FARMINGTON, Maine – Leading by seven entering the fourth quarter, the University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team was unable to withstand the hot shooting of Husson University in the final ten minutes, falling 71-68 in a highly competitive North Atlantic Conference (NAC) matchup between two playoff teams.
The Records:
Saturday afternoon's game marked the end of the regular season for both teams. The Beavers finished the season with an 11-13 overall record and 7-6 in NAC play. The Eagles improved to 14-11 with the win, finishing 11-2 against conference opponents.
How It Happened:
Husson started the game strong, jumping out to a quick 6-0 run and leading 13-4 after just four minutes of play. Four different Eagles scored during the spurt, capped by a three-pointer from the right wing by Maci Beals.
Farmington weathered the early storm and trailed 20-11 after the first quarter.
The Beavers found their rhythm in the second quarter, thanks in large part to sophomore standout Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine). Dow scored 14 points in the second quarter, shooting 5-for-6 from the field and knocking down two three-pointers. Dow sparked an 8-2 run in the opening two and a half minutes of the second quarter, cutting Farmington's deficit to just three.
Husson responded with back-to-back baskets from Makaelyn Porter and Trinity Montigny to extend their lead to 26-19. However, Farmington continued to chip away and went into halftime trailing by just one at 32-31.
After the second quarter belonged to Dow, the third quarter belonged to fellow sophomore Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine). After being held scoreless in the first half, Mayo got things started with a jumper from just inside the free-throw line on the second possession of the half, giving Farmington their first lead of the game. Three minutes later, Mayo hit another jumper from the free-throw line, and that was all it took for her to get hot. On the next two Beaver possessions, Mayo drilled deep three-pointers as Farmington took a 43-40 lead.
Despite Mayo's hot shooting, Husson hung tough, knocking down shots of their own to keep the game close. After Mayo's second three, the Eagles responded with a pair of baskets from Alyssa Harris to reclaim a one-point lead.
Farmington closed the third quarter on an 8-0 run, taking a 51-44 lead into the fourth.
Leading by seven entering the final quarter, Farmington looked poised to secure their first win against Husson in the last 24 meetings. However, Husson caught fire in the fourth. The Eagles shot 9-for-15 in the quarter, knocking down three triples to get back into the game.
Sophia McVicar and Lilly Roy each hit threes, and consecutive baskets from Alana Seward sparked a 12-4 run for the Eagles in the first four minutes of the fourth, helping Husson reclaim a one-point lead.
The teams traded buckets during the middle portion of the quarter. After a Saige Evans layup gave Husson a 63-60 lead, a layup from Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) and a three-pointer from the left corner by Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine) gave the Beavers a two-point lead with just over two minutes to play.
A three-point play from Evans on the ensuing Husson possession gave the Eagles a one-point lead once again. McVicar and Montigny hit free throws in the final minute, giving the Eagles a 69-65 lead with 26 seconds left.
Mayo drilled a deep three from the top of the key with 14 seconds left to make it a one-point game. Forced to foul, Farmington sent Montigny to the free-throw line with eight seconds remaining. Montigny calmly hit both free throws to make it a three-point game. Audrey Mackie's (South Thomaston, Maine) heave at the buzzer was wide right, and the Eagles left Dearborn Gymnasium with the victory after an exciting, back-and-forth battle.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington shot 42.6% (26-for-61) from the floor and 36.8% (7-for-19) from beyond the arc. Husson shot 39.4% (28-for-71) from the floor and just 20.0% (4-for-20) from three. Neither team shot particularly well from the free-throw line: Farmington went 9-for-16, while Husson shot 11-for-19. The Eagles held a 44-36 advantage on the glass and won the turnover battle 18-15.
Leaders - Farmington:
- Dow finished with a team-high 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Dow also finished with three rebounds and three assists.
- Mayo finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from three.
- Pingree added 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
- Makayla Emerson (Bradley, Maine) pitched in with ten points in 21 minutes off the bench.
Leaders - Husson:
- Evans scored a team-high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. Evans also finished with seven boards.
- McVicar added ten points in 19 minutes.
- Seward finished with nine points, all in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT:
The Beavers will return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The time, date, and matchup will be announced at a later date.
