JOHNSON, Vermont - Sophomore forward Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) drilled a leaning 12-foot floater as the second-half horn sounded to power the University of Maine at Farmington to a 66-64 road win over VTSU Johnson in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action on Friday evening.

The Records:

The Beavers moved to 18-5 overall and 15-1 in NAC action following the win. The Badgers remained winless with the loss, falling to 0-21 overall and 0-14 in conference play.

How it Happened:

With the game knotted at 64 and 2.9 seconds on the clock, the Beavers had possession and were set to inbound the ball on the sideline in the backcourt. Donlin curled around a screen and received the ball about 35 feet from the basket on the right wing. As he caught the ball, he spun around one defender before driving left toward the middle of the floor. As the clock ticked toward zero, Donlin launched a floater on a dead sprint over the outstretched arm of another Badgers defender. The ball hit the back iron and dropped in as the Beavers clinched their fifth straight victory.

The first half was back-and-forth, remaining a one-possession game for the first 10 minutes as the teams traded leads. Johnson claimed the largest lead of the half, opening up a seven-point advantage with just under two and a half minutes remaining before halftime.

Farmington trimmed its deficit to four in the closing seconds of the half on a deep three from junior forward Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine). The Badgers took a 35-31 lead into halftime behind 19 first-half points from Jason Baker.

Farmington opened the second half on an 8-0 run, fueled by back-to-back threes from Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine) and Reynolds to take a 39-35 lead just minutes into the period.

Johnson stayed within striking distance until the Beavers created some separation with a 10-2 run midway through the half. The run began with a three from the top of the key by Brayden St. Pierre (Readfield, Maine) and continued with seven points from Donlin, making it 58-48 with 7:12 left to play.

Farmington clung to a 64-53 lead with five minutes remaining. From that point until Donlin's buzzer-beater, the Beavers missed three field goals, two free throws, and committed three turnovers, going scoreless as the Badgers rattled off an 11-0 run to tie the game with 1:27 left.

Johnson had two shots to break the tie, but both rimmed out, setting up Donlin's heroic finish.

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 45.5% (25-for-55)
Three-Point Pct: 30.3% (10-for-33)
Free Throw Pct: 60.0% (6-for-10)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 36 (9-27)
Turnovers: 15

Johnson:
Field Goal Pct: 36.5% (23-for-63)
Three-Point Pct: 29.2% (7-for-24)
Free Throw Pct: 73.3% (11-for-15)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 31 (12-19)
Turnovers: 11

Leaders - Farmington:

• Donlin made his first start of the season and finished with a team-high 23 points, shooting 9-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-9 from beyond the arc.
• Reynolds recorded his 21st double-double of the season, tallying 16 points and 19 rebounds. He shot 6-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.
• Houghton also finished in double figures, adding 13 points, three rebounds, and three steals.

Leaders - Johnson:

• Baker finished with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. He also totaled five assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
• Mohammed Semega recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 5-of-7 from the floor. He also added five assists in 32 minutes.

UP NEXT

The Beavers will complete their weekend in Vermont on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Lyndon to take on VTSU Lyndon. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.