GENEVA, N.Y.—The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team (#4 in the WBCA poll, #5 in D3hoops.com) put five players in double figures to rebound from its first loss of the season, topping William Smith 74-58 in Bristol Gym. The Polar Bears improved to 11-1, while the Herons fall to 4-7.
Junior guard Katie Bergeron and sophomore guard Ellery Gould netted 13 points apiece to pace the visitors. Senior forwards Caitlyn Hynes and Leah Rubega added 12 points each, while sophomore guard Amy Hackett chipped in 10 points. Rubega also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Colleen Lukas led William Smith with a game-high 14 points, while
Kristen Kush and junior guard
Mollie Danahy chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Ashlinn Barber led the Herons to a 36-35 advantage on the glass with a team-high seven boards.
Six and a half minutes into the game, William Smith led 9-7, but Bowdoin took control of the contest with a 18-4 surge. Rubega fueled the run with six points as the Polar Bears pushed their lead into double digits for good. Hackett hit a jumper at the buzzer to send Bowdoin into the break with a 40-24 lead, matching their largest lead of the first half.
The Polar Bears shot 51.6 percent (16-31) from the floor in the first 20 minutes, while the Herons made 50 percent (11-22). Bowdoin used a relentless, end-to-end defense to force William Smith into 19 turnovers.
In the second half, the Polar Bears were able to extend their lead to as many as 26, but the Herons continued to fight. William Smith used an 8-0 run to get within 14, 66-52, with 4:16 remaining, but Bowdoin countered with seven straight points to squash any thoughts of a comeback. The Herons played the Polar Bears even in the second half (34-34), and cut down on their turnovers (8).
William Smith will be back in action on Jan. 15, when the Herons visit Skidmore. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Bowdoin is at Hamilton tomorrow at 6 p.m.