FARMINGTON, Maine – A strong third quarter performance helped drive the University of Maine of Farmington women's basketball team to a 64-52 win over the University of Maine at Augusta, in an intra-state matchup on Wednesday night at Dearborn Gym.
The Beavers' one-possession advantage at the intermission turned into a double-digit lead after 30 minutes, after UMaine-Farmington (5-2) outscored UMaine-Augusta (3-4), 21-14, in the third quarter.
Senior Page Brown finished the game with 13 points and added seven rebounds to lead a trio of Beavers who scored in double figures. Senior Alex Bessey tallied 12 points while senior Tia Day logged 10 points to go with six assists.
Senior McKenna Brodeur charted eight points with six rebounds, and senior Makayla Wilson had seven points and five assists.
After finishing the first quarter in a 12-12 deadlock, UMaine-Farmington eked out a slim 26-23 lead at the halftime break. The game was still knotted at 19-19 at the 3:50 mark of the second quarter, but a Bessey layup and foul shots from both Bessey and Brodeur helped the Beavers take a 26-20 lead heading into the final minute.
UMA's Hope Butler drained a three-pointer with six seconds remaining in the quarter, narrowing the UMaine-Farmington advantage to three points at the break.
The Moose were still within two of the Beavers, 30-28, with 8:08 to play in the third quarter after a Butler layup. Wilson answered with a three-pointer at the other end of the floor, triggering a 15-0 UMaine-Farmington that lasted five minutes and ending with the Beavers holding a 45-28 lead. Day tallied seven points during the run, with Brown accounting for five points during the UMaine-Farmington surge.
UMaine-Augusta finally broke its scoring hex with a pair of Cassidy Lessner foul shots with 2:59 remaining in the third quarter. A three-pointer from Augusta's Madeline Suhr at the buzzer narrowed the UMaine-Farmington lead to 47-37 after 30 minutes of play.
In the fourth quarter, a Brodeur layup followed by a Day three-pointer helped extend UMaine-Farmington's lead to 56-39 with 5:40 left in the game. UMaine-Augusta tried to close the gap down the stretch, but a pair of buckets from Maddie Forgue and a Brown layup helped keep the Moose at bay.
UMaine-Farmington shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the floor, besting a UMaine-Augusta squad that connected at a 39.6 percent (21-of-53) clip. The Beavers held a 35-31 advantage on the boards.
The Beavers open North Atlantic Conference play this Saturday, Dec. 4, when they host Northern Vermont-Lyndon at 2:00 p.m. at Dearborn Gym.
All spectators to UMaine-Farmington home basketball games are required to wear masks, and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen tests accepted; "at home" tests not accepted) taken within 72 hours prior to the game. Complete information is available at www.goUMFbeavers.com/COVID