Farmington, ME - The Northern Vermont University-Lyndon women's basketball team found itself trailing the University of Maine at Farmington by 18 points with under a minute to go in the thrid quarter of Saturday's North Atlantic Conference women's basketball game.  The Hornets then staged a huge fourth quarter rally to get within a single point with 30 seconds remaining.  The host Beavers converted four of six free throws in the final seconds to hold on for a 62-57 victory.  With the win UMF improves to 9-7 on the season and remains unbeaten in NAC play at 6-0.  The loss drops the Hornets to 4-11 on the campaign.  Lyndon is winless in six conference contests.

The Hornets started quickly, as Alissa Mithcell's (Milton, NH) three-pointer capped a 16-6 opening run over the first seven minutes.  The Beavers capitalized on three straight Hornet turnovers to score the final seven points of the quarter and cut the Lyndon lead to 16-13 after one.

UMF scored the first ten points of the second quarter, extending their run to 17-0, and building a 23-16 lead in the process.  Faith Poirier (Portsmouth, NH) ended the Lyndon drought when she converted one of two free throws at the 5:57 mark of the period.  Lyndon trailed 27-25 following a Poirier jump shot but the Beavers closed the half on a 10-0 run that featured threes from Courtney Brent and Alex Bessey and Molly Folsom's basket that just beat the halftime buzzer.

UMF's Tia Day opened the third quarter by connecting on back to back three-pointers to extend the Beaver advantage to 18.  UMF maintained a double digit advantage throughout the quarter, and Bessey's two free throws made the score 54-36 with 1:20 to go in the quarter.  Lauren Young (Concord, VT) scored just before the quarter ended but the Hornets still faced a 16-point deficit entering the final quarter.

Lyndon turned up their defensive pressure to start the fourth quarter.  They held the Beavers scoreless for over six minutes and cut ten points off the UMF lead in the proces.  Lea Crompton (Dunbarton, NH) connected on a jumper to pull Lyndon within 54-48 before Folsom's layup temporarily halted the run.  After the two teams exchanged scores, Shalyan Mosher (Newark, VT) connected from distance to make it a five point game.  Poirier made one of two free throws, then Mosher's second three of the quarter brought Lyndon within one, 58-57, with 30 seconds to go.  After Bessey made one of two free throws the Hornets had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead, but a costly turnover put an end to the rally, as UMF converted three more free throws for the final margin.

Bessey finished woith a game high 16 points to lead UMF.  Folsom and McKenna Brodeur added ten points apiece for the Beavers.  Crompton was Lyndon's only double figure scorer, finishing with 15 points and adding six rebounds, four steals, and three assists.

The Hornets return home next Saturday when they host NVU-Johnson at 1:00 pm.  The game will be both a NAC contest and part of the NVU President's Cup Challenge, the annual competiton for athletic superiority betewwn the two NVU campuses.