Bowdoin’s Sydney Jones (15) goes up for a layup during the NESCAC women’s basketball title game against Colby on March 2. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Bowdoin senior guard Sydney Jones made history on Thursday by becoming the first back-to-back women’s basketball player of the year in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Jones helped the undefeated Polar Bears repeat as NESCAC champions, and led the team in scoring (16.4 ppg) for a third straight season. She also led the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg) for a second straight season. Jones led the conference in steals (2.6) and had top-three marks in assists (3.6) and field goal percentage (48.5%).

Head coach Megan Phelps and assistant coaches Abby Kelly and Taylor Choate were named the NESCAC coaching staff of the year, also for a second year in a row. Sophomore forward Abbie Quinn (11.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg) was named to the all-NESCAC second-team.

Quinn, a Bangor native, led the conference in field goal percentage (52.7%).

Jones is the third two-time NESCAC player of the year and second from Bowdoin (Lora Trenkle, 2002, 2004). Jones is the only player in program history to accumulate 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 steals in a career.

Bates junior center Elsa Daulerio, former Mt. Ararat standout, joins Jones, Arianna Gerig of Williams and Alexa Mustafaj of Middlebury as repeat first-team all-conference selections.

After claiming its 11th conference title on Sunday, Bowdoin earned the right to host the opening NCAA tournament rounds.

On Friday at 7:30 p.m., Bowdoin (27-0) will take on Brooklyn (17-11) in the Round of 64. The winner will advance to Saturday’s Round of 32 and play the winner of Friday’s early game between Cortland (24-3) and Endicott (22-5).

The Polar Bears and the Bulldogs, winners of five straight City University of New York Athletic Conference titles, have met just once, when Bowdoin beat Brooklyn 90-51 in the first round of the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

While Jones can make an impact anywhere on the court, Quinn and senior Callie Godfrey (6.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg), both 6-foot forwards, provide post presence at both ends. Junior guard Carly Davey (8.5 ppg, 2.4 apg) and freshman guard Grace Kinum (7.9 ppg, 1.3 spg) are both shooting 40% from 3-point range and are gritty defenders.

Brooklyn is led by junior Anna Kitch, a CUNYAC first-teamer, who averages 11.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The 5-foot-9 guard also contributes 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Graduate guard Aline Estrella is second in scoring (11.3) and leads the team in assists (3.7).

Women’s hockey

After leading the Bowdoin women’s ice hockey team to its best record in more than a decade, Marissa O’Neil was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year on Wednesday.

Bowdoin finished 16-8, reaching as high as No. 9 in the weekly USCHO.com polls, and was the fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament, a 16.5-point turnaround from last season’s eighth-place finish. O’Neil was also named coach of the year during the 2012-13 season, the last time Bowdoin won the NESCAC.

Senior forward Gia Massari and junior Emma Merrill also earned all-conference distinctions.

Massari was named a first-team selection after leading the NESCAC in points (21) and the Polar Bears in assists (12). Her nine goals tied for the team-high. Massari is the first Bowdoin player to earn first-team honors since 2018.

Merrill was named a second-team selection after recording four goals, eight assists and 18 blocked shots. Two of Merrill’s goals were game-winners.

The Polar Bears were bounced from the NESCAC tournament in a 2-1 loss to Hamilton last Saturday.

Men’s ice hockey

Two sophomores were named to the all-NESCAC second team on Wednesday.

Isaac Abbott earned his second straight all-conference distinction with a three-goal, eight-assist (tied for second on team) season as a defender. Abbott also blocked 15 shots, third-most on the team.

Jack Barbro, also a defender, earned his first all-conference distinction with six goals (tied for second on team) and six assists as a defender. Barbro blocked 11 shots and scored the overtime game-winning goal against Endicott on Nov. 26.

Men’s basketball

Freshman guard Ray Cuevas was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year on Thursday after averaging 15.5 points (team-high, seventh in conference) and 3.7 rebounds. Cuevas shot 38.3% from behind the arc for a team-high 51 3-pointers.

Cuevas is the second Polar Bear to earn this honor, along with Jack Simonds in 2016.