STANDISH, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team avenged their home loss from a season ago to Saint Joseph's College on Tuesday evening, taking down the Monks on their home court, 85-78.
The Records:
Farmington picked up its third straight victory, improving to 5-2 on the season. The loss is the fourth straight for the Monks, who drop to 2-5.
How it Happened:
The game was a battle from the opening tip. The first half featured seven lead changes as the teams traded blows.
After struggling from the field early, Farmington caught fire, led by sophomore guard Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine). McLaughlin connected on three three-pointers over a five-minute stretch to help the Beavers build a 19-13 lead six and a half minutes in.
Davis Mann responded with a three of his own to quickly make it a three-point game, beginning a three-minute stretch in which the teams traded baskets while Farmington maintained a narrow edge.
McLaughlin stayed hot, knocking down a pair of free throws and scoring in transition to give the Beavers a 38-31 advantage— their largest of the half. He finished the first half with 17 points, but foul trouble limited him after he picked up his third with 3:22 remaining.
With McLaughlin on the bench and Farmington clinging to a five-point lead, St. Joe's went on a quick 6-0 run to reclaim a one-point advantage.
The Beavers responded with a big lift from junior forward Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine), who knocked down back-to-back threes to help Farmington take a 44-41 lead into halftime.
Sophomore guard Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine) sparked Farmington's offense to start the second half. Michaud repeatedly got into the lane and created looks for himself and his teammates. He scored six quick points in the first four minutes, helping ignite a 15-6 run that extended Farmington's lead to 65-52. Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) and Brayden St. Pierre (Readfield, Maine) each hit big threes during the surge.
The Monks weren't done. A layup from Derek Salvatore and two free throws each from Mann and Tong Maiwen trimmed the Beaver lead to seven. Farmington answered with back-to-back buckets from Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine), but threes from Mann and Maiwen made it a 69-64 game with 8:24 to play.
Saint Joe's cut the deficit to three on two occasions, but Farmington closed the door by hitting three crucial threes in the final three minutes. St. Pierre, Reynolds, and Houghton each connected from deep to seal the victory.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington
Field Goal Pct: 52.5% (32-for-61)
Three-Point Pct: 48.0% (12-for-25)
Free Throw Pct: 50.0% (9-for-18)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 39 (9-30)
Turnovers: 11
St. Joe's
Field Goal Pct: 40.3% (29-for-72)
Three-Point Pct: 16.0% (4-for-25)
Free Throw Pct: 72.7% (16-for-22)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 42 (17-25)
Turnovers: 10
Leaders – Farmington:
- Farmington's top six players combined to play 190 of 200 possible minutes.
- McLaughlin scored 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting before fouling out in the second half.
- Houghton also scored 19 points, going 7-for-18 and hitting three threes.
- Reynolds recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds on 7-for-11 shooting.
- Michaud filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds, and six assists, shooting 5-for-6 from the field.
- Donlin came off the bench to add 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three.
Leaders – St. Joe's:
- Salvatore came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points with seven rebounds, shooting 6-for-10 and 9-for-11 at the line.
- Mann posted 18 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes.
- Donato added 13 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
- Maiwen finished with nine points and eight boards.
Up Next:
Farmington will host Southern Maine Community College on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in an exhibition game before returning to regular-season action on December 5 on the road at Thomas College.
