LYNDONVILLE, Vermont — The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team finished off their weekend trip to Vermont with a 68-63 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) victory over VTSU Lyndon on Sunday afternoon. The win for the Beavers completed the weekend sweep in Vermont.
The Records:
The win for the Beavers was their third this week, improving their record to 7-8 overall with a 4-3 record in NAC play. The loss for the Hornets moved them to 3-10 overall and 1-4 in conference.
How it Happened:
Farmington jumped out to an early lead and looked well on their way to a wire-to-wire victory. Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) got the offense rolling early with a deep three on the first possession of the game and started a 12-2 spurt for the Beavers over the first five minutes of the game.
Victoria Fitih came off the bench with 4:43 left to play in the first quarter and immediately made her presence felt with a steal and a layup, then added a second layup on the very next possession to pull Lyndon back within five.
First-year guard Makayla Emerson (Bradley, Maine) drilled a three to end a 5-0 Hornet spurt and make it a 15-7 game. Farmington built their lead back up to ten twice in the opening quarter and took a 22-14 lead into the second.
Farmington's lead grew to 11 after Autumn Freeman (Byron, Maine) grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up and in while getting fouled. Freeman hit the free throw to complete the three-point play, making it a 27-16 game in the opening minutes of the second quarter.
Later in the second, with the Beavers leading 29-19, the Hornets scored seven straight points, including a deep triple from Kerigan Disorda, to cut the lead to just three with 4:22 left until halftime.
The Beavers settled down, thanks in part to the play of first-year Jazmine Pingree (Jay, Maine) and sophomore Audrey Mackie (South Thomaston, Maine), who combined to score the final ten points of the second quarter for Farmington. They once again opened up a ten-point lead, 39-29, heading into halftime.
After Sage Smith drilled a three on the Hornets' first possession of the second half, Mayo and Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine) combined for ten points, sparking a 10-2 scoring spurt for the Beavers, whose lead ballooned to a game-high 15 points with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
The Hornets chipped into the Beavers' lead, closing out the third quarter on an 11-4 run, capped by a three-point play from Riley Webster.
Smith continued the Hornets' run, drilling another three to start the fourth quarter, making it a 53-48 game. But the Beavers had the answer once again. Farmington was aggressive in the fourth quarter, taking the ball to the rim and getting rewarded with free throws. The Beavers' first ten points of the fourth quarter came from the charity stripe, and Farmington once again pushed their lead into double digits, 61-48, with 6:56 left in the game.
Kadienne Whitcomb drilled a three to start a 12-2 run for the Hornets, pulling them within just three points with less than two minutes remaining. Disorda also hit a three during the run.
Jaydn Pingree hit a layup to end the run for Lyndon, and Grace Dwyer (Manchester, Maine) hit free throws in the final minute to seal the win for the Beavers.
Stats of the Game:
The Beavers shot 36.7% (22-for-60) from the field for the game and just 18.2% (4-of-22) from beyond the arc. Farmington went 4-for-7 from deep in the first quarter but struggled for the final three quarters. The Beavers held a 41-31 advantage on the glass, including a 15-7 advantage on the offensive boards. The Hornets shot 42.9% (24-for-56) from the field and 38.5% (10-of-26) from three. Farmington held a massive advantage at the free-throw line, going 20-for-25 from the charity stripe compared to just 5-for-10 for Lyndon.
Leaders - Farmington:
- Jaydn Pingree scored a career-high 18 points, shooting an ultra-efficient 7-for-8 from the floor to lead the way for the Beavers.
- Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) finished one rebound short of a double-double, totaling ten points and nine rebounds.
- Jazmine Pingree finished with ten points on 4-of-6 shooting in just ten minutes off the bench.
- Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) didn't have her best scoring day but filled the stat sheet with nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks.
Leaders - Lyndon:
- Smith finished with a game-high 25 points, shooting 10-for-20 from the floor and 4-of-11 from beyond the arc. Smith also chipped in with five rebounds.
- Disorda added eight points, five rebounds, and five assists.
- Whitcomb pitched in with eight points, three assists, and two steals.
Up Next:
The Beavers return to action next Sunday afternoon at home against Lesley University for another NAC battle. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM.
