The Bowdoin College men’s basketball team reacts after its come-from-behind NESCAC win over Hamilton in Brunswick on Saturday. (Brian Beard / CiPhotography.com)
BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College men’s basketball team rallied from a 23-point deficit with 17:50 remaining to stun Hamilton, 81-74, in overtime on Saturday at Morrell Gymnasium.
The Polar Bears picked up a huge NESCAC win and improved to 8-14 (3-6 NESCAC), while the Continentals fell to 14-8 (2-6 NESCAC).
The game was all Hamilton in the opening half as the Polar Bears were ice cold, shooting just 28% from the field and committing 15 turnovers. The Continentals took advantage, led by 10 early points from Eric Anderson, and carried a 37-22 advantage into the break.
Hamilton came out firing in the second half, as a 10-2 run, sparked by a 3-pointer from Sayo Denloye, gave the visitors a commanding 47-24 lead with 17:50 remaining in the contest.
Still down 20 with 15 minutes on the clock, Bowdoin began chipping away, rolling off a 13-2 run to cut the lead to nine points, 53-44, following a Jack Shea layup with 9:30 to go.
Hamilton momentarily stemmed the tide, pushing the lead back to double-digits on a Vince Conn trifecta with 9:23 on the clock and still holding a 10-point lead, 56-46, with 8:12 remaining.
Four straight points from David Reynolds and a pair of buckets from Sam Grad sparked a 12-2 Polar Bear run, and a running lay-in by Taiga Kagitomi tied the game at 58 with 2:25 left in regulation.
Hamilton replied with a three-point play from Kena Gilmour, but Bowdoin rolled off six straight points,
Bowdoin College’s Mason Freeman clears the bar in the high jump during the Maine Intercollegiate Indoor Track and Field Championship Saturday night at Farley Field House on Saturday. (Brian Beard / CiPhotography.com)
including an hoop-and-harm by Reynolds to hold a 64-61 edge with 25 ticks remaining. Hamilton’s Eric Anderson coolly nailed a 3-pointer from the wing with 20 seconds left, and Bowdoin failed to find the game-winner as the contest headed to overtime.
It was all Bowdoin in overtime as the hosts scored the first five points of the extra session to gain a 69-64 lead. Hamilton closed the gap to 69-66 on a Gilmour basket, but Reynolds replied with a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game, 72-66, with under two to play.
Reynolds scored a career-high 33 points for Bowdoin, including 22 in the second half and overtime, to go with eight rebounds. Grad posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 caroms while Shea pitched in a huge 13-point, eight-rebound effort off the bench for the Polar Bears.
On Friday, Amherst came to Bowdoin and rolled to a 91-80 NESCAC win.
Garrett Day paced the visiting Mammoths with 25 points, while Grad led Bowdoin with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Bowdoin returns to action on Wednesday night at Anna Maria at 7:30 p.m.
Women’s hoops
AMHERST, Mass. – A slow start doomed the Polar Bears in a 59-46 road loss at Amherst on Friday evening.
The first quarter proved to be the difference in the game as Amherst sprinted to a 16-0 lead after one period of play. The Polar Bears outscored the hosts 46-43 for the remainder of the contest, but failed to overcome the early deficit.
Trailing 42-27 entering the fourth quarter, Bowdoin was able to cut the lead to six points on two occasions, including 44-38, with 6:40 remaining. A key 7-1 surge pushed Amherst’s lead back to double figures, 51-39, with under three minutes to go. Bowdoin closed to within seven points with 1:24 remaining on a Maddie Hasson layup, but Hannah Fox hit a lay-in to spark a game-ending 8-2 run that sealed the deal.
Hasson had 13 points to lead the Polar Bears, with Sam Roy adding 10 points. Hannah Fox led all scorers with 20 points for Amherst.
On Saturday, Bowdoin clinched a home quarterfinal with an 89-74 NESCAC win over Hamilton in New York.
The third-ranked Polar Bears improved to 20-2 (7-2 NESCAC).
Bowdoin put up 27 first-quarter points to take control, with Roy scoring 22 points in the win. Hasson had a double-double with 15 points and 12 boards.
