FARMINGTON, Maine — The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team had four players score in double figures as they cruised to a 92-75 victory over visiting SUNY Cobleskill in both teams' North Atlantic Conference (NAC) opener on Friday evening in Dearborn Gymnasium.
The Records:
The Beavers got back into the win column following Wednesday's setback against Bowdoin, improving to 3-2 on the season. Cobleskill dropped to 1-4 with the loss.
How it Happened:
Both teams came out hot, seemingly knocking down every shot they attempted, combining for 40 points in the opening 7:08 of play with Farmington clinging to a 22-18 advantage.
After Cameron Rhode hit a free throw to make it a 23-22 game, Farmington rattled off a quick 12-2 spurt to open up an 11-point lead. Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine) and Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) each buried big threes during the run.
The Beavers were able to get any shot they wanted offensively, but turnovers kept Cobleskill within striking distance. Farmington shot 59.3% (16-for-27) from the floor and 53.8% (7-for-13) from beyond the arc in the opening half, but turned the ball over ten times as they carried a 49-41 lead into halftime.
Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine), Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine), and Donlin were all in double figures at the break. McLaughlin led the way with 14, Reynolds had 11, and Donlin added ten. Bruce Wilder Jr. came off the bench to score ten points in the opening 20 minutes to pace the Fighting Tigers.
Cobleskill continued to hang around for much of the second half, capitalizing on more Farmington turnovers.
With the Beavers clinging to a five-point lead with just over 15 minutes to play, a sequence that began with a pair of free throws from Braden Camire (Saco, Maine) was followed by a driving layup from Donlin, a deep corner three from Donlin, and an offensive rebound and putback from Tristan Robbins (Caribou, Maine), helping shift the momentum firmly in Farmington's favor.
Cobleskill again cut the deficit to five after free throws from Wilder Jr. and Connor Holland, followed by a layup from Fabian Fermin off a Farmington turnover.
But Houghton then got hot from beyond the arc, knocking down three threes over a two-and-a-half-minute stretch to make it a 76-62 game with 8:46 remaining.
Chrischen Chung and Rowan Morel each hit deep threes for the Fighting Tigers, sparking a 10-3 run that trimmed the lead back to seven. However, the Beavers responded by tightening up defensively, finally getting the stops they had been searching for and turning them into layups on the other end. A 9-0 run featuring three layups and three free throws stretched the lead to 16 and effectively put the game away with three and a half minutes to play.
Stats of the Game:
Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 56.4% (31-for-55)
Three-Point Pct: 46.2% (12-for-26)
Free Throw Pct: 66.7% (18-for-27)
Rebounds (Total / Off-Def): 37 (13-24)
Turnovers: 21
Cobleskill:
Field Goal Pct: 49.1% (27-for-55)
Three-Point Pct: 47.1% (8-for-17)
Free Throw Pct: 68.4% (13-for-19)
Rebounds (Total / Off-Def): 20 (6-14)
Turnovers: 17
Leaders — Farmington:
- Houghton led all scorers with 24 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting, adding nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
- Donlin came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
- McLaughlin finished with 17 points and five steals.
- Reynolds chipped in with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Leaders — Cobleskill:
- Wilder Jr. scored a team-high 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench.
- Chung shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor on his way to 14 points while also dishing out six assists.
Up Next:
The Beavers return to action on Saturday afternoon against SUNY Delhi, looking to complete the 2-0 weekend. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.
