FARMINGTON, Maine - University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball sophomore standout Zach McLaughlin got hot early and never cooled down, erupting for a career-high 40 points to help lift the Beavers to a 94-63 win over SUNY Cobleskill on Saturday afternoon in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) semifinal.

The victory for the Beavers advances them to the NAC Championship game next Saturday, where they will play host to the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The Owls topped Husson University, 78-74 in overtime, in the other NAC semifinal.

How it Happened:

McLaughlin came out of the gates swinging, hitting a pair of threes during the opening three minutes of play as Farmington quickly jumped out to an 11-2 lead. Junior guard Brayden St. Pierre (Readfield, Maine) also drilled a three during Farmington's game-opening run.

Farmington's offense continued to roll. After a Chrischen Chung three made it a 14-6 game, the Beavers responded with an extended 17-4 run to open up a 21-point lead just nine minutes into the game. McLaughlin scored 11 of the team's 17 points during the run and capped it by converting a three-point play the old-fashioned way to make it 31-10 Farmington.

The teams traded hoops for the better part of the next eight minutes of play, as a three-pointer from Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine) made it a 43-24 game just inside the four-minute mark. The Fighting Tigers closed the half on a 13-3 run, cutting Farmington's lead to just nine heading into halftime. Daniel Penubothula and Conor Holland sparked the run for Cobleskill, each connecting on a three and combining to score 11 of the 13 points.

Cobleskill continued its surge in the opening minutes of the second half. Following a Cameron Rhode putback layup, they trailed just 50-43 with 17:45 left to play.

Farmington dug its heels in defensively, holding the Fighting Tigers to just four points over the next 11 minutes of action while responding with a game-clinching 35-4 run that put them up by as many as 38. McLaughlin scored 15 points during the run, while Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine) and Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) each hit a triple during the decisive stretch for the Beavers.

After emptying the bench, first-year guard Bryce Guitard (Berwick, Maine) drilled a three in transition to put Farmington up by 42, its largest lead of the game.

The 31-point victory for the Beavers was their fourth-largest of the season and helped advance them to the NAC Championship for the first time since 2022.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 43.8% (32-for-73)
Three-Point Pct: 37.5% (12-for-32)
Free Throw Pct: 75.0% (18-for-24)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 55 (16-39)
Turnovers: 10

Cobleskill:
Field Goal Pct: 32.1% (25-for-78)
Three-Point Pct: 15.6% (5-for-32)
Free Throw Pct: 50.0% (8-for-16)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 40 (13-27)
Turnovers: 9

Leaders - Farmington:

• McLaughlin's 40-point performance came on 12-of-26 shooting from the field, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also finished 12-of-13 from the free throw line and added four rebounds and two blocks.
• Donlin pitched in with 12 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor in just 22 minutes.
• Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine) controlled the pace of play for the Beavers, finishing with six points, eight assists, and six rebounds.
• Reynolds finished with nine points and a game-high 19 rebounds in 26 minutes of play.

Leaders - Cobleskill:

• Emilio Nabli led all Cobleskill players with 13 points, doing most of his work at the free throw line, where he went 6-of-9.
• Rhode, Holland, and Penubothula each finished with eight points.