CASTINE, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team handed Maine Maritime Academy its first North Atlantic Conference (NAC) loss of the season, outscoring the Mariners 22-7 in the fourth quarter en route to a 69-58 victory on Saturday afternoon.
The victory over the Mariners marked the Beavers' first win against Maine Maritime since February 2020, when they earned a 70-63 victory in a NAC Semifinal.
The Records:
The win moved Farmington to 10-3 overall and 8-1 in NAC action as the Beavers continued their best start to a season since 2006-07. Maine Maritime dropped to 8-5 overall and 8-1 in conference play following the loss.
How It Happened:
After Sydney Loring drilled a three from nearly six feet beyond the arc as the third-quarter buzzer sounded, the Mariners held a 51-47 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The final period opened with a Kytana Williamson (Nobleboro, Maine) three-pointer that pulled Farmington within one. After Jacquelin Castro split a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game, junior guard Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) converted a three-point play to give the Beavers the lead.
Both teams were held scoreless for a two-minute stretch during the middle portion of the quarter until Grace Dwyer (Manchester, Maine) found a wide-open Williamson underneath the hoop for an easy layup, giving Farmington the lead for good with 5:25 remaining.
The Beavers delivered the knockout punch later in the quarter as Dwyer found an open Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) in the left corner, who drilled a three to put Farmington up six. After a pair of free throws from Laney Lyle, Dow returned the favor on the next possession, feeding Dwyer in the left corner for a game-sealing three just inside the two-minute mark.
Jaydn Pingree added a layup and a pair of free throws, and Mayo knocked down both of her free throws down the stretch as the Beavers closed out the huge road victory.
The first half was evenly matched throughout. The Mariners led 17-14 after the opening ten minutes, but the Beavers responded quickly in the second quarter. Ruby McMinis (Wells, Maine) knocked down a three from the right corner to spark a 7-0 run that gave Farmington a 32-24 lead, its largest of the half. Maine Maritime answered late with threes from Loring and Grace Huntwork, heading into halftime trailing by just two.
The Mariners came out of the break with renewed energy, forcing Farmington turnovers on four of its first six possessions while holding the Beavers to just two points through the first six minutes of the third quarter.
After falling behind by seven with 1:20 remaining in the third, Williamson and Pingree hit back-to-back three-pointers to pull Farmington within one before Loring's buzzer-beater pushed the Mariner lead to four heading into the fourth.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 43.6% (24-for-55)
Three-Point Pct: 40.0% (8-for-20)
Free Throw Pct: 76.5% (13-for-17)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 45 (8-37)
Turnovers: 20
Maine Maritime:
Field Goal Pct: 27.7% (23-for-83)
Three-Point Pct: 16.7% (5-for-30)
Free Throw Pct: 58.3% (7-for-12)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 51 (26-25)
Turnovers: 11
Leaders – Farmington:
- Dow delivered a standout performance on both ends of the floor, finishing with 17 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks to lead the Beavers.
- Pingree added 17 points along with three rebounds and two blocks, while shooting 8-of-12 from the free-throw line.
- Williamson provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc while grabbing seven rebounds in 22 minutes.
- Mayo also finished in double figures, contributing ten points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Leaders – Maine Maritime:
- Addison Forry led the Mariners with 15 points and 11 rebounds to record a double-double.
- Hailey Blanchard finished with ten points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Up Next:
The Beavers will look to keep things rolling next Friday when they travel to New York to square off with SUNY Delhi. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
