By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

Women’s basketball was still an intramural sport at many post-secondary schools back in the winter of 1980-81. The University of Southern Maine stayed well ahead of the curve, however, celebrating a 20-win season as a varsity program that year.

And the Huskies haven’t stopped.

Southern Maine cemented its NCAA Division III record 26th consecutive campaign of 20 victories or more, with at least a month to spare, by routing Plymouth State on Tuesday night, 80-39.

The Huskies, who are ranked No. 1 in the nation by every major poll and will seek their first-ever national championship in March, extended their Little East Conference unbeaten streak to 56 games. USM has won 42 in a row at Warren Hill Gymnasium.

Senior Megan Myles of Auburn (Edward Little) led the Huskies with 15 points.

Ashley Marble continues to pace USM’s balanced attack with 18 points and nine rebounds per game. Marble was named Division III Player of the Month in January. The junior also became the 17th Southern Maine woman to score 1,000 points.

“Ashley has been a catalyst for us all season,” USM coach Gary Fifield said in a news release. “She has played well for us at both ends of the floor throughout the season and has had a remarkable month.”

Fifield took over the Southern Maine program in 1987-88 and is 477-78 in those 19 seasons, a sparkling winning percentage of .859.

She shoots, she scores

Kim Drosdik of Farmington (Mt. Blue) put up phenomenal numbers over the weekend in leading Thomas College to a pair of North Atlantic Conference women’s hoop victories.

Drosdik erupted for 11 3-pointers Saturday against Bay Path, shattering her own single-game school record. As an encore, she “settled” for six treys Sunday versus Lesley.

For the weekend, Drosdik averaged 28.5 points and swished 63 percent of her long-range bids. Thomas’ junior co-captain shared Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week designation with Meg Coffin of Bates.

Home, sweet home

Bates saw its record 16-game men’s basketball winning streak end with a loss at Tufts last weekend, but the Bobcats continue to celebrate journeys into uncharted territory.

Victories earlier in the week over the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Plymouth State afforded Bates its first-ever unbeaten season at home. The Bobcats went 10-0 at cozy Alumni Gymnasium. Bryan Wholey scored 22 of his career-best 24 points in the second half against Plymouth State.

The Bobcats already have matched their school record for victories in a season with 19, and they’ll have at least three chances to touch the 20-win milestone. This weekend, Bates heads south on a huge road swing to Amherst on Saturday and Trinity on Sunday. Both teams are tied with Bates for the top spot in the New England Small College Athletic Conference at 6-1.

Godsey follow-up

Keelin Godsey, the 11-time Bates track All-American and transgender athlete whose story was featured in last Sunday’s Sun Journal, achieved a career first at the State of Maine championship meet over the weekend.

In addition to winning the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 61 feet, 2 inches, Godsey heaved the shot put 45 feet, 11 1/4 inches. That throw automatically qualified Godsey for the NCAA Division III national championship to be held March 10-11 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

It marks the first time that Godsey, a national champion in the weight throw, has qualified for an automatic berth in the NCAA indoor meet in shot put.

Matt Capone of Auburn (Edward Little) shared in a men’s victory at the state meet. The junior speedster ran a leg of the 4×400 relay team with Adam Macbeth, Joel Colony and Samuel Thomas. Colony also captured the 55 and 200-meter dashes and is the first man from Bates honored with the Jim Wescott Award as the meet’s top individual runner.

Bates sophomore Noah Gauthier captured the throwing equivalent, the Peter Goodrich Award, by ruling the 35-pound weight throw with an NCAA qualifying distance. Gauthier also took first in shot put.

Mac attack

Eastgate Christian Academy product Annie McIntosh achieved a defensive double whammy Sunday, setting Husson College women’s basketball marks for most blocked shots in a single game and career.

McIntosh, a junior center, swatted 10 shots against Mount Ida College, giving her 147 in three seasons. She finished the game with a triple double, supplementing the double-digit blocks with 12 points and 11 rebounds.