BRUNSWICK — Bowdoin College women’s basketball coach Adrienne Shibles began Friday night’s game crouching calmly in front of the Polar Bears bench.

Soon, Shibles was upright and calling timeout.

Then she called another in the first quarter.

The second quarter was only two minutes old when Shibles called her third timeout.

None of them helped. National power Amherst bounced Bowdoin 66-45 in a NESCAC game at Morrell Gymnasium. Amherst took a 42-18 halftime lead, and Bowdoin never got closer than 20 after that.

“They’re a great team, obviously,” Shibles said.

Amherst, ranked No. 2 in the national polls, improved to 16-0, 4-0 in the conference.

No. 16 Bowdoin dropped to 12-3, 2-2. The Polar Bears’ other NESCAC loss came at top-ranked Tufts two weeks ago, 46-43.

It was that close game against the Jumbos that ramped up the anticipation for Friday’s game. Maybe the Polar Bears could pull the upset in their own gym.

But Amherst scored on its first five possessions, with Ali Doswell’s 3-pointer making it 11-0.

“They put us back on our heels,” Shibles said. “We sort of lost our focus and our poise.”

Bowdoin missed its first five shots and made a turnover. Amherst shot 49 percent for the game, while Bowdoin shot 32 percent.

“They couldn’t really miss. It kind of got to us,” said Lydia Caputi, a 5-foot-10 junior forward from Brunswick. She and 6-foot senior Emily Campbell of York both scored 11 points for the Polar Bears.

Amherst’s offense was relentless, led by Doswell, a 5-foot-10 senior guard who led all scorers with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.

Amherst continually worked for open shots against Bowdoin’s zone defense, driving in for layups, or kicking out for jumpers, or 3s.

Four of Amherst’s five starters were between 5-10 and 6-1. All could handle the ball, as well as shoot outside.

“They essentially play five guards,” Shibles said. “They spread you out and they really do a great job of getting in the paint and making excellent reads.”

Bowdoin could not counter. The Polar Bears drove in for shots, but Amherst contested nearly every one, and Bowdoin had trouble finishing.

“We really focused on our defense,” said 6-foot Emma McCarthy, who had 10 points and eight rebounds for Amherst. “We carried that momentum to our offense. We took our time and found the good, open shot.”

Bowdoin began the second half with a spurt – Caputi scored on a fast break, and then Campbell hit a jumper. That only closed the score to 42-22, and Amherst easily held on.

“We’ll learn from our mistakes,” Caputi said. “This game is in the past.”

NOTES: Amherst currently does not have a mascot or nickname. The school dropped the unofficial “Lord Jeffs,” after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, because of the colonial-era British commander’s oppression of Native Americans.

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: @KevinThomasPPH

Copy the Story Link