BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College men’s basketball team rode hot shooting to a key NESCAC win over Connecticut College on Saturday afternoon, 87-70, at Morrell Gymnasium.
The Polar Bears improved to 5-7 (1-1 NESCAC) while the Camels fell to 3-10 (0-2 NESCAC).
A back-and-forth first half saw four lead changes and the visitors take a brief 27-26 lead on a Bailey Whitman lay-in with 4:30 remaining in the opening period.
Zavier Rucker answered with a three-pointer for Bowdoin, keying an 11-3 surge for the home team that would give them the lead for good.
The Polar Bears carried a 39-34 lead into intermission and kept the Camels at bay thanks to scalding 72% shooting in the second half, including 7-11 from long range.
Conn. College was still within seven points with 14 minutes remaining, but Bowdoin put the game out of reach with a 10-2 run, capped by a Manav Randhawa three-pointer that made it 59-44 with 11 minutes to go.
The Camels got no closer than ten points for the remainder of the contest as the Polar Bears pushed the lead to as many as 19 points on their way to the win.
Bowdoin finished at 58% shooting for the game and nailed 15 three-pointers, four shy of the school record in a single game, en route to the victory.
David Reynolds hit seven trifectas, two shy of the school mark, and ended with a game-high 29 points and five boards.
Sam Grad was a perfect 7-7 from the field and finished with 14 points while Randhawa pitched in 14 points off the bench for the Polar Bears.
Conn. College was paced by 21 points from Jack Zimmerman in defeat.
On Friday, in a game that featured 48 personal fouls and 66 free throw attempts, the Trinity College men’s basketball team pulled away from Bowdoin late in an 84-70 victory at Morrell Gym.
The Bantams improved to 10-4 (1-0 NESCAC) while the Polar Bears fell to 4-7 (0-1 NESCAC).
A physical first half saw the teams trade the lead seven times throughout the opening twenty minutes.
Charles Redd’s three-pointer with 2:41 remaining gave the visitors a 32-27 lead, but Bowdoin scored the final four points of the frame to close the gap to 32-31 at the break on a trifecta from Randhawa
That trend continued into the second half, as Bowdoin reclaimed the lead and owned a 44-43 lead following a Grad layup with 14:43 to go.
Colin Donovan answered immediately with a layup of his own for Trinity, sparking a key 9-0 run that would give the Bantams the lead for good.
Bowdoin would close the gap to two points, 58-56, courtesy of a pair of Reynolds free throws with 8:36 to go, but Trinity refused to relinquish the lead, and rolled off a decisive 10-2 surge that pushed the lead into double figures with under six minutes to go.
Trinity went 20-24 from the free throw line in the second half to clinch the victory.
Stephen Ferraro and Reynolds had 14 points apiece to lead Bowdoin while Rucker added 12.
Taiga Kagitomi had ten points off the bench while Sam Grad led the team with nine rebounds.
Trinity’s Nick Seretta led all players with 25 points.
Trinity finished at 51% shooting for the game and ended 28-33 (84%) from the free throw line.
Bowdoin connected on just 32% from the field, including 3-16 from three-point range.
Bowdoin will return to action tonight with a home game against in-state foe, Saint Joseph’s at 7 p.m.
Bowdoin’s Angelina Joyce skates down the ice during Saturday’s 4-3 win against Hamilton College. (Brian Beard /CIPhotography)
Women’s hockey
CLINTON, N.Y. — The Bowdoin women’s hockey team surrendered a pair of first period goals and could not find an equalizer on Friday night, falling 2-1 at Hamilton.
The Polar Bears dropped to 4-5-2 (2-3-0 NESCAC). The Continentals climbed to 6-5-0 (2-3-0 NESCAC).
Hamilton took the lead midway through the first period on a power play goal from Hyla Mosher.
The Polar Bears responded five minutes later, also on the power play. Nell Fusco fired a shot from above the right faceoff circle towards net. Brett Stoddard tipped the puck as it flew pass, deflected into the net for an equalizer.
The Continentals regained the lead permanently with 2:01 left in the first. Maura Holden scored the game-winner off assists from Maddie Beitler and Emily Walther.
Dani Marquez kept the Polar Bears within striking distance throughout the game as the sophomore made 34 saves, including 14 in the first period.
Gab Venne made 17 stops for Hamilton.
Women’s basketball
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team used an outstanding defensive effort to complete a weekend NESCAC sweep with a 65-34 win at Conn. College Saturday.
The second-ranked Polar Bears move to 14-0 (2-0 NESCAC) while the Camels fall to 5-7 (1-2 NESCAC) this winter.
The Polar Bears never trailed, scoring the first six points of the game and pushing the lead to 18-4 just seven minutes into the contest.
Bowdoin led 21-10 after one quarter and extended their edge to 42-20 at the break.
