LEXINGTON, Massachusetts - The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team clung to a one-point lead at halftime but exploded in the second half, using a 21-3 run over the first six minutes and 16 seconds to pull away from Lesley University and cruise to an 89-71 victory.

The Records:

The win for the Beavers is their fifth straight, improving their record to 7-2 on the season. They also remain unbeaten in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play. Lesley dropped to 2-9 overall with a 2-4 mark in NAC play.

How it Happened:

The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to create much separation. Sophomore guard Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine) paced the Beavers early, scoring eight of Farmington's first 11 points to help open an 11-8 advantage after five and a half minutes.

Lesley responded with a 10-1 run to take an 18-12 lead, their largest of the game. The Lynx got baskets from four different players and forced two Farmington turnovers to spark the run.

The Beavers answered. After Jamarick Preston pushed the Lynx lead to six, Brayden St. Pierre (Readfield, Maine) drilled a three to ignite a 13-2 Farmington run, capped by a bucket from Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) that made it 25-20 with seven and a half minutes left in the half.

Lesley battled back to reclaim a three-point lead in the final 90 seconds, but a layup from Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine) and two free throws from McLaughlin helped the Beavers take a 31-30 lead into halftime.

Farmington put the game away early in the second half, coming out of the locker room on fire and rattling off a 21-3 run to open up a 19-point lead. The Lynx had no answer for McLaughlin, who got whatever he wanted on the offensive end—finishing at the rim, scoring from mid-range, knocking down threes, and hitting free throws. He scored 14 of the team's 21 points during the game-breaking run.

In total, McLaughlin poured in 22 points in the second half, shooting an ultra-efficient 9-for-11 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine) also provided a huge spark, recording a double-double in the second half alone. Reynolds tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds on 5-for-7 shooting after halftime.

After Farmington opened up a 52-33 lead with 13:44 remaining, Lesley managed to trim the deficit to ten with under eight minutes left behind the play of Ethan Arnold, who scored 13 second-half points. But the Lynx couldn't get any closer.

McLaughlin knocked down a pair of threes and junior guard Braden Camire (Saco, Maine) added one of his own as the Beavers responded with an 11-3 run to seal the victory.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 46.9% (30-for-64)
Three-Point Pct: 33.3% (9-for-27)
Free Throw Pct: 74.1% (20-for-27)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 49 (9-40)
Turnovers: 12

Lesley:
Field Goal Pct: 37.7% (26-for-69)
Three-Point Pct: 26.1% (6-for-23)
Free Throw Pct: 61.9% (13-for-21)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 37 (8-29)
Turnovers: 8

Leaders – Farmington:

• McLaughlin scored a game-high 32 points, marking the second time this season he has reached that number. He shot 11-for-24 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the free throw line, while adding four rebounds and three assists.
• Reynolds recorded his fifth straight double-double with 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor.
• Houghton tallied his first double-double of the season, contributing 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• St. Pierre also scored in double figures with 10 points, knocking down 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

Leaders – Lesley:

• Arnold led the Lynx with 23 points in 26 minutes off the bench, shooting 9-for-14 from the floor and 3-for-4 from deep.
• CJ Leonard added 16 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

UP NEXT

The Beavers return to action on Wednesday evening, squaring off against the University of Southern Maine in non-conference play in Gorham. Gametime is set for 7:30 PM.