FARMINGTON, Maine – Holding a 29-23 advantage heading into the second half, the visiting Saint Joseph's College Monks increased their defensive pressure, forcing the University of Maine at Farmington to play at a faster pace than they wanted. The Monks scored 53 points in the second half, en route to a 82-53 victory on Tuesday evening at Dearborn Gymnasium.

The Records:

With the win on Tuesday, the Monks improved to 4-2 through their first six games of the season. The Beavers dropped to 2-5.

How it Happened:

The two teams played an even first quarter. A three-pointer from Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) at 5:18 gave the Beavers a 10-6 lead, their largest of the game. However, Farmington was held scoreless for the remainder of the quarter as the Monks went on an 8-0 run to take a 14-10 lead heading into the second quarter.

Farmington hung tough in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to a single point on four separate occasions. Makayla Emerson (Bradley, Maine), Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine), Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine), and Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) all contributed big buckets for the Beavers. After Poli's layup made it a 22-21 game, a quick 7-0 run from the Monks—highlighted by a three from Angelica Hurley—extended St. Joe's lead to eight, their largest of the half.

Dow drained another three-pointer from the wing to open the third quarter, trimming the lead to three points. After Elisabeth Staplefeld and Mayo traded layups, the Monks went on an 18-5 run over the next six minutes to break the game open. Hurley scored seven points, and Grace Ramsdell added five, fueling the surge for St. Joe's.

The Monks finished the third quarter with three straight layups, taking a 20-point lead into the fourth.

St. Joe's offense continued to roll in the fourth quarter as Hurley hit two more threes and Ramsdell added another, pushing the lead to 31 with seven minutes remaining and effectively sealing the win for the Monks.

Stats of the Game:

After shooting just 13-35 in the first half and 1-18 from beyond the arc, the Monks flipped a switch at halftime, shooting 22-36 in the second half, including 7-14 from three. They finished the game shooting 49.3% (35-71) from the field and 25% (8-32) from deep. Farmington shot 29.3% (22-56) from the floor and 30% (6-20) from three. The Monks held a 20-13 advantage in the turnover battle and a 43-29 edge on the glass.

Leaders – Farmington:

• Farmington was led by Dow, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Dow shot 6-for-11 from the field and 2-for-4 from three.
• Pingree added 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench.

Leaders – St. Joe's:

• Ramsdell scored a game-high 22 points, shooting an efficient 10-for-16 from the floor and pulling down 12 rebounds.
• Hurley contributed 16 points, including 4-of-10 from three-point range.
• Maddie Russell finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and four steals.

UP NEXT:

The Beavers' next regular-season contest will be Wednesday evening on the road, as they open conference play against Thomas College at 5:30 PM.