BRUNSWICK – Abby Kelly scored a game-high 27 points, becoming the 15th player in Bowdoin College women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 points, in a 72-59 win on Saturday afternoon at Morrell Gymnasium.

The top-ranked Polar Bears improved to 17-0 (4-0 NESCAC) with their season sweep of Colby. The Mules fell to 6-10 (0-4 NESCAC) with the loss.

Bowdoin never trailed, jumping to an 8-3 lead out of the gate on the strength of early 3-pointers from Taylor Choate and Kelly, who matched Colby as a team in the opening quarter, scoring 13 points as the Polar Bears held a 25-13 edge after 10 minutes of play.

The Polar Bears stretched their lead to as many as 19 points in the second quarter before a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Sarah Hancock trimmed the Bowdoin lead to 40-24 at halftime.

Kelly, who had 18 points at the break, surpassed the 1,000-point plateau early in the third quarter, backing down her defender and hitting a bank shot at 8:57 of the third quarter to give Bowdoin a 44-24 lead.

Colby was able to stay within striking distance thanks to its 3-point shooting as the Mules connected on 11 in the game, but failed to get closer than 10 points in the second half as Bowdoin cruised to the win.

Bowdoin finished at 45-percent shooting for the game while Colby connected on 47-percent from the field, including 11-of-20 from long distance. But the Mules committed 23 turnovers, leading directly to 27 Bowdoin points. The Polar Bears committed just eight turnovers on the day.

Kelly’s 27 points matched her career-high set last season against St. Thomas (Minn.). She finished 11-of-16 from the field in the win. Choate had 14 points for Bowdoin, while Samantha Roy recorded 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Ainsley Burns led Colby with 19 points.

Bowdoin returns to action on Friday when its hosts Hamilton at 7 p.m.

Men’s basketball

Hugh O’Neil hit the go-ahead bucket with 38 seconds remaining to give Bowdoin a big 72-69 road win at Colby on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears avenged an early-season loss to the Mules in the NESCAC contest and improved to 10-5 (2-2 NESCAC). Colby dropped to 12-5 (1-3 NESCAC) with the loss.

Bowdoin led for the entirety of the first half thanks to 12 points from Jack Simonds and 11 from David Reynolds. The Polar Bears led by as many as nine points in the first period before a late Colby surge cut the lead to 38-37. A pair of Simonds free throws gave Bowdoin a 40-37 edge at intermission.

A wild second half ensued, which featured two ties and eight lead changes. Following two Reynolds free throws with 4:25 remaining, Bowdoin owned a 66-62 lead, but Colby used a 5-0 run, capped by a Matt Hanna 3-pointer with 3:14 on the clock to take a 67-66 edge.

Zavier Rucker hit a jumper to regain the lead for the Polar Bears with 1:34 on the clock, but Colby answered with two free throws from Sam Jefferson to secure a 69-68 lead with 54 seconds remaining.

Bowdoin coolly brought the ball downcourt and Reynolds quickly found O’Neil streaking to the basket for an easy lay-in and a 70-69 lead with 38 seconds to go.

Bowdoin got a defensive stop and Reynolds hit two free throws to make it 72-69.

Colby had 13 seconds for a final possession, but threw the ball out of bounds without attempting a shot.

Reynolds scored 24 points to lead all scorers, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range to go with eight rebounds. Simonds had 18 points, while O’Neil had a team-high 11 rebounds.

Jefferson led Colby with 17 points.

Bowdoin will travel to play at Maine-Farmington in a rescheduled game from Nov. 27 tonight at 7 p.m.

Men’s hockey

Middlebury scored in all three periods to skate to a 6-3 victory over Bowdoin on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears are 5-9-2 (3-7-1 NESCAC), while the Panthers improved 7-7-1 (4-5-1 NESCAC).

Bowdoin scored the game’s first goal in the opening period. Michael Brown circled the Middlebury net and centered a pass to the top of the crease for Christian Capello to redirect at 2:32.

Middlebury pulled even with 11:03 on the clock as Tyler Capello put a rebound away in the slot. Three minutes later the Panthers added a tally off a wrister from Zach Shapiro.

In the second period, Middlebury extended its lead on a power-play wrister by Jimmy McKee in the high slot.

Cam Berube answered for the Polar Bears, pulling the visitors within one with five minutes to play in the second.

The Panthers went up 4-2, 5:36 into the final frame.

Bowdoin pulled within one off a successful penalty shot from Thomas Dunleavy.

Midway through the period Mitchell Allen pushed Middlebury’s lead back to two after putting away a rebound. Allen added an empty-netter in the final seconds.

Alex Zafonte ended the day with 21 saves. Adam Wisco matched Zafonte with 21 stops.

On Friday, Bowdoin and Williams played over 54 minutes of scoreless hockey before the host Ephs broke through, winning 2-0 in NESCAC action at Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Zafonte had 31 saves, while Williams goaltender Michael Pinios turned aside 15 shots.

Mike Armstrong and Nick Altmann (empty net) scored for the Ephs.

Bowdoin hosts Saint Anslem on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Women’s hockey

Miranda Bell scored in regulation and overtime to lift Bowdoin to a 2-1 overtime victory over nationally-ranked Middlebury on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears (2-13-1, 1-7-0 NESCAC) picked up their first conference win in dramatic fashion. The seventh-ranked Panthers 9-1-3 (5-1-2 NESCAC) entered the game without a blemish in NESCAC play.

The Panthers held a 13-3 shot advantage in the opening period, but neither team was able to convert. Madie Leidt broke out down the left boards with Jenna Letterie skating down center. Leidt wristed a shot into the chest of Kerri St. Denis.

Meghan Keating put a diving shot on net after a feed from the right corner, but St. Denis made a kick save to preserve the clean slate. Leidt forced St. Denis to make another quick blocker save minutes later.

The Polar Bears took their first lead of the series on a power play 3:27 into the second. Katie Leininger pulled the puck from behind the net and fed Bell at the left point. Bell traded the puck with Brooke Solomon inside the blue line before finally wristing a shot inside the far post.

The Panthers tied the game with 2:48 remaining in the period. Leidt flipped the puck from the Panthers own blue line up to Letterie waiting outside Bowdoin’s zone. Letterie skated uncontested towards net and wristed a shot top shelf.

With 3:46 remaining in regulation, Leidt controlled the puck behind St. Denis and fed Katherine Jackson in front for a quick one-timer. St. Denis made the point-blank save.

Bell scored the game-winning overtime goal with 32 seconds remaining. The senior skated center from the left boards and put a shot towards net. The puck kicked up and over Anna Goldstein to end the game.

St. Denis kept the Polar Bears in the game with 37 saves. The senior made 13 saves in both the first and third periods. Goldstein made 12 stops.

Middlebury captured a 3-1 win on Friday at Watson Arena.

After a scoreless first period, the Panthers struck first as Ellie Barney deflected an Anna Zumwinkle shot past St. Denis (26 saves).

The Polar Bears tied the game at 12:21 of the middle frame on a solo effort from Angelina Joyce.

Middlebury regained the lead 1:58 into the third period on a Morgan Griffin goal, and Jenna Letterie put home a rebound to finish the scoring.

Lin Han had 26 saves for the Panthers.

The Polar Bears hit the road for a series at Wesleyan beginning this upcoming Friday at 7 p.m.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.