USM dominated Salem State in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Hill Gymnasium on Saturday, taking an 80-57 victory and moving on to the third round of the NCAA tournament.
The Huskies, who have won a school record 26 straight games and stand at 29-1, will face in-state rival Bowdoin on Friday in the third round of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies only loss of the season came at the hands of the Polar Bears, who are undefeated and ranked number one in the nation.
Salem State and USM came into Saturday’s match-up with a history of competing in hotly contested physical battles. The Lady Vikings entered the game with a 16 game winning streak of their own and early on seemed dedicated to giving USM all they could handle..
The lead changed hands several times as the two disciplined teams felt one another out. In fact, it wasn’t until senior Jen Webster followed up a shot at the 49 second mark of the first half that USM managed to stretch their lead to five points at 32-27.
However, the Huskies were poised to overcome the adversity and stormed out of the locker room at halftime, unleashing an 11-2 run on stunned Salem State. The Lady Vikings never recovered and seemed to go through the motions as Coach Fifield’s flawless game plan continued to flourish.
The Lady Huskies played before a large crowd that was at times vocal and supportive of the home team. The home court advantage can be invaluable in the postseason and Coach Fifield knows the benefit of playing at home in front of a great crowd.
“The advantage depends on getting a good crowd and the atmosphere that is created,” Fifield said.
There definitely was a playoff atmosphere, and Fifield’s players clearly enjoyed competing in such a vitally important stepping stone on the road to the NCAA Final Four.
Sophomore standout guard Tiffany Jones, who dropped a game-high 23 points hitting the 1,000 point milestone for her career, led the Lady Huskies. Other key contributors for the balanced Huskies were freshman Katie Sibley (who added 10 points, and five assists) and Megan Myles who not only added 8 points but also produced 9 rebounds and a pleasing 11 assists.
Southern Maine now prepares for their Round of Sixteen game that will feature a rematch with undefeated Bowdoin. Fifield and members of his team expressed anticipation for the rematch in the post-game press conference.
“We’ve had a great, great season, we’re 29 and 1 and we’re looking forward to our little rematch from (Bowdoin), our one loss,” Fifield said.
Fifield stressed that each game they play as they advance in the tournament will require imperative elements of basketball success.
“From now on in the tournament, you’ve got to be able to execute, got to play d,
and you’ve got to work on the boards.”
The match up with Salem State came after USM dispatched Husson College in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 3. The final score was 73 – 47 in a performance that was a decisive and emotional outburst by Coach Fifield’s squad. They moved the ball while on offense; they rotated well on defense, communicated soundly and then enjoyed their 25th consecutive victory to improve their season record to 28-1.
Coach Fifield emphasized that he and his staff do not alter their approach to preparation and practice during the postseason. The Lady Huskies program continues to conduct their successful business as usual.
“You don’t change, you go with what got you to this point,” said Fifield.
It was obvious that Fifield wasn’t kidding because USM clearly played with that same intensity, conviction, and teamwork that has become all too familiar to their opponents this season. The team will hopefully employ these tactics this weekend against Bowdoin.
Andrew Sparda can be contacted at [email protected].