Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington men’s basketball team rolled past Lyndon State 86-65 on Saturday afternoon for its sixth consecutive North Atlantic Conference victory.
Here’s a few notes and observations from the game ...

• A pair of former Maranacook players — Kevin Leary and Ben Johnson — made significant contributions for the Beavers (6-4 overall, 6-0 in NAC).
Johnson scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Leary scored 10 points and had five rebounds.
Both players started, with Leary playing 21 minutes and Johnson 26.
Johnson was a force at both ends of the court. The 6-foot-8 center moved well and, as UMF coach Dick Meader said after the game, really forced the defense to get back.
Johnson shot 71 percent from the floor (10 of 14) and four of his rebounds were on the offensive glass.
“He’s really starting to put it together,” Meader said.

• The Beavers shot an even 50 percent from the floor (33 for 66). The Hornets, meanwhile, shot 31.9 percent (22 for 69).

• Lyndon State coach Joe Krupinski said the matchup didn’t favor his Hornets, who feature just one senior on their roster.
“We are a small and quick team,” he said, “and they are big and physical. They really hurt us inside.”
Indeed, the Beavers held a 53-27 advantage on the boards.

• UMF had the advantage in just about every statistical category Saturday. The one it didn’t? Turnovers.
The Beavers turned the ball over 20 times while the Hornets had just eight.
“Sometimes we try to do too much,” Meader said. “We had 11 turnovers in the first half, and that wasn’t good.”

• Meader added he was pleased with how his team defended Hornets guard Ben Sackett, who was held to just six points on 2 of 9 shooting.
“He can go off on you,” Meader said. “We did a good job on him.”

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