On the back of a dominant second half, University of Maine Farmington men’s basketball cruised past the University of Maine at Presque Isle 84-58 Saturday to win its second North Atlantic Conference championship in program history and advance to the Division III NCAA Tournament.
UMPI — who beat two-time defending NAC champion Husson University in the conference semifinals — defended Farmington tightly in the first half, holding Beavers’ star guard Zach McLaughlin to just seven points.
But a buzzer-beating three from McLaughlin put Farmington up seven heading into halftime, and the Beavers only built upon that lead out of the break.
Farmington guard Gabe Michaud (12 points, 10 assists) and forward Jason Reynolds (16 points, 20 rebounds) controlled and extended possessions for the Beavers in the second half.
McLaughlin, who finished with 19 points, was named tournament MVP.
UMPI senior Akhe McMichael led the Owls with 16 points, 14 of which he scored in the first half. It was Presque Isle’s first NAC championship game appearance in any sport since joining the conference in 2018.
The Owls finish the season with a 15-13 record. Farmington, now 22-5, advances to its second-ever NCAA Tournament.
The selection show is scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 2.