BOSTON, Mass. - The University of Maine at Farmington trio of Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine), Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine), and Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) combined for 57 points to lead the Beavers to a 67-57 road victory over Suffolk University on Saturday afternoon in their 2026-27 season opener.
How it Happened:
The Beavers and the Rams traded baskets over the first five minutes of action as Farmington held an early 10-9 advantage. A quick 7-0 burst, featuring jumpers from Reynolds and Donlin followed by a three-pointer from McLaughlin, gave the Beavers some breathing room with just under 13 minutes remaining in the first half.
Suffolk chipped away over the next five minutes, getting three-pointers from Neil Harrison, Hatcher Nordquist, and Declan Davis to spark a 13-7 run that trimmed Farmington's advantage to two with seven and a half minutes remaining before halftime.
Following Davis' three-pointer that made it a 24-22 game, Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine) knocked down a three of his own before grabbing an offensive rebound and converting a tip-in on the ensuing possession to push the lead back to seven. That sparked a 10-2 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Reynolds, that put Farmington up by 10 with two minutes remaining in the half.
Free throws from James Jones in the final minute of the half brought the Rams within eight heading into the intermission.
Suffolk scored the first five points of the second half as Nick Verdile drilled a three-pointer before Jones added a layup to make it a 34-31 game. However, layups from McLaughlin and Donlin sandwiched a Reynolds jumper as the Beavers responded with a quick 6-0 run to push their lead back to nine.
Every time the Beavers put together a run and began to create some separation, the Rams dug in and refused to go away. A three-pointer from Davis with 11:11 remaining capped a 13-5 run that cut Farmington's lead to just one at 45-44.
Once again, the Beavers responded with a run of their own. This time, McLaughlin drilled a pair of three-pointers before capping the 12-2 run with a layup off an assist from Donlin to stretch the lead back out to 57-46 with six and a half minutes remaining.
The run proved decisive, as Suffolk was unable to get within fewer than eight points the rest of the way. The Beavers converted their free throws down the stretch to pull away and secure the victory in their season opener.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 38.5% (25-65)
Three-Point Pct: 26.7% (8-30)
Free Throw Pct: 69.2% (9-13)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 51 (15-36)
Turnovers: 9
Suffolk:
Field Goal Pct: 28.6% (20-70)
Three-Point Pct: 17.1% (6-35)
Free Throw Pct: 68.8% (11-16)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 43 (17-26)
Turnovers: 5
Leaders - Farmington
- McLaughlin led all scorers on Saturday afternoon, finishing with 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field, including three three-pointers, while knocking down 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also added nine rebounds and two assists.
- Reynolds picked up where he left off last season, recording his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 8-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.
- Donlin added 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
Leaders - Suffolk
- Jones posted a double-double for the Rams, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds on 6-of-20 shooting from the floor.
- Verdile also finished in double figures, posting 12 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists.
UP NEXT
The Beavers will be back on the road Thursday, traveling to take on UMass Boston for a 12:00 PM start.
