The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team (1-10, 1-4) could not overcome a late deficit on Friday night as Johnson State (1-10, 1-4) claimed a 69-58 North Atlantic Conference win in Dearborn Gymnasium.

Nick Hilton recorded a double-double for the Beavers with a team-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. The senior shot 9-of-15 from the floor and also dished an assist and swatted a shot. Sean Murphy followed up with 10 points and five rebounds, which was his third straight game of the New Year scoring in double figures. Eric Berry and Ryan Rice scored eight points apiece.

Johnson State had four out of their five starters tally double digits with Rasul Jackson scoring a game-high 22 points. Jackson shot 6-of-10 from the field and knocked down five shots from long range. Askim Khan added 13 points and six rebounds for the Badgers. Rahim Bunch finished the contest only two assists shy of a double-double with 11 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and four steals.

The Badgers held the lead for the majority of the contest, but the Beavers were within striking distance for the first 35 minutes. After Johnson State built a 12-point advantage with four minutes to go, UMF crawled back into the game with pressure defense and scored the next five points, but the Badgers crashed the offensive boards in the final minutes and were able to drain out the clock.

UMaine-Farmington hits the hardwood on Saturday afternoon against Lyndon State while Johnson concludes its weekend road trip with a 3:00pm game against Thomas College.