FARMINGTON, Maine — The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Basketball Championship will feature the third-seeded University of Maine at Farmington Beavers taking on the top-seeded Maine Maritime Academy Mariners on Saturday, February 28, at 1 pm.
Semifinal Recap
Last Sunday, UMF traveled to Bangor to face the second-seeded Husson Eagles. The first quarter featured a slow offensive start for both teams, as each shot under 25 percent from the field. The second quarter belonged entirely to the Beavers, who outscored Husson by 15 points, highlighted by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from junior forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine).
The Beavers maintained control throughout the second half and secured a 64–40 victory.
UMF was led by Dow and sophomore guard Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine), the only two Beavers to score in double figures. Dow showcased her two-way ability, finishing with 24 points, six rebounds, and six steals. Pingree recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Husson was led by sophomore forward Saige Evans (Greenbush, Maine), who posted 11 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Laela Martinez (Baltimore, Maryland) led the Eagles with 15 points and four steals.
Meanwhile, Maine Maritime faced SUNY Cobleskill in the other semifinal. The Mariners held a four-point lead at halftime before pulling away in the third quarter, shooting 7-for-11 from the field. MMA continued to extend its advantage in the fourth quarter to earn a 60–44 victory on its home court.
Sophomore guard Addison Forry (Laramie, Wyoming) led the Mariners with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Junior guard Hailey Blanchard (Colorado Springs, Colorado) added 13 points and nine rebounds. Cobleskill was led by Jaiyla Colon (Worcester, Massachusetts) and Kyara Triblet (Colonie, New York), who each scored 13 points.
Past Matchups
UMF and MMA split their two regular-season meetings, with the road team winning both contests.
On January 10, the Beavers earned a 69-58 victory after dominating the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mariners 22-7. Trailing by four entering the fourth quarter and then claiming a one-point lead with 5:25 left in the game, Farmington closed on a 14-4 run to run away with the win. Dow and senior guard Grace Dwyer (Manchester, Maine) hit back-to-back threes that served as the finishing blows.
The teams met again in the regular-season finale with the conference's top seed on the line, where Maine Maritime prevailed, 68-50. The Mariners built their advantage early, entering the second half with an 18-point lead. In many ways the game was won on the glass with the Mariners holding a 31-9 advantage in the first half and 50-25 for the game.
Key Players
UMF:
Dow and Pingree form the Beavers' primary scoring duo and are the only UMF players averaging double figures. Pingree leads the team with 14.9 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest. Pingree has scored in double digits in 19 of the Beavers' 27 games this season, including registering eight games where she scored 20 or more points.
Dow averages 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. Dow has scored double figures in each of her last ten games. During the playoffs she is averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 5.5 steals per game while shooting an efficient 73.9% from the floor.
Senior forward Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 per game. First-year guard Kytana Williamson (Nobleboro, Maine) helps anchor the defense and averages two steals per game.
MMA:
The Mariners feature a balanced scoring attack led by four primary contributors. Forry leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 11.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Senior guard Evelyn Dagan (Castine, Maine) averages 10.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest.
Blanchard contributes 9.6 points per game while leading the team in assists with 3.8 and adding 6.3 rebounds per game. Senior forward Jacquelin Castro (Melbourne, Florida) averages 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
NAC Championship History
Maine Maritime enters the championship looking to reclaim the conference title after winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. Farmington seeks its first NAC championship since 2006.
