GORHAM, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team dropped a non-conference contest on the road at the hands of the University of Southern Maine, 74-56 on Wednesday evening.

The Huskies used a 12-3 run to close out the 3rd quarter to start to pull away, taking a 12-point lead into the 4th quarter and held on to claim their 2nd win of the season. 

Senior forward Jacqui Hamilton (Gorham, Maine) got the Beavers offense rolling early in the 1st quarter, scoring the team's first five points of the game, including converting an and-one opportunity to give the Beavers some early momentum.

Liz Cote hit a pair of big three-pointers in the opening quarter to weather the storm for the Huskies and helped USM take an 18-14 lead into the 2nd quarter. 
Farmington hung strong in the 2nd quarter, keeping pace with USM. Senior guard Jaycie Stevens (Pittston, Maine) and first-year guard Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) each hit three balls in the quarter to keep the Beavers within striking distance. 

Leading 33-26 to open up the 2nd half, Cote went on an 8-2 run of her own in the opening 1:37 to extend the Huskies' lead to 13. Cote two more threes and finished with six made threes for the evening. 

The Beavers did not go away quietly. The Beavers responded with an 11-1 run of their own to pull themselves within just three. First-year forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) hit a big three and a layup to highlight the scoring run for Farmington.

The Beavers appeared to have the Huskies on the ropes, but USM did not cave. Cote hit another important three, helping USM take a 54-42 lead into the 4th quarter. The Beavers were unable to cut into the deficit any further as the Huskies led by as much as 19 en route to the non-conference victory.

The Beavers used a balanced offensive attack, having six players score at least seven points. Dow led all Beavers with 12 points on 4-10 shooting from the field. Dow also added three rebounds and three assists. Hamilton finished with nine points. Mayo, Stevens, and Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) each added eight points while Ruby McMinis (Wells, Maine) pitched in with seven. 

Cote finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-13 shooting from the field and an efficient 6-10 from downtown. Tara Flanders added a double-double, posting 13 points and ten rebounds for the Huskies. 

Farmington shot 41.2% (21-51) from the field while the Huskies shot 39.3% (24-61) for the game. The Huskies held advantage in rebounds (44-31) and forced 21 Beaver turnovers while surrendering 14 turnovers of their own.

UP NEXT

The Beavers will open up North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play on Saturday afternoon in Castine, Maine when they take on Maine Maritime. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM.