Brunswick, Maine - Leah Rubega scored a game-high 18 points to
lead the Bowdoin College Polar Bear women's basketball team to a
74-56 win over the visiting Trinity College Bantams in the
semifinals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference
(NESCAC) Championship Tournament this afternoon. The Polar
Bears, winners of seven of the conference's eight championships,
return to the title game after a one year absence and improve their
season mark to 21-4. The Bantams, who were making their first
appearance in the NESCAC semifinals, fall to 17-8.
With the game tied 7-7 in the early going, Trinity junior
co-captain guard Claire Arnstein (Hicksville,
N.Y.) sparked a 10-2 Trinity surge with a pair of fast
break lay-ups and a jump shot to give the Bantams a 17-9 lead with
13 minutes remaining in the opening period. Bowdoin rallied to cut
the score to 19-15, but Arnstein nailed another shot from the
wing two minutes later, and the Bantams held a 21-15 edge with 10
minutes left in the period. The Polar Bears will host
Amherst in the NESCAC title game at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
Bowdoin's defense clamped down from there, allowing just two
points over the final 10:22 and forcing 10 Bantam turnovers.
Getting 17 points from frontcourt mates Rubega and Caitlin Hynes,
the Polar Bears closed the half on a 17-2 run to take a nine-point
lead at intermission. When Hynes banked in a short jumper at the
buzzer, Bowdoin held their largest lead to that point of the game
at 32-23.
The teams traded buckets to open the second half, but Bowdoin
put the game away with a 22-6 run over a ten-minute span. After not
hitting a three-pointer in the first half, the Polar Bears
connected for four in the second stanza to help put the game out of
reach. Bowdoin led by as many as 24 points in the second half en
route to victory.
Rubega collected a team-high six rebounds in addition to her
game-high point total as Bowdoin out-rebounded the Bantams 50-37
for the game. Hynes ended with 12 points, five rebounds and
five blocks for the Polar Bears while Alexa Kaubris also saw double
figures with 10 points. Trinity was led by 15 points from
Arnstein, while junior forward Christine
Card (Waterbury, Conn.) added 12 points and six
rebounds, and freshman guard Michelle Royals (Torrington,
Conn.) scored 11 points.
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