BANGOR, Maine – University of Maine at Farmington senior center Dylan Griffin (Saco, Maine) capped off his phenomenal performance on Friday evening in the best way possible, hitting the game-winner with 2.4 seconds remaining in double overtime to lead the Beavers past the University of Maine at Presque Isle in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) quarterfinal.
The victory advances the Beavers to the NAC semifinals tomorrow afternoon, where they will face top-seeded Husson University. Tip-off is set for 2:00 PM on Saturday.
How it Happened:
After a back-and-forth, gritty battle between two teams that know each other well, the game ended the only way it could — on the final possession. The Beavers trailed by five, 78-73, with 2:19 to play after Dwaine Williams drilled his fourth three-pointer of the game. However, Farmington's defense took over down the stretch, propelling the Beavers to their third consecutive playoff victory over the Owls in the last three seasons. Farmington held UMPI scoreless for the remaining 2:19, while their offense hit just enough shots to secure the win.
Following Williams' three-pointer, Griffin was fouled while driving to the hoop and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to four. The Beavers forced a missed shot on the ensuing defensive possession. The ball found first-year Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine) in partial transition, and no one stopped the guard. Michaud drove to the basket, hit a layup, and drew a foul. He converted the free throw to make it a one-point game, 78-77, with 1:24 remaining.
The next few possessions were hectic for both teams. Ahke McMichael missed a jumper in the lane, followed by three consecutive turnovers, ultimately giving the ball back to the Owls. The ball found Williams with a chance to seal the game, but his three-pointer rimmed out, giving the Beavers new life.
Farmington quickly pushed the ball up the court and called a timeout to set up the final play. The play's last option worked perfectly: Griffin slipped backdoor and was wide open for an easy layup. However, a great hustle play from Mendick prevented the layup by stripping Griffin, giving the Beavers the ball on the baseline. The baseline pass was entered to Griffin, who made a drop step toward the basket. Although he lost the ball briefly, he regained control and hit a turnaround jumper with 2.4 seconds remaining, giving Farmington a 79-78 lead. The Owls' half-court heave was short, and the Beavers advanced to Saturday's semifinal for a rematch with Husson.
The first two halves and the first overtime period were just as intense as the double overtime. Neither team shot particularly well in the first half, as Farmington took a 29-22 lead into the break. The Beavers shot 37.0% (10-for-27) from the field, while the Owls shot just 31.0% (9-for-29).
UMPI came out strong in the second half, outscoring Farmington 11-2 in the first 3:23 to take a two-point lead. Williams and Gilbert Jean Mendez hit threes to spark the Owls' run.
Trailing 35-34 with 15 minutes left in the game, first-year guard Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine) scored six points, helping to ignite a 10-2 run that gave Farmington a 44-37 lead.
However, the Owls' defense responded, holding Farmington scoreless for 4:46, during which UMPI went on a 12-0 run to take their largest lead of the game, 49-44. Alex Moreno capped the run with a deep three-pointer for the Owls.
Farmington responded once again, answering with a 12-1 run to take a six-point lead with 2:35 remaining. Jean Mendez quickly stopped the run by hitting his fourth three-pointer of the game, making it a 56-53 game with under two and a half minutes left.
A pair of Williams free throws made it a one-point game with under a minute to go. After a Farmington turnover, McMichael missed a transition three-pointer that would have given the Owls a two-point lead. On the Beavers' next possession, McLaughlin had to force a contested jumper, which was rebounded by Jean Mendez. He quickly pushed the ball in transition and found Williams, who hit a three from the top of the key to give UMPI a 60-58 lead with eight seconds remaining.
Farmington called a timeout and executed a perfect sideline out-of-bounds play that allowed McLaughlin to get an open layup with one second left to force overtime.
UMPI led by four midway through the first overtime, but Farmington chipped away, tying the game at 71 on a Jordan Anthony (Farmington, Conn.) layup with 40 seconds left.
UMPI turned the ball over on their next possession, giving the Beavers a chance to win it. Farmington called a timeout to set up a final play, but the play was well defended. Griffin was forced to take a difficult fadeaway as time expired, sending the game into double overtime, where the Beavers pulled off a dramatic win.
Stats of the Game:
Both teams struggled offensively. Farmington shot just 38.2% (26-for-68) from the floor and 25.0% (7-for-28) from beyond the arc. UMPI was held to 34.2% (25-for-73) shooting from the field and 25.0% (10-for-40) from deep. Both teams finished with 45 rebounds, while the Owls won the turnover battle 19-18.
Leaders - Farmington:
- Griffin led the way for the Beavers, finishing with a game-high 26 points, shooting 7-for-14 from the floor and 10-of-16 from the free throw line to go along with six rebounds and the game-winner.
- McLaughlin added 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench.
- Anthony chipped in with 13 points and seven boards on 6-of-11 shooting in 38 minutes off the bench.
Leaders - Presque Isle:
- Jean Mendez finished with a double-double, tallying a team-high 23 points and 13 rebounds in 49 minutes of play.
- Williams added 16 points and six rebounds, connecting on 4-for-11 from three.
- McMichael pitched in with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
