Lyndonville, VT - The University of Maine at Farmington pulled away from Northern Vermont University-Lyndon for a 106-76 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball victory on Saturday afternoon. The game was the conference opener for both teams. UMF improved to 4-2 on the season while Lyndon fell to 2-5.
Lyndon's Mondwell Bukle (Pyeongtaek, South Korea) came out on fire, connecting on three early three-point goals to propel the Hornets to an early 9-4 advantage. The visiting Beavers responded with a quick 6-0 burt capped by a Terion Moss layup off of a Lyndon turnover gave UMF their first lead. After the two teams exchanged the advantage several times, the Beavers' Drew Storey converted a pair of free throws to give UMF a 20-18 lead which they would never relinquish.
The Beavers would gradually extend their lead until Nathan Poulin connected from three-point range to make it 38-25 with 4:37 remaining in the half. The Hornets then rallied and when Brett Roy (Newport, VT) drained a three of his own, Lyndon was back within six at 39-33. The Hornets turned over the Beavers on their next possession, but Lyndon gave it right back. Kyle Donlin's three-pointer off of the turnover ignited a 9-0 Beaver run to push the lead back to 15 points. UMF took a 48-34 lead into halftime.
Lyndon chipped away at the UMF lead in the early going of the second half. Another Bukle three ball cut the Beaver advantage to single digits at 61-52 with 14 minutes to go. The Hornets were still within 12 points with 11:36 to go when UMF exploded with a 20-3 run over the next 4:32 to put the game away.
Moss led UMF with 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Jack Kane added 21 points and eight rebounds and Donlin chipped in wiht 17 points. Storey and Poulin also hit double figures wiht 11 points apiece.
Bukle led Lyndon with a career best 34 points. Aiden Trapani (Deltona, FL) pulled down eight rebounds and Tyrese Harris (Fort Benning, GA) dished out six assists.
UMF dominated the backboards with a 39-23 rebounding advantage. The Beavers dominated inside, scoring 50 points in the paint.
Prior to Saturday's game, NVU-Lyndon alumnus Zach Falkenburg '22 (Bridgeport, NY) was presented with the 2021-22 North Atlantic Conference Man of the Year award. Falkenburg, a two-time NAC All-Conference selection in both basketball and tennis and the 2022 NAC Men's Basketball Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, was the third Lyndon Student-Athlete ever to receive the NAC's highest honor, and the first since 2013.
The Hornets are off until next Sunday, December 11th, when they will host Clarkson University in a non-conference matchup. That contet will tip off at 2:00 pm.
