By Marc Meyers
UMF Sport Information Director

FARMINGTON - The University of Maine at Farmington men’s basketball team improved to 6-1 in the North Atlantic Conference with a 68-45 victory over Green Mountain College Saturday afternoon at Dearborn Gymnasium.

The Beavers (6-10 overall) are scheduled to face Husson University in Bangor on Tuesday with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. and the men to follow. Husson also stands at 6-1 in the NAC. The Eagles (5-11, 2-5) are scheduled to host Lyndon State Tuesday.

Josh Tanguay (Gorham, ME) and Eric Taylor (Oakland, ME) each collected double-doubles for the Beavers as Farmington outscored the Eagles 40-17 in the second half. Tanguay posted 19 points and 13 rebounds and Taylor adding 18 points and 11 boards. Eric Lelansky (Portland, ME) netted 14 points and doled out five assists.

Rui Carmo (Fort Meyers, FL) tallied a game-high 20 points for the Eagles. Gerard Johnson (Binghamton, NY) had six points and 10 rebounds.

The first half featured eight ties and eight lead changes. Carmo carried the Eagles through the opening frame with 15 points, while Lelansky and Tanguay each scored nine points for the Beavers

After a 28-28 stalemate at intermission, Farmington charged out of the break with a 15-3 stretch over the first five minutes of the half. The run was finished off by Taylor layups on three straight possessions for a 43-31 lead.

Carmo hit a jumper to quell the Beavers’ run, but Farmington scored the next nine points — capped by a Mike Gingras (Winthrop, ME) trey — for a 52-34 command en route to the 68-45 victory.

The Beavers connected on 51.4 percent (18-35) of their shots from the field in the second half, while stifling the Eagles at 26.9 percent (7-26).

On Friday night, Lelansky scored 16 of his game-high 27 points in the opening half as UMF downed Castleton State College 75-53 in North Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action in Dearborn Gym.

Farmington shot 51.7 percent in the opening half (15 of 29) to build a 42-22 command at halftime. Lelansky drained four 3-pointers in the frame Taylor added 14 points. Taylor finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Tanguay supplied eight points and eight boards.

Farmington limited the Spartans to 28.8 percent (17-59) shooting from the field. The Beavers made 47.4 percent (27-57). The Beavers used a 12-0 run to take a 14-3 advantage with 13:24 left in the first half. Later in the frame, Lelansky scored eight points in a 14-2 stretch to give Farmington a 42-22 halftime command.

The Spartans charged into the second half with a 10-1 run with an Eisenberg trey trimming the lead to 43-32, but Farmington held the visitors at a double-digit distance en route to the 75-53 win.

Women earn two in a row

By Marc Meyers
UMF Sports Information Director

FARMINGTON The University of Maine at Farmington women’s basketball team scored the game’s first 17 points on its way to a 68-53 North Atlantic Conference victory over Green Mountain College Saturday afternoon at Dearborn Gymnasium.

The Beavers (8-8 overall, 6-2 in the NAC) are scheduled to visit Husson University Tuesday with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men. The Eagles (5-12, 0-7) are scheduled host Lyndon State College Tuesday.

Caitlyn Laflin (Farmingdale, ME) scored 13 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and made six steals in the victory, while Ashley Busque (Belgrade, ME) netted 13 points as 12 Beavers got into the scoring column.

Farmington shot 35.4 percent from the field (23-65), but delivered on 52.2 percent of 3-point tries (12-23) with Busque making three and Rachel Clement (Gray, ME), Katherine Gagne (Dixfield, ME) and Michelle Paul (Lincoln, ME) each hitting two.

Emma Brinley Buckley (Lakeville, CT) tallied 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for Green Mountain with Chelsea Paul (Northville, NY) adding 13 points and Jacque Caster (Seneca Falls, NY) chipping in 10 points.

Busque scored 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the Beavers’ 17-0 start over the first 8:28 of the game. The lead ballooned to 26 points before Farmington went into the break ahead 39-17.

The Eagles whittle the lead down to 41-25 3:41 into the second half, but the Beavers scored eight straight points — five by Laflin — to build a 49-25 cushion on their way to a 68-53 win.

On Friday night, UMF topped Castleton State 57-46 in North Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action at Dearborn Gym.

Kenni Norton (Strong, ME) paced Farmington with 14 points, while Laflin added 10 points, Jillian Ross (Belfast, ME) supplied nine points and nine boards and Paul provided nine points off the bench.

Jassmine Matos (Claremont, NH) scored 10 points to lead Castleton. The Spartans shot 27.9 percent from the field (17-60), including 11.1 percent (2-18) from three-point range.

The Beavers broke out to a 12-2 lead over the first 6:18 of the game. Eight points from Norton helped the hosts keep a double-digit distance and take a 29-19 lead into halftime.

Five points from Ross and a Laflin layup helped Farmington to a 36-19 command with 16:46 to play in the game. The Beavers led 49-29 with 8:32 left in the contest, but Castleton was able to trim the advantage to 10 points twice behind eight points from Matos and a pair of baskets by Megan Johnson (Rutland, VT) before Farmington came away with a 57-46 win.