FARMINGTON, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team kept pace with the reigning North Atlantic Conference (NAC) champions for the first 25 minutes of play, but Maine Maritime proved to be too much, pulling away in the second half for an 80-61 victory on Wednesday evening.

The Records:

The loss drops the Beavers' record to 10-11 overall and 6-5 in NAC play. The Mariners improve to 18-4 overall with a perfect 11-0 record in conference play.

How it Happened:

Both teams started strong, trading baskets in the opening five minutes. Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) was hot early, hitting three of her first four three-point attempts and scoring nine of the Beavers' first 15 points.

After the Beavers took a 15-14 lead at the 4:45 mark of the first quarter, both offenses cooled off significantly, combining for just four points over the final 5:15. Farmington carried a 17-16 lead into the second quarter.

The two teams remained within a single possession of each other for the first eight and a half minutes of the second quarter before Erianna Moore led a 9-2 run to close out the half for the Mariners, giving them a 35-30 lead at halftime. Moore scored 11 of her game-high 20 points in the second quarter.

Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) was aggressive in the first half for Farmington, driving to the rim and making several tough, contested shots. Dow finished with eight first-half points, while Grace Dwyer (Manchester, Maine) scored five in the second quarter, including a deep three-pointer from the top of the key to keep Farmington close.

Farmington opened the second half with a quick 5-0 run. Dow drove to the basket for a layup, and then Mayo drilled her fourth three-pointer of the game on the next possession to tie the score at 35. The Mariners responded quickly with a 9-0 run of their own, as Hailey Blanchard converted a three-point play, and Addison Forry hit back-to-back three-pointers.

Trailing 44-35 with 5:16 left in the third quarter, Audrey Mackie (South Thomaston, Maine) hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, and then Makayla Emerson (Bradley, Maine) made two free throws on the following possession to pull Farmington within four.

Maine Maritime pulled away in the final five minutes of the third quarter, closing the quarter on a 13-1 run to take a 16-point lead into the fourth. Moore capped the run with a three-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer.

Two layups from Dow and three free throws from Mayo in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter cut the Beavers' deficit to 11, but that was as close as they would get. The Mariners' championship experience proved too much, as they secured their 18th victory of the season.

Stats of the Game:

The Mariners shot 42.9% (30-for-70) from the field and 37.9% (11-for-29) from three-point range. Farmington shot 36.8% (21-for-57) from the floor and just 23.3% (7-of-30) from beyond the arc. The Mariners outrebounded the Beavers 44-34 and held a significant 18-2 advantage in second-chance points.

Leaders - Farmington:

• Dow finished with 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds.
• Mayo hit 4-of-9 from beyond the arc on her way to 16 points.
• Dwyer and Emerson each pitched in with eight points
• Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine) finished with a career-high eight assists.

• Moore led all scorers with 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. Moore also finished with six assists and two blocks.
• Sydney Briscoe finished with a double-double, recording ten points and 14 rebounds. Briscoe also tallied four assists.
• Forry came off the bench and finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 14 minutes.
• Makenzie Monzon finished with 10 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.