COBLESKILL, New York – After suffering a heartbreaking one-point loss in overtime on Friday evening, the University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team bounced back with an 86-80 road victory over SUNY Cobleskill on Saturday afternoon.

The Records:

The Beavers improved to 13-4 overall and moved to 10-1 in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action with the win. Cobleskill dropped to 7-10 overall and 6-5 in NAC play following the setback.

How it Happened:

The Beavers fell behind early as the Fighting Tigers had things rolling on the offensive end. Cobleskill hit three of its first four three-point attempts in the opening five-and-a-half minutes and opened up an early 15-8 advantage.

Farmington didn't let things slip away, answering with a quick 8-1 burst to knot the game at 16. The run was capped off by a thunderous transition dunk from sophomore guard Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine).

The teams continued to exchange blows through the midway point of the half, with the Fighting Tigers clinging to a 23-22 lead with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining before halftime. McLaughlin knocked down a three to give Farmington the lead and spark an 11-1 run that put the Beavers up nine and created some separation.

Cobleskill quickly cut into the lead with five straight points from MJ Ford, trimming the margin to 34-30 with just over three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the half.

Farmington carried momentum into the locker room after Charlie Houghton (Dirigo, Maine) scooped up an offensive rebound and converted a layup at the buzzer, giving the Beavers an eight-point lead at the break.

The Beavers looked to put the game away early in the second half, opening on a 12-4 run to extend their lead to 16, their largest of the contest. The burst was led by junior forward Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine), who dominated both ends of the floor. Reynolds scored four points during the run and continued his dominant work on the glass, seemingly grabbing every rebound and igniting quick transition offense for Farmington.

Cobleskill didn't go away quietly, clawing back into the game with an extended 14-5 run capped by a three-pointer from Marquay Tanksley to make it 62-55 with 11:13 remaining.

Farmington responded by pushing the lead back to 12 over the next minute and a half, fueled by five quick points from Reynolds, including a three-point play.

The Fighting Tigers continued to whittle the deficit down, pulling within five with three minutes remaining on a three from Emilio Nabli. After Reynolds was blocked on the ensuing possession, Cameron Rhode split a pair at the free-throw line to make it a 77-73 game.

A pull-up jumper in the lane from McLaughlin was followed by Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) splitting a pair at the line, pushing Farmington's lead back to seven with 80 seconds remaining. Chrischen Chung answered with a three to cut the margin to 80-76.

After a Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine) layup, Chung hit a pair of free throws to keep the Beavers' lead at four. McLaughlin was then fouled and split a pair at the stripe to make it a five-point game. The Fighting Tigers answered with a tip-in from Rhode, trimming the deficit to three with 20 seconds left.

Forced to foul, Cobleskill sent Michaud to the line, where he went one-of-two to push the lead to 84-80. Farmington then forced a missed three from Nabli, and McLaughlin knocked down two free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 48.5% (33-for-68)
Three-Point Pct: 16.7% (4-for-24)
Free Throw Pct: 53.3% (16-for-30)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 49 (22-27)
Turnovers: 9

SUNY Cobleskill:
Field Goal Pct: 43.9% (29-for-66)
Three-Point Pct: 33.3% (9-for-27)
Free Throw Pct: 65.0% (13-for-20)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 34 (14-20)
Turnovers: 10

Leaders – Farmington:

• Reynolds posted a monster 21-point, 24-rebound double-double that included 11 offensive rebounds. The 24 boards set a new career high, eclipsing his previous mark of 19.
• McLaughlin led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, while also pulling down five rebounds.
• Donlin came off the bench and added 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
• Michaud filled the stat sheet with nine points, five rebounds, and five assists while shooting an efficient 4-of-5 from the floor.

Leaders – SUNY Cobleskill:

• Tanksley led four Fighting Tigers in double figures with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting while also grabbing eight rebounds.
• Rhode added 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and pulled down five rebounds, all on the offensive glass.
• Ford provided a spark off the bench with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 17 minutes.
• Nabli finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists, connecting on three triples.

UP NEXT

The Beavers will return home to face Bates College on Tuesday night in a non-conference matchup scheduled for a 7:00 PM tip-off.