FARMINGTON -- Bowdoin College survived a second-half rally from the Beavers as the Polar Bears took a 72-70 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington in non-conference men's basketball action today at Dearborn Gymnasium.
The Polar Bears (9-2), winners of six straight, are scheduled to host the University of Maine at Presque Isle Thursday at 5:30 p.m., while the Beavers (4-6) are scheduled to visit Thomas College to open North Atlantic Conference play Tuesday with the women's game at 5:30 p.m. and the men to follow.
Trailing by as many as 12 points early in the second half, Farmington stormed back with an 18-6 charge to take a 61-60 lead on an Andrew Dean (Gorham, Maine) 3-pointer with 5:39 left in the game. The Polar Bears outscored the hosts 12-6 over the final 2:53 to bounce back for the win with Randy DeFeo (Ridgewood, N.J.) hitting three of four foul shots with 18 seconds to play to give the Polar Bears a 72-68 lead.
Ryan O'Connell (Ipswich, Mass.) led all scorers with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, for Bowdoin with Will Hanley (New Canaan, Conn.) adding 15 points and nine boards and Justin Nowell (Cos Cob, Conn.) 12 points. Maximilian Staiger (West Caldwell, N.J.) chipped in 11 points in the win.
Pet Sumner (Cramerton, N.C.) led the Beavers with 16 points off the bench, while Eric Taylor (Oakland, Maine) supplied 14 points and eight rebounds. Dean and Ben Johnson (Manchester, Maine) tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the loss.
Ryan O'Connell (Ipswich, Mass.) led all scorers with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, for Bowdoin with Will Hanley (New Canaan, Conn.) adding 15 points and nine boards and Justin Nowell (Cos Cob, Conn.) 12 points. Maximilian Staiger (West Caldwell, N.J.) chipped in 11 points in the win.
Dean and Yusuf Iman (Auburn, Maine) drilled threes to lead Farmington on an 8-0 spurt over the opening two minutes of the contest. O'Connell scored five points as the Polar Bears responded with a 9-0 run to take a 9-8 lead at 15:12. Leading 26-22, the Polar Bears expanded their advantage to 38-26 with a 12-4 stretch, including a pair of O'Connell treys, as Bowdoin took a 42-33 lead into intermission.
The Polar Bears held a 54-43 command with 13:07 left to play in the second half, but the Beavers got back into the contest with a 9-0 stretch over the next 3:06 to cut the lead to 54-52. Sumner scored six points in the run. Bowdoin bounced back on a pair of O'Connell threes to lead 60-54 with 7:34 to play, but Farmington scored the game's seven points with a Dean 3-pointer give the hosts their first lead since 12-11 with 12:59 left in the first half at 61-60 with 5:39 left in the game
Farmington led over the next three minutes, but Nowell hit a three to tie the game at 64-64 with 2:21 remaining. After an exchange of baskets and a Farmington miss, Hanley hit a free throw to put the Polar Bears ahead at 67-66 with 52 seconds.
Following a Taylor layup, the Beavers fouled DeFeo with 18 seconds. DeFeo made the first foul shot to lead 70-68, but missed the second. Hanley came up with the offensive rebound and DeFeo was fouled again. The senior knocked down both free throws to push the lead to 72-68. Taylor scored a layup with four seconds remaining to cut the lead to a single possession and, a pair of Hanley free-throw misses, Farmington had a chance at the win, but Dean's 3-point bid was off the mark as Bowdoin escaped with a 72-70 win.