BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team completed the second unbeaten regular season in school history, defeating Wesleyan, 92-75, on Saturday afternoon at Morrell Gymnasium.

The top-ranked Polar Bears (24-0, 10-0 NESCAC) matched the perfect regular season mark set by the 2004 squad and will host Connecticut College in the NESCAC quarterfinals this upcoming Saturday at 2 p.m.

Wesleyan will be the seventh seed and will head to second-seeded Amherst in the quarterfinals.

The Cardinals came out firing as 10 early points from Caleigh Ryan gave the visitors a 17-9 lead late in the period.

Sparked by five straight points from Taylor Choate, Bowdoin closed the period on a 10-2 surge, tying the game on a Samantha Roy 3-pointer in the final minute of the frame.

Bowdoin took control in the second quarter, connecting on 5-of-7 from long distance, including a pair from Hannah Graham, to take a 43-34 lead at halftime.

The teams combined for 20 free-throw attempts in the third quarter as Bowdoin maintained a double-digit lead heading in the final quarter. The Polar Bears extended their lead to as many as 22 points in the final quarter on their way to the win.

Choate celebrated Senior Day with a career-high 27 points with three steals. She was joined in double figures by four other Polar Bears, including 19 points and eight rebounds from Maddie Hasson and 17 points with nine boards with Abby Kelly. Graham (11) and Roy (10) also saw double figures for Bowdoin.

Olivia Gorman (23) and Caleigh Ryan (22) led the way for the Cardinals.

On Friday, Bowdoin pulled away for a 69-58 over Connecticut College.

Kelly had 18 points and five rebounds, while Roy posted 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Hasson scored 17 points with five caroms, while Cordelia Stewart racked up seven points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

Caroline Pangallo led all scorers with 20 points for the Camels.

Men’s basketball

Bowdoin picked up a big conference road win on Friday night, 76-68, at Connecticut College.

The Polar Bears never trailed against the Camels, jumping to an 8-0 lead out of the gate thanks to six early points from Jack Simonds. Bowdoin shot 50-percent from the field in the first half and connected on five 3-pointers, getting two each from Simonds and Jack Bors, to take a 39-30 edge at the break.

The Camels made a surge out of halftime, cutting the lead to five points on two occasions early in the second half, including 48-43, with 15:18 to go.

Bowdoin answered with a game-deciding 11-0 run, capped by an old fashioned three-point play from Sam Grad that made it a 16-point game, 59-43, with 13:16 remaining.

That proved too big of a hole for the Camels, who crept no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

A balanced Bowdoin attack saw four players in double digits, led by 17 apiece from Simonds and Zavier Rucker. David Reynolds had 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Hugh O’Neil carded 10 points.

David Labossiere had a game-high 24 points for the Camels.

On Saturday at Middletown, Connecticut, the Polar Bears fell to Wesleyan, 91-45.

Bowdoin (15-9) ended its NESCAC season at 4-6 and at best will finish in a tie with Tufts for the eighth and final postseason spot, with the Jumbos holding the tiebreaker.

Women’s squash

Bowdoin finished in 11th place at the New England Small College Championship at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Polar Bears lost a trio of matches — 9-0 to Bates, 8-1 to Connecticut College and 8-1 to Colby.

Clio Bersani earned the point for Bowdoin against the Camels, capturing a 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-6) win.

Bersani also earned a victory against Colby, taking a 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6) victory.

The Polar Bears will return to action Feb. 22-24 at the CSA Championships.

Men’s hockey

The Polar Bears dropped a pair of weekend games to fall to 3-12-1 in NESCAC play with two games remaining in the regular season.

Against top-ranked Wesleyan (15-4-2, 13-0-2 NESCAC) on Friday, Bowdoin dropped a 3-1 decision.

Tyler Levine scored back-to-back goals in the second period for Cardinals after a scoreless first frame.

Bowdoin’s goal was scored by Pat Geary off an assist from Chris Wallace.

Alex Zafonte turned away 25 shots in the loss, while Wesleyan keeper Tim Sestak had 24 saves.

Trinity (14-3-5, 10-2-4 NESCAC) hung a 3-0 setback on the Polar Bears on Saturday.

Ryan Pfeffer, Adam Anderson and Taggart Corriveau scored for the Bantams.

Zafonte had 40 saves, with Trinity’s Tedy Loughborough earning the shutout with 28 stops.

Bowdoin hosts Tufts on Friday at 7 p.m.

Women’s hockey

Bowdoin closed out its home schedule with a scoreless overtime NESCAC tie against Connecticut College on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears are 3-17-2 (2-11-1 NESCAC) entering this upcoming weekend’s finales at Trinity (Friday and Saturday). The Camels are 10-8-3 (6-5-3 NESCAC).

The most promising look for either team came in the final minute of the first period with Bowdoin on the power play. Nell Fusco fired a slapshot from center that rang off the left post.

In overtime, both teams earned promising looks. Katie Leininger put a shot on net which Bailey Mertz turned away with a stick save. Erin Dillon sent a shot through traffic from the left point that was turned aside by Bowdoin goaltender Kerri St. Denis (25 saves).

On Friday, the Camels skated to a 1-0 victory at Watson Arena.

Elena Gualtieri scored an early overtime goal.

St. Denis had 30 saves, while Bailey Mertz had 28 stops.

 

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