In the previous 72 hours, the Husson College women’s basketball team had traveled from Bangor to Biddeford to Plymouth, N.H., and back to Bangor. In this time, it had sandwiched two intense, physical basketball games around a 24-hour session of sitting around a hotel room.

It wasn’t a wonder the Braves – who got back in town well after midnight on Tuesday morning – took to the Newman Gymnasium court Tuesday night rubbing the sleepy seeds from their eyes.

Once their basketball vision cleared – shortly after they had posted a tenuous five-point halftime lead – the Braves proceeded to roll to a 74-51 NAIA District 5 victory over the University of Maine-Farmington.

It was win No. 17 in 19 games for the Braves, who are ranked sixth in the NAIA Div. II national rankings. The much-improved, scrappy UMF squad, which had been beaten soundly (71-36) by Husson earlier this season, dropped to 7-9.

How tired were the Braves, following this three-games-in-four-days ordeal?

“Very,” answered junior guard Darci Collins.

It showed.

After Husson scored first, on a Collins layup off the opening tip, UMF built a 19-13 lead with 10:07 left in the half.

Anne Betts scored seven points in this span, including a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Beavers a five-point lead at 16-11.

The Braves chipped away at the margin, taking a 25-24 lead on a Steph Lebel offensive rebound.

After UMF’s Candy Berger (16 points, five rebounds) answered with a transition layup, Husson freshman Melanie Newman canned a two-pointer from just inside the top of the key to give the Braves the lead for good. By halftime, the lead was 31-26.

“Everybody is tired,” said Collins, who scored four points during Husson’s game-winning, 15-0 run halfway through the second half. “We’ve come off a bad weekend. The last couple of games, we’ve been kind of slacking.”

“I was really tired today, especially after the long trip,” junior guard Kristi Wildman added. “I think that’s why we started so slow, definitely.”

Even after the Braves had posted their halftime lead, UMF hung close, trailing by 37-35 with 15:56 left in the game.

Two Steph Shaw free throws and a 15-foot baseline jumper by Vicki Mazerall upped the lead to 41-35, kick-starting Husson’s big run.

A Collins jumper, a conventional 3-point play by Mazerall (off a steal and layup), and another Collins hoop built a 48-35 advantage. A Michelle Hamlin post-up bucket and a driving 10-footer by Wildman closed out the run with Husson up 52-35 and 11:27 remaining.

UMF made six turnovers during the Husson spurt.

“The defense creates our offense,” said Mazerall. “We rely on that. That gives us our spark and, when we get our spark, we get up 10 or 12 points.”

All told, Husson’s defense led to a whopping 37 UMF turnovers.

Offensively, Husson put forth a balanced effort with Lebel (11 points) leading the way. Hamlin, Wildman, and Collins added 10 each while Mazerall had nine and Anne Cote eight.

Cote and Shaw were Husson’s top rebounders with five each while freshman Tracy Parker dished out a game-high five assists. Wildman and Collins added four assists each.

“I think we play better when we (have balance),” Wildman said. “We don’t really look to one person to go to.”

Anne Betts added 10 points for UMF while Tammy Keaton and Dawn Anne Higgins each grabbed six rebounds. Keaton also blocked three shots.

Braves 71, Beavers 51

Husson women UM-Farmington

Name AG G AF F TP Name AG G AF F TP

Cote 9 3 2 2 8 Smith 0 0 0 0 0

Newman 7 2 0 0 4 Lemieux 2 1 4 2 4

Mazerall 7 4 1 1 9 Fontaine 1 0 4 2 2

Shaw 2 1 6 5 7 Betts 9 4 2 1 10

Wildman 8 4 3 2 10 Hartman 4 1 0 0 2

Grant 4 2 0 0 4 Nicholson 5 1 2 0 2

Collins 8 5 0 0 10 Higgins 4 1 1 1 4

Parker 1 0 1 0 0 Fraser 2 0 1 0 0

Dyer 1 0 5 1 1 Berger 12 6 2 1 16

Hamlin 11 5 0 0 10 Keaton 6 2 3 3 7

Lebel 12 5 2 1 11 Lanteigne 2 2 0 0 4

Totals 70 31 20 12 74 Totals 47 18 19 10 51

Husson women 31 74

UM-Farmington 26 51

3-pt. goals: Husson (0-3): Mazerall 0-1, Wildman 0-1, Grant 0-1; UMF (5-14): Berger 3-7, Higgins 1-2, Betts 1-3, Fontaine 0-1, Hartman 0-1.