LEWISTON — The Bates Bobcats made their point from the perimeter and on the boards from the get-go Thursday night.

The Bobcats (7-7) roamed the outside, throwing in a program-record 16 3-pointers on 31 attempts, and brushed off the University of Maine at Farmington (4-12) in a 95-43 women’s basketball victory at Alumni Gymnasium. Bates was equally formidable underneath, pulling down 21 offensive and 36 defensive rebounds and getting those crucial second shots.

The Beavers kept pace with the Bobcats in the first period before Bates started opening up on UMF from the outside. Before the ’Cats knew it, they were leading 42-23.

“I think we knew they might throw a little bit of 2-3 zone … especially when they were struggling player to player, but we do have a lot of kids who can shoot the 3 well,” Bates coach Alison Montgomery said. “So nice to see some of those go down tonight, for sure.

“We have to use our quickness. We don’t have a ton of size, but we do have quickness and athleticism, so it is a huge emphasis to push the ball in transition, to attack off the dribble and drive and kick — those are big things for us.

“We are really a young team and we are trying to establish as much maturity as we can in order to be able to compete in a really tough conference. So a game like today, getting out to a lead in the first half, so I said to them at halftime, ‘You have to show them maturity, stay really focused, stay disciplined, believe and like really expend it.’ I was just really pleased to see them stay really focused.

Everybody got into the act on offense for the Bobcats, but it was sophomore guard Meredith Melendy who had the hottest hand, scoring 18 points and knocking down five 3-pointers in eight attempts.

Bates sophomore guard Julia Middlebrook and freshman guard Mia Roy each scored 15 points, and Melanie Binkhorst added another 14.

The Bobcats committed only nine turnovers to UMF’s 15.

Despite some impressive moves inside in first quarter, the Beavers took it on the chin underneath the basket. UMF pulled down a total of 24 rebounds. Sophomore forward McKenna Brodeur led UMF with 11 points and senior guard Morgan Crocker helped with 11 points.

“The first half, despite the pressure on our point guard, we were able to get into some things,” UMF coach Jamie Beaudoin said. “We were able to get the ball into McKenna and get some post-ups, and from the point on, they just took a lot away.

“They were quick to double up on McKenna and we just had a hard time getting into our offense. It is hard to get into your offense when you give up a ton of offensive boards. And a lot times those offensive boards became 3-pointers.

“They (Bobcats) continue to get better. Obviously they play in the most competitive conference in the country and they are trying to get some strides to get into the postseason.”

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

College roundup: Brooke Reynolds leads CMCC to rout of NHTI

Next »

UMaine's Sterling Sheffield setting sights on NFL