CASTLETON, Vt. – After being fouled with 1.7 seconds remaining on a game-tying three pointer attempt, University of Maine-Farmington senior guard Ashley Busque (Belgrade, Maine) canned all three free throw shots to force overtime and lead the Beavers in their comeback effort over Castleton, 69-67 (OT), in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action on Friday night at Glenbrook Gymnasium.

Farmington improves to 4-7 overall and 1-1 in the NAC. The Spartans fall to 6-6 and 0-1 in the conference.

Busque led all scorers with 26 points (7-for-16 fg) including five 3-pointers and a perfect night at the line going 7-for-7 while teammate Jillian Ross (Belfast, Maine) notched the only double-double of the contest with 14 points (4-for-18 fg, 4-for-6 ft) and a game-high 16 rebounds (four offensive) to pace the Beavers.

For Castleton, junior guard Christine Jaques (Burlington, Vt.) tallied a team-high 17 points, including four 3-pointers, seven assists, and five rebounds. Junior forward Vanessa Powers (Marshfield, Vt.) poured in 14 points and brought down six boards while freshman guard Alyssa Leonard (Amherst, Mass) scored 14 points, grabbed six caroms and dished out seven assists. Senior forward Kristie Dunchus (W. Rutland, Vt.) chipped in with 11 points off the bench.

Trailing 59-51 after a Jaques jumper at 1:17, Busque nailed two 3-pointers to make the score 59-57 with 12 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Jaques was fouled by sophomore guard Lindsay Gordon (Winslow, Maine) making one-of-two free throw attempts pushing the score to 60-57.

In the extra session, Farmington led by as many as four at 3:13 after a Ross three pointer, but the Spartans reclaimed the lead at 1:08 on a beautiful individual effort from Leonard. Emma Morrison (Saco, Maine) was stripped of the ball on the left wing by Leonard and she took it coast-to-coast to give Castleton a short-lived, 67-66, lead.

On the next play, Leonard was called for a foul sending sophomore forward Kenni Norton (Strong, Maine) to the line for two free throw attempts. Norton made both shots, giving Farmington a 68-67 lead. After a Kelly Conway (Rutland, Vt.) missed three-pointer on the other end of the floor, Norton grabbed the defensive board and was fouled. Norton made one-of-two free throws, giving her 13 total points on the night, and the eventual win for the Beavers.

The Spartans return to action tomorrow, at home, against NAC foe, Thomas, at 2 pm.