FARMINGTON, Maine - University of Maine at Farmington junior forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) impacted winning on both ends of the floor, scoring 21 points and tying her career-high with six steals to lead the Beavers to a 64-57 win in their return to Dearborn Gymnasium on Tuesday evening.

The Records:

The Beavers picked up their 14th win of the season, moving to 14-5 overall. Plymouth dropped its eighth straight, falling to 8-10 on the season following the loss.

How it Happened:

Farmington returned home on Tuesday evening after spending three straight weeks on the road. The game started at a relatively slow pace before picking up midway through the first quarter. Plymouth jumped out to an 8-5 lead thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from Genna Bolduc.

Dow sparked an 11-0 run with a layup, followed by a steal and another layup, helping Farmington open up a 16-8 lead late in the first quarter.

Farmington's defense proved to be the difference throughout the first half, forcing ten turnovers in both the first and second quarters. Dow secured four steals in the second quarter alone, but as a team, the Beavers were unable to fully capitalize, scoring just five points off turnovers in the frame.

Farmington led by as much as 11 points in the second quarter before Plymouth whittled the deficit down to six heading into halftime behind seven points from Hailey Malozzi in the quarter.

Junior guard Audrey Mackie (South Thomaston, Maine) opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers to get the Beaver offense going. The Panthers responded, however, as Macy Swormstedt knocked down a three of her own before consecutive layups from Ashley Stephens and Malozzi cut the lead to 36-31 just inside the seven-minute mark.

Later in the third quarter, after another jumper from Malozzi made it a five-point game once again, Farmington got a steal from Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine), who found a streaking Dow for an easy layup. On the ensuing Plymouth possession, Dow was active in the passing lane for another steal and returned the favor to Pingree, who finished through contact and converted the three-point play to make it a 46-36 game.

The teams traded baskets to close out the third quarter, and the Beavers carried an eight-point lead into the fourth. Farmington opened the final frame with another Dow layup followed by a deep three from Makayla Emerson (Bradley, Maine) to quickly extend the lead to 13, its largest of the game.

Plymouth once again had an answer. Swormstedt scored eight of her team-high 20 points during a 12-2 run to make it a 57-54 game inside the final three minutes.

After a Beaver timeout, Dow knocked down a midrange jumper in the lane to settle Farmington and push the lead back to five.

Swormstedt went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line to cut the margin to four, and after a Beaver miss, Stephens converted a pair at the line to make it a 59-57 game with just one minute remaining.

Dow delivered once more for the Beavers. With the shot clock winding down, she made a strong move to the basket, drawing a foul and earning a trip to the free-throw line. She calmly knocked down both attempts to restore a four-point cushion. Pingree then came up with a steal on the next Plymouth possession and was fouled. She hit the first free throw and missed the second, but Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) grabbed the offensive rebound and found Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine), who was fouled and sank both free throws to ice the game.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 43.4% (23-for-53)
Three-Point Pct: 41.2% (7-for-17)
Free Throw Pct: 64.7% (11-for-17)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 53 (28-25)
Turnovers: 10

Plymouth State:
Field Goal Pct: 44.9% (22-for-49)
Three-Point Pct: 23.5% (4-for-17)
Free Throw Pct: 86.4% (19-for-22)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 30 (6-24)
Turnovers: 24

Leaders - Farmington:

• Dow finished with a game-high 21 points on an efficient 9-for-14 shooting from the field to go along with six steals, two rebounds, and two assists.
• Pingree added 14 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor while also recording six steals, four assists, and four rebounds.
• Mackie hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points.

Leaders - Plymouth State:

• Swormstedt finished with a team-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 33 minutes off the bench, adding four rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
• Malozzi pitched in with 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 35 minutes off the bench.
• Stephens tallied 10 points and five rebounds while shooting 4-of-6 from the floor.

UP NEXT

The Beavers will play host to Lesley University on Friday evening in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) matchup set for 7:30 PM.