Bowdoin will close out its regular season on Sunday at Wesleyan University (2 p.m.).
Track & Field
BRUNSWICK — Bowdoin and Bates finished in a tie, earning co-state champion rights at the Maine Intercollegiate Indoor Track and Field Championship Saturday night at Farley Field House.
In an identical finish to the women’s state meet, the Polar Bears and Bobcats tied with identical 223-point totals, finishing ahead of Southern Maine (69) and Colby (37).
Troy Green got the Bowdoin men started with a win in the 60-meter dash (7.02). Ajay Olson took the 400 (51.08), Mateo Rivera won the 600 (1:22.28) and Luca Ostertag-Hill won the mile (4:29.69) to account for the Polar Bears on the track.
The Polar Bear 4 x 400 meter relay team of Soren Birkeland, Stevie Upton, Olson and Rivera finished in first place in a time of 3:25.42.
In the field events, Ryan Durkin won the pole vault (14-11.25), Cheng Xing took the long jump (22-07) and Huma Dadachanji placed first in the triple jump (45-07.25).
In the women’s meet, Polar Bear Brittney McKinley claimed a pair of first-place finishes for the Polar Bears, winning both the 60 dash (7.86) and 200 (25.86), while Caroline Shipley won both the 1,000 (3:05.76) and mile (5:04.89).
Belinda Saint Louis led the way for the throwers, winning both the shot put (39-05.75) and weight throw (47-00.25) competitions.
Other winners on the track for Bowdoin included Emma Beane in the 400 (59.15) and Claire Traum in the 800 (2:19.72).
Bowdoin will return to action at the Dave Hemery Invitational this weekend at Boston University.
Men’s hockey
HAMILTON, N.Y. — Bowdoin dropped a pair of road NESCAC contests, falling to Hamilton, 4-2, on Friday and Amherst, 5-2, on Saturday.
The Polar Bears are 9-10-1 overall, 5-8-1 in the conference.
Bobby Murray gave Bowdoin a 1-0 lead against Hamilton, but gave up the next three tallies.
The Polar Bears cut the deficit to 3-2 in the third period as Patrick Ault buried a shot.
But the Continentals responded one minute later and rode the goaltending of Sean Storr (20 saves) to the win. Bowdoin keeper Alex Zafonte turned away 27 shots.
At Amherst, Bowdoin again scored first as Bradley Ingersoll one-timed a Joe Alexander pass into the cage.
Tied 1-1, the Polar Bears grabbed a 2-1 lead as Michael Brown set up Ethan Kimball for a goal off a 2-on-1 break.
The Mammoths cruised from there, taking advantage of a 5-on-3 power play and tallying two goals in the first two minutes of the third period to take control.
Zafonte had 23 saves in the loss.
The Polar Bears host Trinity on Friday at 7 p.m.
Women’s hockey
BRUNSWICK — Amherst came to Watson Arena and picked up a pair of NESCAC wins over Bowdoin.
The Mammoths won the opener on Friday, 3-2, then captured a 2-1 victory on Saturday.
The Polar Bears ended the series with a 7-9-3 overall mark, 4-7-1 in the NESCAC.
Katie Leininger and Elly Whitmore scored to give Bowdoin a 2-0 lead on Friday.
But Amherst scored three straight goals in the second period, then held on as Caitlin Walker made 17 stops. Dani Marquez turned away 29 shots in the Bowdoin cage.
In Saturday’s setback, Angelina Joyce scored 23 seconds into the third period to bring the Polar Bears into a 1-1 deadlock.
Four minutes later, Amherst scored the game-winner when Natalie Lima tallied on a breakaway.
Marquez had 19 stops.
The Polar Bears play at the University of New England on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Women’s squash
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Bowdoin finished up its weekend at the NESCAC Championship in eighth place, matching its seeding heading into the tourney.
After defeating Hamilton in the first round, the Polar Bears were bounced in the quarterfinals by top-seeded Trinity, 9-0, before falling in the consolation round to both Bates (9-0) and Wesleyan (7-2).
The men’s squash team will host the NESCAC Championships at the Lubin Center beginning on Friday morning.
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