MACHIAS – The Husson Braves downed the University of Maine-Machias 73-62 in men’s basketball play Tuesday night to maintain their unbeaten mark in the Maine Athletic Conference.

Husson of Bangor, 10-0 in conference action, jumped out to an 18-point first-half lead behind Robert Pilsbury who scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in the first 20 minutes of the game.

UM-Machias cut the lead down to six points in the second half but couldn’t get any closer.

Ryan Rivera had 10 points for the Braves while Randy Fletcher chipped in with seven points and 10 rebounds.

Gary Dussard led UM-Machias with 17 points. Courtenay Campbell had 12 points and 13 rebounds and Wayne Clarke added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, now 6-3 in the MAC.

Husson (15-7) 73

Armenakis, Fletcher 3-1-7, Rivera 3-3-10, Lancaster 2-2-6, Galley, Pilsbury 9-6-29, Cunningham 1-2-5, Cyr 1-5-7, Scott Griffin 4-1-9,

UM-Machias (10-9) 62

Whittaker 2-4-8, Dussard 6-1-7, Bernon 0-3-3, Liburd, Garrett 1-0-3, Campbell 6-0-12, Midgley 1-0-2, Gomes 2-0-4, Miller 1-0-2, Haley, Clark 3-5-11, Swift

3-pt. goals: Pilsbury 5, Cunningham, Rivera; Dussard 4, Garrett

Halftime: Husson 37-25

Plymouth State 72, So. Maine 71

At Plymouth, N.H., Donnelle Combs scored a layup with 1:46 remaining for the win.

Jason Blackburn led the Panthers with 15 points, and Combs posted 14.

Derek Lovely led the Huskies with 14, Ryan Garland of Hermon added 13, and Ryan Thomas of Hampden had 11.

Southern Maine (9-13) 71

White 4-0-9, Garland 5-1-13, Thomas 4-3-11, Francoeur 2-0-5, St. Pierre 1-4-6, Bigelow 2-0-6, Lovely 5-0-14, Tarbox, Grigsby 1-0-3, Estes 2-0-4

Plymouth State (12-8) 72

Finklea 5-0-12, Combs 4-6-14, Blackburn 6-1-15, Loughlin 4-0-10, Stewart 4-0-9, Pelotte 1-0-3, Roy, Pride, Chicoine 3-3-9, Nugent

3-pt. goals: White, Garland 2, Francoeur, Bigelow 2, Lovely 4, Grigsby; Finklea 2, Blackburn 2, Loughlin 2, Stewart

Halftime: Southern Maine 41-39

Florida 72, South Carolina 63

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Brett Nelson shot 4-for-8 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points and seven assists, leading No. 8 Florida to a 72-63 victory over South Carolina on Tuesday night.

The Gators (17-4, 6-3 Southeastern Conference) survived several second-half rallies by South Carolina to win their second straight game.

Mike Bonner added 19 points for Florida.

Chuck Eidson and Jamel Bradley each scored 14 points for South Carolina (13-9, 3-6). Marius Petravicius had 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Gamecocks’ last comeback try came with the Carolina Coliseum crowd roaring and Florida clinging to a five-point lead, 53-48, with 7:30 left.

Bonner made two foul shots. Then, after Eidson had his 3-point attempt rattle in and out, Nelson countered with a 3 for Florida.

Two possessions later, Orien Greene converted a turnover into a layup, and David Lee made two free throws to give the Gators a 62-48 lead.

South Carolina closed within nine at 62-53 with 3:30 remaining. Udonis Haslem, who sat six minutes with four fouls, returned to the lineup and made a layup to extend the Gators’ lead to 11.

No. 12 Miami 65, Villanova 56

VILLANOVA, Pa. – James Jones scored 16 points, including the first 11, and John Salmons scored all 13 of his points in the second half, leading No. 12 Miami past Villanova.

Women’s basketball

Husson 59, UM-Machias 50

At Machias, Leslie Trott poured in 16 points to pace the Braves past the Clippers.

Liz Boone added 11 points and seven rebounds for Husson, and Kelly Dow tossed in 10.

Kelly Walles and Gill Guest sparked UMaine Machias with 13 apiece.

Husson (9-12) 59

McDonald, Trott 8-0-16, Sexton 3-0-9, Comeau 1-0-2, Hughes 2-1-5, Fry 3-0-6, Dow 3-4-10, Boone 4-3-11

UM-Machias (8-9) 50

Aziz 0-1-1, Rich 2-0-4, Robb 1-2-4, Nuite 2-0-6, Richardson, Magnussen 2-0-4, Walles 6-1-13, Ricker 2-1-5, Guest 6-1-13

3-pt. goals: Sexton 3; Nuite 2

Halftime: Husson 32-29

Southern Maine 79, Plymouth St. 75

At Plymouth, N.H., sophomore guard Nikki Allen scored seven of her nine points in the final four minutes to lift the Huskies to victory.

Meg Cressler paced the winners with 18 points. Jess Libby and Kara Crockett each added 13 and Niki Dominiczak netted 11. Jaime Zahm grabbed 10 rebounds.

Whitney Morin led Plymouth State with 25 points.

Southern Maine (21-1) 79

Zahm 2-4-10, Crockett 6-1-13, Allen 3-2-9, Dominiczak 5-1-11, Cressler 6-2-18, Jackson, Noonan 2-3-7, J. Libby 6-0-13

Plymouth State (13-7) 75

Adey 2-0-4, Albert 3-3-9, Pelletier 3-10-17, Waters, Morin 8-5-25, Oswalt 2-2-6, Allen, McAllister 2-0-4, Perry, Fournier 2-0-4, Randall 1-0-3, Peabody 1-0-2

3-pt. goals: Allen, Cressler 4, Libby; Pelletier, Morin 4, Fournier, Randall

Halftime: Plymouth State 38-35