FARMINGTON, Maine - Trailing by as many as 19 points midway through the third quarter, the University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team was able to cut the deficit to just nine in the closing minutes of the period. However, Colby College held the Beavers to just 3-of-9 shooting and forced five turnovers in the fourth quarter to secure a 66-48 non-conference victory on Tuesday evening in Dearborn Gymnasium.

The Records:

Farmington dropped to 16-6 overall following the loss, which also marked its first home defeat of the season, moving to 9-1 in Dearborn Gymnasium. Colby improved to 12-8 with the victory.

How it Happened:

Farmington jumped out to an early lead with back-to-back buckets from Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) and Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine) on the first two possessions of the game, making it a 4-0 contest.

Kate Olenik led a 16-4 stretch over the final nine minutes of the opening quarter to give the Mules a 16-8 lead heading into the second. Olenik knocked down a pair of three-pointers, including a banked triple from the top of the key, and scored 10 of Colby's 16 first-quarter points.

Consecutive three-point plays from Dow and senior forward Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) in the opening minutes of the second quarter cut the deficit to 20-14 and gave the Beavers some momentum. That momentum was quickly halted by three-pointers from Emily Ryan and Lydia Mordarski as the Mules pushed their lead to 12.

After trading baskets over the final minutes of the first half, Colby carried a 32-18 advantage into the halftime intermission. The Mules shot 12-for-25 from the floor and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the opening half while holding Farmington to just 7-of-26 shooting, including 0-for-10 from three-point range.

Pingree and junior guard Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) caught fire in the third quarter as the Beavers began to chip away at the deficit. The duo combined for 20 of Farmington's 22 points in the quarter, shooting a combined 8-of-10 from the field. Mayo did her damage from beyond the arc, knocking down three triples, while Pingree was perfect from the floor, primarily scoring in the paint. Together, they trimmed a deficit that reached as many as 19 points down to nine in the final minute of the quarter.

Amelia Hanscom converted a layup in the final seconds of the third to make it a 51-40 game heading into the fourth.

Colby opened the final quarter on a 13-2 run to extend its lead to 22 and put the game out of reach. Mordarski hit a pair of three-pointers during the game-clinching stretch for the Mules.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 38.8% (19-for-49)
Three-Point Pct: 17.6% (3-for-17)
Free Throw Pct: 100.0% (7-for-7)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 20 (2-18)
Turnovers: 13

Colby:
Field Goal Pct: 46.2% (24-for-52)
Three-Point Pct: 38.9% (7-for-18)
Free Throw Pct: 78.6% (11-for-14)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 37 (10-27)
Turnovers: 14

Leaders – Farmington:

• Pingree led all scorers with 19 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting night. She also went 3-for-3 from the free-throw line and added four rebounds.
• Dow finished with 11 points, shooting 5-of-11 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, while grabbing three rebounds.
• Mayo added nine points, connecting on 3-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.

Leaders – Colby:

• Olenik finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds to secure a double-double, with 14 of her points coming in the first half. She also added two steals and two assists.
• Mordarski shot 3-for-6 from three-point range and tallied 11 points.
• Chelsea Ibenegbu also reached double figures, scoring 10 points in 22 minutes.

UP NEXT

The Beavers return to conference play on Friday evening, traveling to Vermont for a NAC matchup with VTSU Johnson. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM.