USM, Bowdoin earn berths in Div. III Sweet 16

The University of Southern Maine and Bowdoin women’s basketball teams both advanced to the NCAA Div. III Sweet Sixteen round with wins Saturday night.

Megan Myles poured in 24 points as the Huskies defeated Norwich 71-42 at Gorham, while Bowdoin’s Justine Pouravelis hit a lay-in to break a tie and help lift the Polar Bears to a 59-56 victory over Brandeis at Brunswick.

Both Maine teams will play sectional games Friday at USM’s Warren G. Hill Gymnasium. Bowdoin will take on Mary Washington of Fredericksburg, Va., at 5:30 p.m. followed by Southern Maine’s game against Bridgewater College of Bridgewater, Va., at 7:30.

The winner of those two games will meet Saturday at 7 p.m.

In the USM game, Ashley Marble contributed 23 points, four steals and a game-high eight rebounds. Katie Frost added 11 points for the Huskies, who hit 10 of 18 3-point attempts.

Sarah Chap paced Norwich with 14 points. Monica Selander added seven points and four rebounds.

Bowdoin’s Eileen Flaherty led the Polar Bears with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Marisa Berne added 10 points. Pouravelis finished with 13 points, six rebounds, five steals and three blocks.

Alison Chase and Caitlin Malcolm each scored 14 points to lead Brandeis.

(At Gorham)

Norwich (25-5) 42

Bailey, Selander 2-3-7, Flynn, Chap 7-0-14, Powlovich 3-2-10, Joseph, Rosati, Shappy 1-2-5, Edgerly 2-0-4, Bean, renaud 0-1-1

Southern Maine (29-1) 72

Cowing 2-3-8, Sibley, Marble 7-7-23, Frost 2-6-11, Myles 8-3-24, Welch, Thibaudeau, Ross, Sylvain 1-0-2, Kent, Kynoch, Santa Fe, Samuelson 2-0-4

3-pt. goals: Powlovich 2, Shappy; Myles 5, Cowing 2, Marble 2, Frost

Halftime: Southern Maine 31-19

(At Brunswick)

Brandeis (20-5) 56

Capra 3-1-8, DeMartino 3-0-8, Clancy 2-2-6, Chase 6-0-14, Malcolm 6-2-14, Tremblay 1-1-4, Holgash, Wells 1-0-2, Orlando

Bowdoin (26-2) 59

Loonin 1-3-6, Pouravelis 6-1-13, Cummings 0-2-2, Berne 4-0-10, Flaherty 7-2-18, Anelauskas 3-0-8, Kaubris 0-2-2, Russell

3-pt. goals: DeMartino 2, Chase 2, Capra, Tremblay; Berne 2, Flaherty, Anelauskas 2, Loonin

Halftime: Bowdoin 30-22