The Polar Bears put the game out of reach in the third quarter, holding the Camels to just five points and 2-18 shooting, extending the lead to as many as 37 points in the second half.
Sela Kay led a balanced Bowdoin attack with 14 points, including four three-pointers, as well as nine rebounds.
Maddie Hasson and Samantha Roy had ten points each for Bowdoin as 11 different players scored for the Polar Bears.
Bowdoin shot 37% for the game but held Conn. College to just 25% while owning a 54-35 edge in rebounding.
The Polar Bears cashed in 20 second-chance points in the victory.
In Friday’s contest, the team cruised to a 77-54 win at Trinity in its NESCAC opener.
Bowdoin never trailed, scoring the first six points of the game to take an early advantage. The Bantams were able to hang around in the first half, trailing just 19-14 after one quarter and 37-28 at halftime.
The Polar Bears delivered the knockout blow early in the second half, however, as Kay nailed a trio of three-pointers in the opening 1:45 of the third quarter to spark a 14-3 run that pushed the lead to twenty points.
Bowdoin led by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter en route to the win.
Bowdoin connected on 49% from the field, including 8-20 (40%) from three-point range to seal the win.
The Polar Bear defense also held the Bantams to 39% from the field and owned a 35-29 edge in rebounds.
Hasson led four Polar Bears in double figures with 20 points and six boards while Megan Tan netted a career-high 16 points and has now reached double-digits in three of the last four games.
Roy had ten points and seven assists while Kay finished with 13 points in the victory.
Bowdoin will return to Morrell Gymnasium on Tuesday evening when they play Maine-Presque Isle at 5:00 p.m.
Men’s hockey
BRUNSWICK — Alex Zafonte posted a 36 save shutout and the Bowdoin offense exploded for four goals in the first period to cruise to a 5-0 win over Amherst on Saturday evening.
The Polar Bears pick up a pair of NESCAC wins on the weekend to climb to 7-5-0 (4-3-0 NESCAC). The Mammoths leave Maine with a 2-9-1 (1-6-0 NESCAC).
Bowdoin exploded for four goals in the first eight minutes of the opening period, beginning with a Thomas Dunleavy goal 1:07 into action. Patrick Ault fed the puck to Bradley Ingersoll along the right boards and Ingersoll set up Dunleavy for a quick snap shot from the right circle.
Albert Washco scored two minutes later. The sophomore carried the puck from the outside edge of the left faceoff circle, around the perimeter, and skated center for a wrister that ricocheted off the left post.
Just before the six minute mark, Bobby Pearl fired a shot from high slot. Chris Brown deflected the shot as it came towards net, besting Dan Dachille for Bowdoin’s third.
Jimmy Duffy wrapped the first period scoring at 8:38. Michael Brown set up the play with a wraparound and pass to Duffy. Duffy lined up a one-timer from close range.
Andy Stoneman had the lone goal of the second frame. Stoneman carried down the right side and looked to make a centering pass to Pat Geary. The pass deflected off an Amherst defender before reaching Geary and found the back of the net at 12:09.
Zafonte’s shutout was his second the season, stopping all 36 shots he faced. Dachille made 18 saves for Amherst.
Bowdoin went 0-for-2 on the power play.
Amherst was 0-for-3 on the power play.
Cam Berube had a pair of assists, while 13 different players recorded a point in the game.
In Friday’s contest, Bowdoin scored two first period goals and held off Hamilton through regulation to earn a 2-1 NESCAC victory.
The Polar Bears (6-5-0, 3-3-0 NESCAC) survived over two minutes of six-on-five hockey to secure the win over the surging Continentals (3-6-2, 2-4-0 NESCAC).
Bowdoin jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 2:01 into the first period. Stoneman was deep in the Polar Bear zone and fed Bobby Murray with a long breakout pass beyond center ice. Murray skated right and rifled a shot from the faceoff circle past Anthony Tirabassi.
Three minutes later the Polar Bears doubled their lead. Duffy wrapped around the back of the Hamilton net and tucked the puck inside the left post, making a second effort to push it beyond the goal line.
Hamilton chipped away at the deficit with a power play goal just under the halfway point in the frame. Sean Allen fed Sean Thomson in the Continental zone, with Thomson carrying along the right boards into Bowdoin territory. Thomason centered a pass to Jordi Jefferson who put the puck far post.
Zafonte denied an equalizer opportunity for Hamilton with five seconds left in the period, laying out backwards to deny an open backdoor pass to Justin Felhaber.
Zafonte made another key save to preserve the lead in the second, stopping a shorthanded breakaway attempt from Fred Allaire.
Hamilton pulled the goalie for an extra skater for the final two minutes of the third. While the Continentals maintained pressure in the Bowdoin zone, they were unable to convert. The best look came for Tommy Tanner with under a minute remaining an open far post bid that went wide.
