The Bowdoin College men’s basketball team closed the game on an 8-0 run to pull away from the University of New England in a 60-52 win on Tuesday evening.
The Polar Bears improved to 2-1, while the Nor’easters dropped to 1-3.
After the teams traded baskets in the early going, Bowdoin rode a 13-1 run, sparked by a pair of 3-pointers from Liam Farley to take a 21-10 lead midway through the opening period.
Bowdoin extended its lead to as many as 16 points in the first half before a late push by UNE closed the halftime gap to 34-26.
A 16-3 run early in the second half saw UNE regain the lead for the first time since early in the game as a Jean-Luc Parker jumper gave the hosts a 42-40 edge with under 10 minutes to go.
Bowdoin regained the lead and the teams traded buckets until, with 1:05 to play, a trey by UNE’s Daron Hoges tied the game at 52 apiece.
David Reynolds answered for Bowdoin on the next possession, burying a jumper to give the Polar Bears a 54-52 edge with 39 seconds left. Reynolds then grabbed the rebound after a defensive stop by Bowdoin with under 30 seconds remaining. Bowdoin went 6-for-6 in the final 22 seconds from the freethrow line to clinch the win.
Jack Simonds finished with a game-high 19 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while Farley added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Bowdoin. Hugh O’Neil grabbed 16 rebounds for Bowdoin, which held a 52-32 edge in rebounding. Reynolds scored 11 points off the bench for the Polar Bears and also collected six caroms.
UNE was led by 17 points from Parker.
Bowdoin will return to action at Babson on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Women’s basketball
Bowdoin cruised to its second win of the 2016-17 season on Tuesday night, posting a dominant 87-63 victory over the University of New England in a battle of nationally-ranked teams.
The Polar Bears (2-0) are ranked 15th in the latest WBCA Division III poll, while UNE (3-1) is ranked 18th. The loss was the first regular season home setback for the Nor’easters since November 2014.
Bowdoin’s defense dominated in the early going as the Polar Bears held UNE to just one field goal in the first 8:59 of the game, building a 13-3 lead advantage thanks to four early points from Kate Kerrigan.
The Polar Bears took a 16- 9 lead into the second quarter and grabbed complete command, sprinting out on a 16-2 run to push the lead to a 32-11 lead just four minutes into the quarter. Lydia Caputi of Brunswick sparked the effort with five points in the quarter as Bowdoin took a 42-22 lead into the break.
UNE tried to claw back into the contest in the third quarter, outscoring Bowdoin 22-16 but failed to get closer than nine points. Bowdoin stymied all thoughts of a comeback, responding with an 8-0 run to close the third quarter and start the fourth, sparked by a pair of Rachel Norton 3-pointers. The Polar Bears extended their lead to as many as 26 points in the final quarter before settling for the 24-point victory.
The margin of defeat was the largest for UNE since a 71-34 setback to Amherst in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
For the second-straight game Bowdoin showed its depth, as 13 different Polar Bears got on the scoreboard, including seven with at least seven points. Marle Curle led Bowdoin with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists in the win, while Kerrigan added 10 points, six assists, four steals and four boards. Emily Campbell and Norton sparked a 41-point bench effort for Bowdoin with 11 points each, including a trio of treys for Norton.
Bowdoin owned a 40-30 edge on the glass and scored 24 points off 22 UNE turnovers while hitting 20- of-24 from the free-throw stripe.
UNE was led by 18 points off the bench by Sadie Nelson.
Bowdoin will be back in action on Sunday at home against MIT at 2 p.m.
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