BANGOR, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington was unable to overcome a slow offensive start, falling 69-58 in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) semifinal on the road against top-seeded Husson University. The loss ends the Beavers' 2024-25 campaign. Husson's win sends them to the NAC Championship for the second consecutive season, where they will face VTSU Johnson for the right to earn the NAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship.

How it Happened:

Farmington's offense struggled to find its rhythm early and was held scoreless for the first 6:17 of play. The Beavers turned the ball over four times and missed their first six shot attempts before Simon Chadbourne (Portland, Maine) finally broke the scoring drought with a three-pointer. Husson took advantage of the Beavers' early struggles, scoring the first nine points of the game and establishing an early lead.

Clinging to a 19-8 lead after the first ten minutes of play, Husson began to lose their grip as Farmington started to claw back into the game. Eight straight points, all from layups, cut Husson's lead to just three with 6:42 left in the first half.

The Beavers trimmed the lead to two, but back-to-back three-pointers from Connor Heald and Jeremy Moronta helped Husson extend their advantage to 26-18.

Farmington shot just 9-for-26 from the floor, including 2-for-12 from beyond the arc, while Husson shot 6-for-13 from deep. As a result, Husson led 31-22 at halftime, with their three-point shooting proving to be the difference in the opening period.

The Beavers scored the first five points of the second half, including a three-point play by senior center Dylan Griffin (Saco, Maine), making it a four-point game.

The teams traded baskets over the next few possessions, and Farmington trailed 36-32 with 14:32 left in the game. However, Husson answered with an 8-0 run, highlighted by a thunderous dunk in transition from Tope Alao and capped off by a three from the right wing by Scott Lewis, extending their lead to 12 points.

Husson's offense continued to roll, and a minute later, a three from the top of the key by Riles Neff gave Husson a 53-34 lead, their largest of the game.

Farmington responded with a quick 8-0 run over the next minute, capped off by another Chadbourne three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 11 points with seven minutes left.

However, the Beavers were unable to get any closer, as Husson answered every challenge down the stretch. Farmington managed to cut the lead to nine with 12 seconds left, but it was too late, and Husson held on to defeat the Beavers in the NAC semifinals for the second consecutive year.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington shot 40.7% (22-for-54) from the field but struggled from three-point range, hitting just 20.0% (4-for-20). Husson shot 41.2% (21-for-51) from the field and 40.9% (9-for-22) from beyond the arc. Both teams finished with 33 rebounds. Farmington turned the ball over 17 times, while Husson committed 15 turnovers.

Leaders - Farmington:

• Griffin led the way once again for Farmington, finishing with a team-high 15 points while also adding five rebounds and a pair of assists.
• Chadbourne finished with ten points, knocking down a pair of threes to go with three rebounds.
• Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine) came off the bench and recorded a double-double, finishing with ten points and ten rebounds in 15 minutes.
• Jordan Anthony (Farmington, Conn.) contributed 10 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.

Leaders - Husson:

• Neff led all scorers with 16 points, shooting an efficient 4-for-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Neff also finished with seven rebounds, three assists, and four steals.  
• Lewis hit 3-for-4 from beyond the arc on his way to 14 points while also grabbing six rebounds and blocking three shots.
• Gil Matondo finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
• Moronta added 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 38 minutes.