GORHAM – Coach Gary Fifield has spent 17 seasons building his University of Southern Maine program into a perennial Division III national power.

Kissy Walker’s Husson College team, in its first season of NCAA competition this winter, got a look Wednesday night at how far they have to go to achieve similar success.

USM played tenacious defense and exhibited tremendous offensive quickness and balance, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament with a convincing 73-47 women’s basketball victory over Husson at Hill Gymnasium.

Little East Conference champion USM (28-1) advances to Saturday’s 2 p.m. second-round game in Gorham against Salem (Mass.) State. Husson, the runner-up in the North Atlantic Conference, closed out an outstanding season at 23-6.

“I hope USM goes all the way. They’re a great team,” said Walker, who hopes her team will be motivated by the experience.

“I think it was a great game for us to be in in terms of looking at where we want to be in the future,” she explained. “It just gave the players a taste of the level of play.”

The Braves had their hands full against the Huskies, whose size, strength and mobility inside, and quickness on the perimeter presented matchup problems at both ends of the court.

Even so, Southern Maine didn’t take Husson for granted.

“It’s anybody’s game once you’re in the NCAA Tournament,” said Calais High product Katie Frost, a sophomore who had five points, three assists, and two steals while playing hard-nosed defense. “You lose and you’re done. You have that thought in the back of your mind, so you’ve got to come out [ready] for every game.”

Sophomore forward Megan Myles paced a balanced USM squad with a career-best 19 points, along with five steals. Jen Webster contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Katie Sibley chipped in with nine points and four assists, while former Woodland High standout Ashley Marble of Topsfield and Skowhegan’s Tiffany Jones added eight points each despite seeing reduced time because of injuries.

Shauna Mullenix led Husson with nine points, while Sarah Davis of Skowhegan provided eight points, six rebounds, and three steals. Crystal Martin of Calais and Holly Gracie of Frankfort added eight points each, and Annie McIntosh posted nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

USM spotted Husson a 3-0 lead, but quickly established the ability to get the ball inside. The hosts responded by scoring 20 unanswered points, shooting 51 percent from the floor while building a comfortable 45-19 halftime lead. Husson couldn’t establish any offensive consistency and shot 31 percent.

Myles opened USM’s decisive scoring run with a 3-pointer, Marble made a free throw and Webster scored from underneath. Sibley converted a move in the lane, Webster made a driving layup, and Marble hit three foul shots to send the Huskies on their way at 13-3.

“I thought that we played very well in the first half, played with some emotion, some energy,” Fifield said. “In the second half we just kind of traded baskets with them.”

Myles then sandwiched close-range hoops around a Frost 3-pointer as the hosts finished the spurt and held Husson scoreless for almost 91/2 minutes.

The Braves wanted to attack the basket, but found the paint clogged and encountered considerable pressure outside.

“We’re trying to put more pressure on the ball and are working on new ways to defend the post,” said Frost, who enjoyed facing Martin, a former Calais teammate.

“It was fun seeing each other out on the court at the college level knowing that you came from a good program,” she added.

Husson rebounded after the break and played more intensely in the second half. The Braves shot 44 percent in the half and played better defense.

“Sometimes prior to this game when we’ve played like a Bowdoin, we’ve just folded and didn’t compete for the whole 40 minutes,” Walker said, “but we kind of got on them [at halftime] and I was glad how they responded.”

Jones, who injured her right ankle last weekend, played only 16 minutes before tweaking it again. Marble played 13 minutes, all in the first half, after receiving a blow to her right thigh.

HUSKIES 73, BRAVES 47

Husson (23-6) Southern Maine (28-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Mullenix 3 7 2 3 9 Welch 0 0 0

Martin 3 11 2 3 8 Cowing 1 3 2

Snow 0 0 0 0 0 Thibaudeau 0 0 0

Comeau 1 1 0 0 2 Sibley 4 8 9

Ballard 1 5 0 0 2 Marble 2 4 8

Hughes 3 8 0 1 6 Frost 2 5 5

Davis 3 5 0 0 8 Jones 3 8 8

Gracie 3 6 0 1 8 Pariseau 0 0

Noyes 0 2 0 0 0 Myles 7 12 19

McIntosh 2 6 0 0 4 Webster 4 12 14

McIntyre 0 0 0 0 0 Kynoch 3 4 8

Samuelson 0 0 0

Totals 19 51 4 8 47 26 56 16 22 73

Husson 19 47

Southern Maine 45 73

3-pt. goals ? Husson (5-15): Mullenix 1-4, Martin 0-2, Ballard 0-1, Hughes 0-1, Davis 2-3, Gracie 2-4; Southern Maine (5-16): Cowing 0-2, Sibley 0-1, Frost 1-4, Jones 1-4, Myles 1-1, Webster 0-1, Kynoch 2-3

Attendance: 558