Zafonte made 36 saves to earn the win in net for Bowdoin, including 17 in the first period. Tirabassi made 18 stops for Hamilton.
Women’s squash
BRUNSWICK — The women’s squash team won an early match against Conn. College 6-3 before falling to Williams 9-0 in the afternoon on Saturday at the Lubin Center.
The 27th-ranked Polar Bears move to 5-4 this season with the split.
The top of Bowdoin’s ladder was too much for the 23rd-ranked Camels in Saturday’s opener as the Polar Bears won the top five spots in the match.
Caroline Glaser, Clio Bersani and Sophie Barber each secured 3-0 wins for Bowdoin.
Ursula Sze (3-1), Melissa Horan (3-1) and Callie Burkhart (3-2) helped clinch it for the Polar Bears with hard-fought victories that pushed Bowdoin over the top.
The 13th-ranked Ephs came away with the win despite a number of hard battles by Bowdoin.
First-years Glaser and Sze came close to winning games for the Polar Bears, who eventually fell by a 9-0 decision.
On Friday, the team opened the 2020 calendar with a convincing 7-2 win over Mount Holyoke College on Friday afternoon.
The 27th-ranked Polar Bears improved to 4-3 this season with the victory.
Tessa Frank led the way for Bowdoin with her first collegiate victory at the number nine position, rallying from an 0-2 deficit to win 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6.
The Polar Bears swept positions 2-7 in the win, featuring six 3-0 wins to seal the overall victory.
Bersani, Horan, Barbie, Lucy Noel and Burkhart accounted for the other Bowdoin victories.
Up Next — Bowdoin will host Dickinson on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Men’s squash
BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin men’s squash team split a pair of Saturday matches, defeating Conn. College 8-1 before falling to Williams 6-3.
The 24th-ranked Polar Bears stand at 6-3 this season after the results.
The Polar Bears easily handled 27th-ranked Conn. College in an 8-1 victory.
Bowdoin got 3-0 sweeps from Deven Kanwal, Carson Claar, Henry Somerby and Drew Clark to spearhead the win.
A number of hard-fought results went Bowdoin’s way as well, as John Milligan (3-1), Tyler Shonrock (3-2), Adham Sobhy (3-1) and Edwardo Perez (3-1) also came away with victories.
The Polar Bears hung with the 20th-ranked Ephs until he final wave, but couldn’t secure the win.
Kanwal earned a win at the top spot, 3-1, while Shonrock (3-0) and Somerby (3-2) also secured wins for the Polar Bears.
Bowdoin will close out its homestand with a Wednesday morning match against Dickinson at 10 a.m.
Track & Field
BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College indoor track teams celebrated their season-opening Bowdoin Invitational with first-place showings Saturday at Farley Field House.
On the women’s side, Bowdoin finished first with 232 points, followed by Conn College (84), RIC (69.5), Wheaton (65), Emmanuel (57), Colby-Sawyer (17.50), Thomas (16).
For the men, Bowdoin was tops with 207 points. The rest of the field finished as followed — Wheaton (72), Conn College (68), Thomas (65), RIC (63), Emmanuel (23), Colby-Sawyer (19).
Women’s highlights — Sophomore Lydia Pitts led the way for Bowdoin with a trio of first-place showings, in the 60M hurdles (9.27), the triple jump (11.2m) and the long jump (5.16m).
Other Polar Bear winners included Morgen Gallagher (60M dash), Brittney McKinley (200M), Emma Beane (600M), Emma Noel (800M), Cameron MacKenzie (1000M), Claire Traum (3000M) and Sadie Saxton (5000M).
The meet win was the first in the head coaching career of new women’s track & field head coach L.J. Que.
The Bowdoin men’s track team was victorious on Saturday. (Brian Beard /CIPhotography)
Men’s Meet Highlights — Sophomore Troy Green and first-year John Auer were both double-winners for the Polar Bear men in the meet. Green claimed the 60M dash (7.12) and the 200M (23.48) races while Auer took the mile (4:26.87) and 800M (2:04.45) events.
Other victors on the track included Ajay Olson (400M), Mateo Rivera (600M) and Luca Ostertag-Hill (3000M) while the 4×400 team of Olson, Stevie Upton, Reid Brawer and Rivera took first place as well.
Bowdoin was outstanding the field events, getting first-place showings from Ryan Durkin (pole vault), Cheng Xing (long jump), Michael Donovan (shot put) and Ronmel Rugama-Montenegro (weight throw).
The Polar Bears will do it again this upcoming weekend as they host the Bowdoin Invitational II in a field that includes Merrimack, Southern Maine and Brandeis. Start time is 1 p.m. and the meet will be carried live on the Northeast Sports Network.
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