BRUNSWICK – All season long the Bowdoin Polar Bears have won games with a controlling defense and a spectacular offense that scores in spurts to put teams away.
In Saturday night’s second round of the NCAA Division III women’s basketball regional, the offense was anything but spectacular as the Polar Bears shot just 32-percent from the field in the second half. So when it came down to crunch time it was the defense stood out. In two key possessions late in the game, the Polar Bears locked up the Brandeis Judges and advanced to the sectional round with a 59-56 win.
With less than 20 seconds remaining and her team up by three, Bowdoin coach Stefanie Pemper inserted freshman Alexa Kaubris for starting point guard Katie Cummings.
That gave Pemper a bigger and more physical defensive team. What she didn’t know was that Kaubris would be matched up against Jaime Capra.
She scored six of the last 10 points for the Judges (20-5) and assisted on the game-tying basket with 1:25 to play when she drove the lane and dished the ball out to Allison Chase (14 points) for a baseline 3-pointer .
“I didn’t know who she was going to match up on,” said Pemper. “It was up to the girls on the floor.”
Capra drove to the hoop and Kaubris forced her into taking an off-balance, spinning shot in the lane. As the ball caromed off the rim, it was hauled in by Justine Pouravelis.
After Pouravelis missed the front end of a one-and-one, the Judges signaled timeout with 6.3 seconds remaining.
Brandeis coach Carol Simon called for a play with two options, but first they had to travel the length of the court against the pressing Polar Bears (26-2).
“We were trying to get it up as quick as possible and get a screen,” said Simon. “Our post can hit the three. (We) had the two options of going to the post or to kick it out for the three.”
The play never materialized. As point guard Amanda De Martino dribbled up the court, she was trapped on the side by Loonin and Vanessa Russell. All she could do was call a timeout with 1.7 seconds left. After the timeout, Capra’s forced 30-footer struck the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
“They’re quick,” said Simon. “They’re quick off their feet, and they get to the ball.”
While the Polar Bears led all the way except for a brief 56-56 tie, it was never easy. Their largest lead was 11 points in the first half.
With Capra and Caitlin Malcom (14 points) leading the charge in the second half for the Judges, they were matched almost shot for shot by Eileen Flaherty and Pouravelis.
Flaherty led all scorers with 18 points and nailed a clutch 3-point shot late in the game.
Pouravelis, who connected for 10 of her 13 points after the intermission, scored in the low post twice in the game’s final two minutes. Her last bucket put the Polar Bears back in front for good at 58-56.
Comments are no longer available on this story