Bates 81, Maine-Farmington 68
at Lewiston, Maine

BATES DROPS MAINE-FARMINGTON IN HOME OPENER, 81-68

LEWISTON, Maine Ð Four players scored in double figures today as the Bates College men's basketball team (6-3) defeated the University of Maine Farmington Beavers (2-7), 81-68, in the Bobcats' home opener.

After eight straight games on the road this season, Bates raced out to an 11-2 lead over their first three minutes on the Alumni Gym floor as all five starters scored baskets. Maine-Farmington rallied with a 19-7 run over a nine-minute span to take their biggest lead, 21-18, at the 8:56 mark on five straight points by junior Tom Nadeau (Skowhegan, Maine). Bates regained the lead on a 3-pointer by rookie guard Ramon Garcia (Haverhill, Mass.) with 6:31 left in the half and never trailed again, taking a 36-31 lead into halftime.

The Bobcats opened the second stanza by outscoring UMF 17-2 over the first six-and-a-half minutes. The run opened with a thunderous dunk by senior forward Rommel Padonou (Libreville, Gabon) and was capped by consecutive 3 pointers from Garcia and sophomore guard Matt LaPointe (Beverly, Mass.) to put the game away, 53-33, at the 13:32 mark.

Garcia led Bates with 18 points while adding four assists. Junior forward Ed Walker had 14 points and seven boards, while Padonou recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. LaPointe also had 12 points and a game-high six assists.

Maine-Farmington was paced by Nadeau's 20 points on six-of-10 shooting from 3-point range, while rookie guard Nathan Haynie (Athens, Maine) had 12 points off the bench. Senior forward Mike Fullerton led the Beavers with 10 rebounds.

With the win, Bates posts its largest win total at the semester break under fourth-year head coach Joe Reilly. The Bobcats are next in action Jan. 9 against Eastern Nazarene College. UMF hosts the University of New England on Monday.