BRUNSWICK – Eileen Flaherty scored 19 points to lead Bowdoin College to a 64-48 triumph over Tufts in the championship game of the NESCAC women’s basketball tournament Sunday.

The Polar Bears (26-1) earned their seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III tournament for winning the conference title.

Tufts (18-8) led 26-22 early in the second half before Bowdoin responded with a 10-1 run to grab a 32-27 lead wih 15 minutes to play. After the Jumbos narrowed the gap to a single point, Bowdoin used a 9-2 run, culminating with a 3-pointer by Alexa Kaubris, to push the lead back to eight points.

But Tufts made one last run at Bowdoin and cut the lead to 44-42 with 6:45 left. Kaubris helped seal the win when she grabbed the rebound and scored after teammate Caitlin Hynes missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Polar Bears went on to score 12 of the next 15 points.

Kaubris finished with 12 points, while Julia Loonin had 13.

4 Maine teams in NCAAs

INDIANAPOLIS – Maine Maritime Academy received an at-large bid, joing three conference champions from Maine in the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament.

The Mariners lost in the North Atlantic Conference finals to Maine-Farmington, which received an automatic bid.

The other Maine conference champions were Southern Maine (Little East Conference) and Bowdoin (NESCAC).

Exact pairing will be announced later today.

No Maine college received a bid for the men’s tourney.

Men’s basketball

Maine 63, Stony Brook 61

ORONO – Maine’s Chris Bruff scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half as the Black Bears survived a late rally to beat Stony Brook 63-61 Sunday.

Stony Brook (9-19, 4-11 America East) drew within two on Mitchell Beauford’s three-point play with 41 seconds remaining. But Ricky Lucas, who finished with 21 points, saw his would-be game-winning shot from half court bounce off the back rim as time expired.

The Seawolves didn’t give up after an 18-2 Maine run midway through the second half.

Mark Socoby added 13 for the Black Bears, including 10 in the second half and a pair of crucial free throws in the final minute.

Maine (12-17, 7-9) earned the fourth seed and a quarterfinal game against Maryland-Baltimore County.

in next weekend’s America East tournament. The Sea Wolves play New Hampshire in Friday’s first round play-in game.