presque Isle in the other first round game. Maine Maritime will take on UMPI in the consolation game (1:00 p.m.).

The 5-foot-8 Roderique connected on 7-of-13 shots from the floor, including 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc, and 3-of-6 from the foul line to account for her 20 points. She also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, dished out four assists and made three steals.

Supporting Roderique were sophomore forward Jillian Camilleri (Lancaster, Mass.) with 15 points (7-of-14 from the floor) and graduate student Jess Lamothe (Westboro, Mass.) with 10.

Freshman Tatum Welch (Newport, Maine) was the lone Maine Maritime player to reach double figures tallying 12 points. The 6-foot forward also corralled a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Cougars never trailed in the game, building a 35-26 lead by halftime with Roderique leading the way with 13 points. The Cougars shot 48.3 percent from the floor, and 5-of-7 from long-range, in the half while holding the Mariners to 31.3 percent shooting (10 of 32).

After a basket by Camilleri to opened the second half, Maine Maritime responded with a 5-0 spurt on a basket from freshman Amethyst Cousins (Tremont, Maine) and a three-pointer from sophomore Kelsi Eiane (Harpswell, Maine) to pull within six, 37-31.

The Cougars scored the next 11 points, capped off by two three-pointers from junior Katie McCloskey (Wilbraham, Mass.), over the next four minutes to take a 48-31 lead. The closest the Mariners would get the remainder of the way was 15.

Clark finished the game shooting 46.7 percent (28 of 60) from the floor, including a season-best 62.5 percent (10 of 16) from beyond the arc. Maine Maritime's cold shooting continued in the second half to finish the game connecting on just 29.9 percent (20 of 67) of its shots from the floor.