FARMINGTON, Maine – UMaine-Farmington (1-2) defeated Saint Joseph's College (1-2), 71-69 in overtime, in a non-conference men's basketball game on Tuesday night.
FIRST GLANCE:
Junior guard Ian Mileikis (Auburn, Maine) netted 25 points and freshman guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds in a contest in which neither team held a lead greater than eight points.
THE REST OF THE STORY:
Late in the second half, the Monks rallied from a 49-45 deficit with a 14-3 run and held a 59-52 lead when junior guard Darian Berry (Rochester, N.H.) capped the surge with a three-pointer at the 2:07 mark. The Beavers countered with an 11-3 outbreak of their own and tied the game at 63 apiece when Isaac Witham (Smithfield, Maine) hit a jumper with six seconds on the clock.
Saint Joseph's grabbed the first lead in extra play when senior Aaron Hall (Haverhill, Mass.) made a jump shot 29 seconds into the five-minute frame, but it turned out to be the only advantage the visitors would hold for the remainder of play, as UMF responded with seven unanswered points.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Mileikis was 8-15 from the floor and 7-8 from the FT line with three steals
- Casale added four assists to his double-double performance
- Berry chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds
LEADERS – UMAINE-FARMINGTON:
- Sophomore guard Bill Ruby (Gorham, Maine) paced five UMF players in double digits with 17 points and added six rebounds and five assists
- Witham contributed 16 points with four steals and three boards
- Senior guard Eric Berry (Weld, Maine) netted 12 points
- Junior forward Milani Hicks (Scarborough, Maine) notched a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds
- Sophomore forward Riley Robinson (Dixfield, Maine) scored 10 points with five assists and four caroms
TEAM STATS:
Saint Joseph's held the advantage in rebounds (38-35), points off turnovers (27-11), points in the paint (32-30), and bench points in the losing effort.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 54-21 in the history of the series with UMaine-Farmington.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host University of Southern Maine in the Annual Costello Cup series matchup on Sunday at 7:30 PM. Presented annually to the winner of the contest between the rivals, the Costello Cup honors the late Dr. Richard "Doc" Costello, former USM Athletic Director and long-time basketball coach.
#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.
