FARMINGTON, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team was unable to keep pace with Husson University, falling 85-56 in their season finale.
Saturday's game also served as Senior Day for the Beavers, who had the honor of recognizing their four seniors: Simon Chadbourne (Portland, Maine), Dylan Griffin (Saco, Maine), Will Harriman (Biddeford, Maine), and student assistant Willie Murray.
The Records:
The Beavers finished the season with a 12-12 overall record and a 9-4 mark in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play. Husson improved to 18-7 overall and finished with a 12-1 record in conference play, earning the top seed in the NAC East Tournament.
How It Happened:
Farmington's offense started strong, jumping out to an early 13-7 lead after the opening six minutes and 20 seconds of play. Griffin completed a three-point play and sank a three from the top of the key to highlight the strong start. Chadbourne also hit a big three, and momentum seemed to favor the home team.
However, the momentum was short-lived. Chadbourne's three-pointer at the 13:40 mark of the first half was the Beavers' last field goal until Chadbourne hit another three at the 5:04 mark. During a span of eight minutes and 34 seconds without a field goal, Husson went on a 24-1 run, taking a commanding 31-17 lead. Riles Neff led the run for the Eagles, scoring nine points, including a deep three that helped break the game open.
Husson stretched their lead to as much as 19 points in the first half and took a 40-23 advantage into halftime. Neff and Jeremy Moronta combined for 25 of the Eagles' 40 points in the half.
After holding Farmington to just 29.6% shooting (8-for-27) from the field in the first half, Husson's defense continued to stifle the Beavers. The Eagles made Farmington earn every basket. Husson continued to extend their lead in the second half, with the Beavers never getting closer than 17 points. A thunderous dunk from Ty Henke at the 3:52 mark put the Eagles up 82-43, their largest lead of the game.
Farmington's bench played well in limited minutes, with Tanner McCann (Sanford, Maine), Dan Parent (Oakland, Maine), and Patrick McKenney (Newcastle, Maine) each hitting a three in the final minutes.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington struggled to find offense, shooting 29.2% (19-for-65) from the field and 29.0% (9-for-31) from beyond the arc. Husson shot efficiently, finishing at 50.8% (33-for-65) from the field and 34.8% (8-for-23) from three-point range. The Eagles also held a 43-36 advantage on the boards and won the turnover battle 17-10.
Leaders - Farmington:
- Griffin scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed four rebounds.
- Chadbourne hit two threes and finished with 11 points, while also grabbing five rebounds.
- Harriman finished with eight points and a pair of boards.
Leaders - Husson:
- Neff stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 7-for-14 from the floor and 4-of-8 from deep.
- Moronta finished with a game-high 22 points on 10-for-17 shooting to go along with nine rebounds.
- Gil Matonda and Tope Alao each chipped in with ten points.
UP NEXT:
The Beavers will be back in action next Friday for the NAC Quarterfinal. The time and opponent will be announced at a later date.
