BANGOR, Maine – In a battle for first place in the North Atlantic Conference inside a crowded Newman Gymnasium, a late putback from Kory Donlin lifted the University of Maine at Farmington to an 81-80 victory over the Husson University men's basketball team on Friday night.
Both teams entered the contest at 10-1 in conference play and three games clear of the next closest contender, setting the stage for a heavyweight showdown.
Husson (11-7, 10-2 NAC) and Farmington (14-5, 11-1 NAC) lived up to the billing early, as neither team led by more than two possessions for much of the opening half. The Beavers matched their largest lead of the half at six points with 7:33 remaining before the Eagles seized control.
Husson responded with an extended 21-4 run over a six-minute stretch, flipping a 28-22 deficit into a 43-32 advantage. The Eagles carried the momentum into the break and maintained a double-digit cushion at halftime, leading 44-34.
Farmington quickly swung the momentum to start the second half, opening with three consecutive layups to trim the deficit to four. The teams traded baskets through the early portion of the period before the Beavers used a run of their own to turn a seven-point Husson lead into a two-point advantage with 9:04 remaining.
Farmington held the lead for nearly the next six minutes and took a 73-69 edge following a pair of free throws from Zach McLaughlin. Husson answered with a 7-0 surge, highlighted by a clutch transition three-pointer from sophomore Connor Heald, to regain the lead at 74-73.
Senior Eric Ahlers scored the next four points to stretch the Husson advantage to 78-73 with 1:59 remaining. After Jason Reynolds connected on two free throws for the Beavers, Ahlers answered again with a turnaround jumper to surpass the 30-point mark and restore the five-point cushion.
Following a split at the line by Farmington, Husson was unable to secure the defensive rebound, leading to a baseline inbound opportunity for the Beavers. McLaughlin capitalized, knocking down a three-pointer to cut the margin to one with just over a minute remaining.
Husson worked the clock on its ensuing possession but came up empty, giving Farmington one final chance. Continuing a theme from throughout the night, the Beavers relied on second-chance points, as Donlin crashed the glass and converted a weak-side putback after a McLaughlin miss to take the lead.
With 10 seconds left, the Eagles opted not to use a timeout, but Ahlers' contested baseline jumper fell short, allowing the Beavers to run out the clock.
Ahlers posted a career-high 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 10-of-11 from the foul line, while also pulling down 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Junior Andre McCauley added 10 points and seven assists, and senior Ty Henke chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Husson shot over 44 percent from the floor and went 19-of-22 at the free-throw line, but was outrebounded 53-30, including a 28-0 disadvantage on the offensive glass. Farmington also held a 50-30 edge in points in the paint and outscored the Eagles 24-5 in second-chance points.
Husson will look to bounce back on Saturday when it hosts Maine Maritime Academy at Newman Gymnasium in a 3 p.m. tip.
