Junior forward Kara Crockett (Glenburn, Maine) scored a game-high 19 points, and the University of Southern Maine slowly pulled away from Colby College en route to a 61-49 triumph Wednesday night at the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium.

After taking a 31-28 advantage into the halftime break, Southern Maine opened the second half with a 14-7 run to build a 45-35 lead with 10:21 remaining. Colby answered with a 5-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from sophomore guard Cara Dionisi (Sudbury, Mass.) to pull within 45-40 with 8:56 to play in the game.

However, the Huskies answered with an 8-2 run, to build an apparently safe 53-42 margin with 4:02 remaining. The Mules staged a final comeback, and clawed to within 53-49 on a three-pointer by senior forward Katy Lawson (Mount Desert, Maine) with 1:50 remaining.

Southern Maine connected on 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch to insure the triumph.

Colby, which fell to 3-4, was led by Lawson's team-high 14 points, while junior center Sarah Walsh (Catonsville Md.) added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Megan Cressler (Appleton, Maine) added 14 points for the Huskies, who improved to 6-1.