STANDISH, Maine – University of Maine-Farmington (1-2) withstood a late rally to defeat Saint Joseph's College (1-2), 72-64, in non-conference men's basketball action at the Harold Alfond Center on Monday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Maine-Farmington held a 31-23 lead going into halftime and kicked off the second stanza with an 18-4 run to secure a commanding 49-27 advantage with 12:52 remaining. Saint Joseph's methodically climbed back into the fray with the help of a 19-5 offensive surge over the following three minutes to make it an eight-point (54-46) game. In the closing minute, the Monks trailed by as few as six points but the Beavers went 5-9 from the FT line down the stretch to keep the Royal Blue at bay and pick up their first win of the 2016-17 campaign.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Sophomore Marc Corey (Londonderry, N.H.) led three SJC players in double digits with 11 points
• Sophomore Darian Berry (Rochester, N.H.) tallied 10 points, nine assists, and four rebounds
• Senior Andrew Ruffen (Salem, N.H.) came off the bench to contribute 10 points off a 3-5 effort from downtown
• Sophomore Ben Malloy (Standish, Maine) added nine points and four rebounds
• Junior Quinn Richardson-Newton (Saco, Maine) posted eight points and eight caroms

LEADERS – MAINE-FARMINGTON:

• Freshman guard Issac Witham (Smithfield, Maine) led all players with 18 points and was 6-10 from three-point distance
• Freshman forward Bill Ruby (Gorham, Maine) netted 15 points with nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals
• Freshman forward Riley Robinson (Dixfield, Maine) chipped in with 11 points, five boards, four assists, and a pair of steals
• Freshman guard Amir Moss (Portland, Maine) and senior Jimmie Chaisson (Sanford, Maine) added eight points apiece

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's is off until Sunday when the Monks travel to Southern Maine for the annual Costello Cup matchup in a 7:30 PM start. Maine-Farmington hosts Husson University in the team's North Atlantic Conference opener next Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

#GOMONKS 

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.