The University of Maine at Farmington men’s basketball team is off to a fast start, with a trio of underclassmen leading the way.

Jason Reynolds of Winslow was leading Division III in total rebounds with 184 and is second in rebounds per game (13.1) for the Beavers (12-3) through Thursday games. Zach McLaughlin, meanwhile, was 21st in points per game (22.8) and Gabe Michaud of Winslow is 19th in the nation in assists per game (5.6).

“The guys that are on the bench are busting their butts in practice,” Reynolds said. “They’re giving 100% and making sure that we can play to the best of our ability. So it’s not just the guys that are on the floor, but the guys that are on the bench and busting their butts.”

McLaughlin scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds in UMF’s 70-63 win over Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday. Reynolds grabbed 17 rebounds and scored 15 points, while Michaud had six rebounds and five assists.

Reynolds said there has been an emphasis on rebounding in practice, specifically offensive rebounding.

“People focus on me to try to simulate games and tightly guard me, just like we have multiple people running at Jason to box him out in practice,” McLaughlin said of UMF’s practice mentality. “So it’s a group collective effort. I couldn’t score the ball without my teammates in and around me, and pushing me in practice. Jason couldn’t rebound the ball without people roughing him up in practice and pushing his toughness.”

UMF is one win from matching last season’s win total, when they went 13-13.

“Obviously, we want to win the (North Atlantic Conference) championship, of course, and continue to play in March,” McLaughlin said. “We know that we’re capable of winning the conference. We know that we’re capable even more than that.”

Bowdoin men basketball go on the road to face rivals

Bowdoin has a pair of in-state battles on tap this week. The Polar Bears are at Colby in a non-conference game on Tuesday and Bates in a NESCAC game on Saturday.

The Polar Bears have a high-scoring offense, averaging 77.2 points per game, but will be tested against Colby (79.8) and Bates (87.2, 22nd in Division III). Bowdoin allows 68.3 points per game.

Sophomore guard Ray Cuevas was 23rd in D-III in points per game (22.5), while also averaging 4.8 rebounds per game.

Saint Joseph’s to honor Mike McDevitt

Saint Joseph’s College will host Mike McDevitt Legacy Day on Jan. 31.

After 33 seasons as the Monks’ women’s basketball coach, McDevitt retired from coaching in March with a record of 667-231. In two separate 16-season tenures (1987-2003; 2009-2025), McDevitt led his teams to six Great Northeast Athletic Conference titles and 14 national tournament — seven in the NCAA and seven in the NAIA.

On Jan. 31, there will be a women’s alumnae game at 10:45 a.m., followed by the Monks’ game against Albertus Magnus at 1 p.m.

McDevitt, a 1983 graduate of Saint Joseph’s, was a four-year starter on the men’s team. He scored 1,381 points and recorded 674 rebounds.

The UNE women’s hockey team has a tough test ahead

The University of New England women’s hockey team faces Endicott College, the sixth-ranked team in the USCHO.com Division III poll, in a home-and-home series this weekend. The Nor’easters host the Gulls at 7 p.m. Friday and is on the road at 3 p.m. Saturday.

UNE beat Bowdoin, which had received some votes in the USCHO poll, on Nov. 25. The Nor’easters lost to Colby, then ranked 15th, on Dec. 3.

Endicott has two Mainers on the roster in Cape Elizabeth’s Abbey Agrodnia (two goals, four assists) and Cumberland’s Maggie Holt (two goals, three assists).