BANGOR – In a game of runs, the team that hits its free throws will win most games.

In Saturday’s North Atlantic Conference championship at Newman Gym, that was exactly the case.

Karen Sirois hit some big foul shots down the stretch, finishing a perfect 10-for-10 from the stripe and helping her UMaine-Farmington Beavers upend top-seeded Husson 61-50.

Despite the loss, Husson earned a first-round at-large berth late Sunday night for the NCAA Division III tourney. The Braves will be at Gorham Wednesday when it will play host University of Southern Maine. The time will be announced Monday.

Husson beat UMF twice during the regular season.

Sirois, a 5-foot-6 freshman guard from Augusta, finished with a game-high 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as well.Wells’ own Kari Simpson, who was named tournament MVP, chipped in with 14 points and eight rebounds for UMF after scoring 21 in a semifinal win over Castleon State.

Sirois knew the Beavers would have to shut down Husson standout Holly Gracie, who was held to just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting.

“They’re [Husson] a very good team inside and out,” Sirois said. “We had to play our best defense.

UMF coach Jamie Beaudoin agreed.

“Holly always plays well against us,” he said. “If she got off to the start she did [Friday] night, it would open up for [Annie] McIntosh, [Carmen] Ballard and [Sarah] Hughes inside.”

Beaudoin also said that the Beavers needed to get off to a good start defensively and not enable the Braves to settle into their 2-2-1 zone press.

“It makes us play at a whole different pace,” he said.

Early on, the Braves got off to yet another slow start, finding themselves down 21-11. Husson then went on a 12-2 spurt to knot the score at 23. Then, a late foul call put Kate LaHaye at the line with no time left on the clock. Her two free throws gave UMF a 25-23 halftime edge.

Husson would get no closer than four after that.

Coach Kissy Walker’s Braves, who will only graduate two seniors (Meghan Hughes and Jen Comeau), had some trouble on the glass. Husson was outrebounded 45-31, including 15-8 on the offensive end.

“We talked about offensive rebounds, and that was the real key,” said Walker.

The Braves made some mini-runs in the second half, but every time they did, the Beavers seemed to have the answer.

“We made some runs, they did, and they made the final run,” Walker said.

The Beavers’ pressing defense also forced Husson to take some hurried shots.

“They forced us to take some shots we didn’t want, and they ran the shot clock down on us,” said Walker.

Davis led Husson with 13 points while Hughes and Crystal Martin each finished with 11.

BEAVERS 61, BRAVES 50

UM-Farmington Husson

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Mayer 2 5 0 1 4 Martin 4 12 11

Cyr 3 7 0 0 7 Comeau 0 0 0 0

Sirois 4 3 10 10 19 Hughes 3 7 11

Simpson 7 14 0 1 14 Davis 5 10 13

LaHaye 1 5 5 6 7 McIntosh 1 2

Boyd 1 1 0 0 3 Mullinex 1 3 2

Haines 1 6 0 0 2 Ballard 0 6 2

Rideout 0 3 0 0 0 Gracie 3 9 9

Stanley 2 3 0 0 5

Totals 21 57 15 18 61 17 54 11 15 50

UM-Farmington 25 61

Husson 23 50

3-pt. goals ? UM-Farmington (4-22): Cyr 1-4, Sirois 1-5, Stanley 1-2, Haines 0-3, Rideout 0-1, Simpson 0-3, LaHaye 0-2, Mayer 0-1; Husson (5-18): Davis 3-8, Gracie 1-3, Martin 1-4, Ballard 0-2, Mullinex 0-1