Written By; Jameson Bloch '26

FARMINGTON, Maine — The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team will face top-ranked New York University on Friday at 7:45 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

End-of-Season Recap

UMF

The Beavers opened the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Tournament with a matchup against the sixth-seeded Vermont State University Lyndon Hornets. UMF controlled the game from the tip, winning every quarter while dominating the third by a 20-point scoring margin. Junior guard Jadyn Pingree (Jay, Maine), senior forward Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine), and junior forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) all finished in double figures as the Beavers routed the Hornets 80-44.

UMF then traveled to Bangor to face the second-seeded Husson University Eagles. Both teams had a slow start in the first quarter, but the Beavers turned things around in the second, winning the quarter 20-5. From that point on, UMF held the lead for the remainder of the game to advance to the NAC Championship with a 64-40 victory. Dow led the way with 24 points, six rebounds, and six steals, while Pingree recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The NAC Championship was held in Castine, where the Beavers faced top-seeded Maine Maritime Academy. UMF built a lead in the second quarter, heading into halftime up by nine points. The Beavers maintained control in the second half and went on to claim the NAC Championship with a 70-58 win. Pingree led the team with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Dow finished second in both categories with 19 points and seven rebounds.

NYU

New York University competes in the United Athletic Association (UAA), where the automatic NCAA bid is awarded to the team with the best regular-season conference record, as the UAA does not hold a conference championship tournament.

NYU finished conference play with a perfect 14-0 record, closing the season with an 80-58 win over Brandeis University. The Violets took control from the opening tip, winning the first quarter 27-4. Junior guard Brooke Batchelor (Oakton, Virginia) led the way with 18 points while adding six rebounds and three steals. Junior forward Yasmene Clark (Duncan, South Carolina) dominated the boards with a team-high 14 rebounds while scoring eight points. Three other NYU players also finished in double figures.

The Violets regular season schedule included a 93-66 victory over Emory University who was ranked ninth in the country at the time the game was played on January 18th. 

The Violets will enter play on Friday evening winners of 87 consecutive games. The win streak is the longest ever by a Division III institution. 

Matchup

NYU enters the tournament with a perfect 25-0 overall record and a 14-0 conference mark. This marks their third consecutive undefeated regular season, and the Violets are seeking their third NCAA Division III national title in the same span. NYU finishes the season ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Power Index (NPI). The Violets last loss came during the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, falling 79-63 at the hands of Transylvania University. 

Key Players

UMF

• Jessica Dow was named NAC Defensive Player of the Year and leads the team with 3.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. She also leads the team in assists (2.6) and ranks second in both scoring (12.6) and rebounding (5.5) per game.
• Jadyn Pingree earned Second Team All-Conference honors and leads the Beavers in scoring with 15.3 points per game while also averaging 1.9 steals per contest.
• Sarah Poli leads the team in rebounding at 5.6 per game and was recently named to the NAC All-Tournament Team.

NYU

• Senior forward Caroline Peper (South Easton, Massachusetts) was named UAA Player of the Year and averages a team-high 18.5 points per game while ranking second on the team in assists (3.3) and steals (2.8).
• Brooke Batchelor earned UAA Defensive Player of the Year honors, leading the team with 3.0 steals per game. She also ranks second on the team in scoring (13.2) and rebounding (6.0).
• Yasmene Clark was named Second Team All-UAA. She leads the Violets in rebounding with 10.4 boards per game and averages 7.0 points per game.