FARMINGTON, Maine - Sean Fry (Jay, Maine) posted a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds and Matt St. John (Wayne, Maine) struck for 19 first-half points Thursday evening as the University of Maine at Farmington held off Plymouth State University for a 73-70 win in non-conference men's basketball action at Dearborn Gymnasium.

            Sophomore Jason O'Keefe (Everett, Mass.) led all scorers with 26 points for the Panthers. O'Keefe's total also included five 3-pointers. Junior Ben Huntington (Hampstead, N.H.) and freshman Tom Dowd (Portsmouth, N.H.) scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the loss.

            In a tightly-contested battle with each team shooting similarly from the field (PSU 40 percent to 39.1), the 3-point line (UMF 42.1-37.5) and the foul line (PSU 85.7-78.9), it was the senior duo of Fry and St. John that led the Beavers to victory.

            St. John nailed five 3-pointers in leading the Beavers to a 33-30 edge at intermission.

            The lead never grew to more than four points for either squad in the second half with Fry scoring 21 points in the frame and closing out the contest in a big way. With 1:57 remaining in the game, Fry hit a 3-pointer to tie the contest at 66 -- the 10th deadlock of the contest. Fry gave the Beavers the lead at 68-66 with a pair of free throws at the 1:09 mark and padded the lead to 70-66 with a jumper with 27 seconds. Andrew Dean (Gorham, Maine) and Isaac Hutchinson (Oakland, Maine) each converted two free throws in the final 10 seconds to assist Farmington in sealing the win.

            The Beavers ran their record to 6-5 and are scheduled to host North Atlantic Conference foe Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday (men at 1 p.m., women at 3 p.m.). The Panthers slipped to 3-9 and are scheduled to host Rhode Island College in Little East Conference competition on Saturday (3:00 p.m.)

(Courtesy of UMaine Farmington Sports Information)

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