By: COURTESY OF UMAINE-FARMINGTON SPORTS INFORMATION

BANGOR, Maine - Junior forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) was dominant on both ends of the floor and helped lead the Beavers to a blowout 64-40 victory on the road over Husson University on Saturday afternoon in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) semifinal.

Dow completely controlled both ends of the floor, finishing with 24 points, six rebounds, and six steals as the Beavers stymied the Eagles, holding them to just 22.2% shooting.

Dow's masterpiece helped push the Beavers into the NAC Championship game for the first time since the 2019-2020 season. They will square off against top-seeded Maine Maritime Academy next Saturday for the right to receive the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

How it Happened:

The game started slowly as both teams struggled to gain their footing offensively. Farmington missed its first five shots of the game, but a Dow layup at the 5:37 mark got the Beavers on the scoreboard for the first time, tying the game at two. Dow accounted for nearly all of Farmington's offense in the first quarter, scoring eight of the team's nine points as the Beavers took a 9-6 lead into the second quarter.

The Beavers shot just 23.5% (4-of-17) from the floor in the quarter but were able to hold Husson to just 15.8% (3-of-19) shooting after the first 10 minutes of play.

After the low-scoring first quarter, Farmington settled in and broke the game wide open in the second quarter as the Eagles continued to struggle. The Beavers ripped off the first 11 points of the quarter to open up a 20-6 lead, holding the Eagles scoreless for five and a half minutes of action. Junior guard Melissa Mayo and sophomore guard Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine) combined to score nine of the team's 11 points during the run as the Beavers started to find the soft spots in the Husson zone defense.

Farmington closed out the half on a quick 6-0 run that included an old-fashioned three-point play from senior Ruby McMinis (Wells, Maine) and a deep three from the top of the key by Dow as the buzzer sounded to take a 29-11 lead into halftime.

After being held to just 5-of-34 shooting in the first half, Husson started to find its footing somewhat in the third quarter but was unable to slow down Dow and the Beavers. Dow opened the half by hitting a pair of free throws and then got all the way to the rim for a layup on the next possession to give Farmington its first 20-point lead of the game.

First-year guard Kytana Williamson (Nobleboro, Maine) converted a three-point play on the ensuing possession, and momentum was entirely on Farmington's side.

A Saige Evans layup just inside the 6:30 mark made it an 18-point game, but the Beavers once again had an answer. On the next Husson possession, a turnover and a Pingree steal led to an easy layup for Mayo that began a 7-0 spurt for the Beavers to open up a 25-point lead.

Evans and Sophia Carnes each hit a pair from the stripe in the final 65 seconds to make it a 47-26 game heading into the fourth quarter.

Husson needed a big run to open the fourth quarter but did not get it. Instead, Farmington scored the first eight points of the quarter and rattled off an extended 14-4 run over the first five minutes to all but put the game away.

Stats of the Game:

Farmington:
Field Goal Pct: 38.7% (24-for-62)
Three-Point Pct: 12.5% (2-for-16)
Free Throw Pct: 66.7% (14-for-21)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 49 (15-34)
Turnovers: 18

Husson:
Field Goal Pct: 22.2% (14-for-63)
Three-Point Pct: 0.0% (0-for-12)
Free Throw Pct: 85.7% (12-for-14)
Rebounds (Total, Off-Def): 41 (14-27)
Turnovers: 19

Leaders - Farmington:

• Dow's game-high 24 points came on an ultra-efficient 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from the free throw line. She also finished with six boards and six steals in 34 minutes.
• Pingree finished with a double-double, pitching in 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and two steals.
• Mayo added eight points in 19 minutes.

Leaders - Husson:

• Laela Martinez led the way for the Eagles, scoring a team-high 15 points but was held to just 4-of-18 shooting from the floor. She also added four assists and four steals.
• Evans recorded a double-double, posting 11 points and 10 rebounds.
• Danielle Dow finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.