By Sun Journal staff

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Junior forward Ashley Marble scored a game-high 22 points to pace four players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies women’s basketball team clinched the Little East Conference regular-season championship with a resounding 87-62 victory over the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors at Geissler Gymnasium Sunday afternoon.

The win was the 19th straight for the nationally ranked Huskies, improving their records to 21-2 overall and a perfect 12-0 in the conference.

Eastern Connecticut, which won its last three games and six of the last seven, dips to 15-8 overall and 9-3 in the conference.

UNE 59, St. Joe’s 48

BIDDEFORD, Maine – First-year point guard Ashley St. Hilaire scored all of her career-high 15 points in the second half to help the University of New England earn a 59-48 non-conference victory over St. Joseph’s College on Sunday afternoon at the Campus Center.

UNE trailed 29-26 at intermission after turning the ball over 14 times in the opening period. St. Joe’s senior Margaret Blauvelt of Dixfield scored 11 points in the first to help St. Joe’s to its three-point cushion.

After the teams traded baskets in the opening few minutes of the second half, the Nor’easters went on a 19-12 run over the next 10 minutes to establish a 47-41 advantage with 7:27 remaining. St. Hilaire scored 10 points – including eight consecutive for UNE – during the decisive stretch.

Men’s basketball

Eastern Connecticut 80, USM 73

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Junior Michael Stallings and senior Mike Bartunek combined for 44 points off the bench to lead the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to an 80-73 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men’s basketball game Sunday afternoon at Geissler Gymnasium.

The game was a see-saw affair throughout as each team held the lead at various times, but it was a decisive 12-2 run by the Warriors and some poor free-throw shooting by the Huskies late in the game that proved to be the difference.

With the game tied at 59-59 with 6:08 to play after junior Bill Hardwick made a base line jumper for USM, the Warriors took the lead for good as Stallings scored on a layup. Sophomore Leon Martin followed with a basket and two free throws to increase the lead to six. After a Ryan Garland basket cut the lead to four with 3:34 to go, Bartunek buried a three-pointer from the corner to up the margin to seven

Women’s hockey

Williams 4, Colby 3

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Colby College women’s hockey team almost made it a season sweep of Williams College, but the Ephs scored three times in the third period to pull out a 4-3 win on Sunday.

Genevieve Triganne had a big weekend for Colby (5-10-3), keeping her team in the game with 40 saves in the nets.

Bowdoin 5, Middlebury 2

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Bowdoin College women’s ice hockey team put themselves in a great position to host the upcoming NESCAC Tournament, as the Polar Bears defeated top-ranked Middlebury 5-2 Sunday.

Bowdoin opened the scoring at 8:20 as Kat Popoff’s shot from the right face-off circle was partially saved by Kate Kogut before trickling over the line.

Popoff had a great chance to make it a 2-0 game at 14:30, but her snap shot from the left wing hit the top left corner of the pipe. Bowdoin did take a 2-0 advantage at 16:52 when Kelsey Wilcox scored from just inside the blue line on the left wing.