The University of Southern Maine is gearing up to host the USM Invitational women’s basketball tournament beginning Friday at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham.

Coach Gary Fifield’s Huskies (8-1) have been anxious to return to action after suffering their first loss of the season, 74-58 Dec. 15 at Salem State.

USM, ranked No. 15 in the most recent d3hoops.com and USA Today/ESPN/WBCA polls, is set to entertain instate teams Maine Maritime Academy of Castine and the University of Maine-Presque Isle, along with Clark University of Worcester, Mass.

MMA and Clark open the event Friday at 5:30 p.m., with USM and UMPI scheduled to square off in the 7:30 p.m. contest.

The Huskies are unbeaten against instate competition this season, having beaten UMaine-Farmington, Bates College of Lewiston, Bowdoin College of Brunswick, Colby College of Waterville and the University of New England of Biddeford.

USM is led by Stacey Kent, who is averaging 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, along with former Skowhegan standout Nicole Paradis (9.4 ppg, 2.0 apg, .417 3-pt. FG pct.), Josalee Danieli of New Gloucester (8.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Becky Dixon of Pittston (7.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg).

MMA (5-3) hasn’t played since a Dec. 9 loss at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish. Coach Craig Dagan’s Mariners have been paced thus far by junior forward Megan Franklin of Skowhegan (8.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg), freshman guard Brittany Hunt (8.8 ppg, .419 3-pt. FG pct.) and freshman forward Tatum Welch of Newport (8.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg).

UMPI (3-5) is coming off a 72-53 loss Dec. 18 against Saint Joseph’s in the Star City Basketball Tournament. The Owls are coached by former UMaine guard Tracy Guerrette.

UMPI’s top performers include junior forward Erica Davis of Cumberland (18 ppg, 10 rpg), junior forward Anna Lenentine of Monticello and freshman guard Megan Korhonen of Littleton.

Friday’s winners play in Saturday’s 3 p.m. title game, while the losers meet in the 1 p.m. consolation contest.

Nichols helps lead Salem to title

Daphne Nichols of Machiasport was among the runners who helped Salem College of Winston-Salem, N.C., capture a national cross country championship recently.

Nichols, a graduate of Washington Academy in East Machias, finished fourth overall and second on the Salem team at the Association of Division III Independents women’s cross country national championship meet held in Boston.

The junior, undertaking her first season of collegiate competition, was timed in 21 minutes, 58 seconds over 5 kilometers at the nationals, where teammate Rachel Fichthorn won the individual title in 20:35.

Nichols, a transfer from Northwestern University, was a consistent performer all season for coach J.P. Widener’s Spirits. She finished second overall in two meets and was 12th in another competition.

Nichols ran at Washington Academy, where she placed seventh in the 2002 Class D state meet to help the Raiders earn a fourth-place finish. She had finished second overall in the Eastern Maine championship.

Nichols, who was sixth overall in aiding WA’s Class D state runner-up finish in 2001, also played softball for the Raiders.