LEWISTON, Maine –An 18-2 run by Bates College late in the second half was enough to carry the Bobcats to an 85-74 win over the University of Maine at Farmington men’s basketball team, in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday night at Alumni Gym.
The game was UMaine-Farmington’s first competition since December 11, 2021, after five straight cancellations due to COVID related concerns.
Senior Jack Kane paced the Beavers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, to go with a team-high nine rebounds. Kane led four UMaine-Farmington players in double digits: Zach Brown capped the night with 14 points while Nate Poulin and Drew Storey chipped in with 13 points each.
Kyle Donlin dished out four assists for the Beavers.
After trailing virtually all of the first half, UMaine-Farmington finally overtook Bates, 56-55, at the 12:20 mark of the second half on a traditional three-point play by Kane. The Beavers and the Bobcats briefly tied things up at 61-61, but a pair of Dylan Griffin foul shots and Poulin three-pointer extended UMF’s lead top 66-61 with 8:28 to play.
Jacob Iwowo’s layup at the other end of the floor launched an 18-2 run for the Bobcats, capped by a pair of Stephon Baxter free-throws that left Bates with a 79-68 lead with 2:48 showing on the game clock.
UMaine-Farmington shot 24-of-56 from the floor while Bates charted a 30-of-73 ledger from the field with 10 three-pointers.
Bates forced the Beavers into committing 23 turnovers leading to 20 points for the Bobcats. The 23 turnovers are the most forced by Bates this season.
UMaine-Farmington returns to North Atlantic Conference play this Friday, Jan. 21, when the Beavers travel to Bangor, Maine, to face Husson University. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
