FRANKLIN, Mass.- The Dean College Bulldogs staved off a huge comeback and survived with a 81-76 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington on Saturday in non-conference men's basketball action in front of a packed crowd at Pieri Gymnasium. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 5-0, their best start in their nine years in NCAA Division-III. 

Dean took control early in the game, scoring seven of nine points to extend a 13-11 lead to 20-13 on a three pointer from Ja'maine Davenport (Mays Landing, N.J.) Midway through the half, two Christian Yeates (Atlanta, Ga.) layups swelled the Bulldogs' advantage to 29-15. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 24 on a layup from Frankie Idlett (Miami, Fla.) leading 39-15 with four minutes to play in the half. 

The visitors closed the gap late, hitting a late three pointer to close the deficit to 47-28 at the halftime break. Billy Ray Barnes III (Carson, Calif.) led all scorers with 18 first half points. 

Maine-Farmington opened the second half on fire, hitting back to back threes and two jumpers to trim the deficit to 11 at 51-40 with four minutes gone in the period. Maine Farmington kept rolling, rattling off 14-4 run to close the deficit to 55-54 with nine minutes to play. 

The Bulldogs went cold coming out of the halftime break, shooting two for their 12 field goals. A layup from Barnes stopped the bleeding, giving the Bulldogs a 57-54 lead with 8:24 left, but the Beavers scored the next four points, taking their second lead of the game on two free throws (58-57) with just under eight minutes to play.

Down the stretch, the action flipped back and forth, with Dean wrestling back control of the game on an Idlett layup, then extending their lead on another Idlett layup and a jumper from Barnes. Later, another Barnes jumper pushed the Bulldogs lead back to five with under three minutes to go. Senior Greg Farrow (Milwaukee, Wis.) followed up his own shot with a rebound and a made jumper giving Dean a seven point lead with 90 seconds to play and icing the game. 

Barnes led the Bulldogs with a season-high 33 points on 11-12 from the field and 11-12 from the free throw line, while adding 11 rebounds. Idlett recorded 19 points and Farrow had 13. Dean (5-0) is back in action again tomorrow when they host Carlow University (Pa.) at Pieri Gym at noon.