Bowdoin, the No. 1 team in the nation, advances to the NCAA Division III tournament.
By Amy Webb
Staff Writer

BRUNSWICK – A 40-home-game win streak. An undefeated season. A perfect record in the four-year history of the conference tournament.

Three valuable yet weighty distinctions were riding on the backs of the Bowdoin women’s basketball team heading into Sunday’s game against Bates College in their third meeting of the year – this time for the coveted

NESCAC title.

The Polar Bears proved that it is not time for hibernation, clawing past the Bobcats for the third time this season for a narrow 51-47 overtime victory.

“We knew they would have a great second half,” said Bowdoin coach Stephanie Pemper. “We just weren’t expecting that much.”

After shooting 17.2 percent from the field and 25 percent from the line in the first half, Bates headed into intermission down 30-11. They emerged with a new-found confidence and aggression that stole the fire from Bowdoin.

The Bobcats connected on four of their first five offensive trips, including a huge trey from Lauren DuBois that caused a Polar Bear time-out. The senior was fouled on a 3-point attempt on the next offensive trip and connected

on all three free throws, cutting the lead to 11 with just over 15 minutes to play in regulation.

“The comeback in the second half was phenomenal,” said Bates coach Jim Murphy. “It really shows the heart, courage, and character of this team.”

Bates’ Olivia Zurek, who was held to two points in the first half, came to life after connecting on two foul shots at 13:07. Zurek’s offensive potency took over, as she hit two field goals and converted a perfectly executed back door pass from DuBois at the 6:30 mark to bring Bates within three.

Eileen Flaherty nailed a jumper to give Bowdoin a 43-40 lead before fouling out when Bates’ Meg Coffin drew an offensive charge with 25.6 seconds remaining. After Coffin hit the free throw, Betsy Hochadel drove the lane and finished a tricky one-handed shot to tie the game at 43-43 with five seconds left in regulation.

Bates scored the first four points in the overtime period before Bowdoin regained composure, holding the Bobcats scoreless while tallying eight points of their own to win its fourth consecutive NESCAC title.

“You have to give Bowdoin credit,” said Murphy. “They always seem to find a way to pull out the big games.”

Laura Trenkle iced the game for Bowdoin, hitting 3-4 from the charity stripe in overtime, including a clutch pair of free throws that gave Bowdoin a four-point advantage with 2.6 seconds remaining.

“I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else but Trenkle on the line at the end of the game,” said Pemper. “She had a great play switching on defense against Zurek, and then grabbed the rebound and hit the foul shots.”

Bowdoin, which improved to 26-0 and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, won with a balanced offensive attack and a superb game from the foul line. Trenkle paced Bowdoin with 11 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, including 7-for-8 on free throws. Flaherty was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, chipping in 10 points.

“In the second half they really got into our heads,” said Pemper. “The crowd definitely helped them keep momentum. But, we were able to keep some composure and win against a Bates team that has so much talent and pride.”

Bates fell to 19-8 and will have to hope for an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament when the pairings are announced. Zurek led all scorers with 17 points while Betsy Hochadel notched nine points and five offensive boards for Bates. Zurek added 13 rebounds and tallied five steals to record her eighth double-double of the season.

“There is no pressure to go all the way,” Trenkle said after game. “Being No. 1, being 26-0, we are not putting pressure on ourselves. We are just trying to accomplish the small goals – winning one game at a time.”

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