FORT KENT, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team couldn't overcome a late deficit, falling to the University of Maine at Fort Kent, 87-84, in a non-conference battle on Saturday afternoon.

The Records:

With the loss, the Beavers dropped to 10-11 on the season, while the Bengals improved to 9-11.

How It Happened:

The Beavers trailed for most of the game, including falling behind by as many as 13 points with five and a half minutes remaining in the second half. Farmington fought back, closing the gap to just three points in the final minute and getting the ball with a chance to tie.

After forcing a missed shot from the Bengals with 15 seconds left, the Beavers grabbed the rebound and called a timeout to set up a potential game-tying play. Needing a three-pointer to force overtime, the Beavers set multiple screens and a dribble hand-off to free up the nation's leading three-point shooter, Simon Chadbourne (Portland, Maine). However, the Bengals locked down on Chadbourne, not allowing him any space for a clean shot. The ball was swung to first-year Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine), whose three-pointer was partially blocked as time ran out, securing the Bengals' win.

The Bengals came out hot, making three three-pointers in the first five minutes to take an early 19-8 lead.

The Beavers responded with a 9-0 run, powered by first-year Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine), who scored seven points during the stretch, including a deep three-pointer and a thunderous dunk.

However, the Bengals quickly answered with back-to-back threes from Nick Gravely, sparking an 8-0 run to push the lead back to ten.

Farmington cut the lead to four on two separate occasions in the first half, but Fort Kent knocked down a timely three-pointer each time to maintain their lead. The Bengals shot 9-for-17 from beyond the arc in the first half, taking a 50-42 advantage into the break.

Coming out of halftime, senior Will Harriman (Biddeford, Maine) scored five quick points to pull the Beavers within three. Fort Kent responded with six straight points from Aj Creech, Tarik Islamovic, and Souleymane Barro to extend their lead back to nine.

The Bengals maintained a lead of at least seven points until the final four minutes of the game.

An Aiden Grady layup at the 5:37 mark gave the Bengals a 79-66 lead. Over the next two and a half minutes, the Beavers outscored Fort Kent 11-4 to pull within six with three minutes to play.

After Chadbourne knocked down a three-pointer to make it 85-80 with 1:50 left, Gravely answered with a layup on the next possession to push the lead back to seven with 59 seconds remaining. Gravely was then whistled for a technical foul, setting up two free throws for Chadbourne. After the free throws, Jordan Anthony (Farmington, Conn.) drove to the basket for a left-handed layup, cutting the deficit to three. However, that was as close as the Beavers would get.

Stats of the Game:

The Bengals shot an efficient 55.4% (36-for-65) from the field, including 42.9% (12-for-28) from three-point range. The Beavers also shot well, finishing at 45.7% (32-for-70) from the floor and 39.4% (13-for-33) from beyond the arc. The Bengals held a 35-31 advantage on the boards, while the Beavers won the turnover battle 12-10.

Leaders - Farmington:

• Chadbourne led the Beavers with 20 points, shooting 6-for-13 from three-point range, and added seven assists.
• Harriman was efficient, shooting 8-for-13 from the field for 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
• Anthony contributed 12 points and six rebounds in his return to the starting lineup.
• McLaughlin scored 12 points in just 10 minutes off the bench.

Leaders - Fort Kent:

• Grady led all scorers with 21 points on 10-for-14 shooting and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
• Maksim Vukcevic shot 7-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point range, to finish with 18 points.
• Gravely added 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three.
• Kene Obiora contributed 12 points in 15 minutes off the bench.

UP NEXT:

Farmington returns home on Wednesday evening for a crucial North Atlantic Conference (NAC) battle with Maine Maritime Academy. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM.