BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Trinity College Women's Basketball team came up short in their upset bid against seventh-ranked Bowdoin College, 70-57, in a New England Smal College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) clash at Morrell Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. The Bantams close the regular season with a 16-8 record and a 5-5 mark in conference, while the Polar Bears head to the postseason with a 22-1 record and a 10-0 mark in conference.
 
What Happened:

• Trinity secured a 5-4 lead behind a three-pointer from Melissa Whitmore, but the Polar Bears took control with a 9-0 run to grab a 14-5 lead. The Bantams used buckets from Whitmore and Maya Carnes to set the score at 20-10 heading into the second quarter.
• The Polar Bears pushed the pace in the second quarter, using an 8-2 run to make it 28-12 with 7:21 left in the half. A five-point spurt from Avery Marzo helped trim the deficit to 28-17, but another 12-4 run from Bowdoin rebuilt a 40-21 lead at the half.
• The Bantams roared back into the contest with a dominant third quarter, outscoring Bowdoin, 19-9, during the quarter. Eight straight points from Trinity trimmed the gap to 40-29, and then a three-point play from Kiki Fossbender made it a 44-34 game. Carnes and Fossbender chipped in three points each to put the Bantams within striking distance, 49-40.
• Marzo was on fire to open the fourth quarter, pouring in 10 consecutive points to even the score, and then a triple from Whitmore handed Trinity their first lead since the first quarter, 53-52 with 6:41 to play.
• Tied 55-55, the Polar Bears defense buckled down, limiting the Bantams to two points over the final six minutes as a 15-2 run pushed Bowdoin to the 70-57 win.

 
Inside the Numbers:

• The Bantams connected on 38.3% (23-of-60) from the floor, 36.8% (7-of-19) from three-point range, and 44.4% (4-of-9) from the free throw stripe.
• The Polae Bears shot 43.6% (24-of-55) from the field, including 38.9% (7-of-18) from beyond the arc, and 71.4% (15-of-21) from the foul line.
• Rebounds: Bowdoin 43, Trinity 30
• Steals: Trinity 8, Bowdoin 4
• Turnovers: Trinity 11, Bowdoin 11
• Points off Turnovers: Bowdoin 8, Trinity 7
• Points in the Paint: Bowdoin 28, Trinity 22
• Bench Points: Bowdoin 49, Trinity 8
• Marzo registered a team-high 19 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers, with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Whitmore added 13 points and four rebounds, while Carnes tallied nine points, five rebounds and two assists. Samantha Slofkiss grabbed a team-high nine rebounds with six points, and Fossbender recorded eight points off the bench.
• Abbie Quinn led the Polar Bears with a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds, while Maria Belardi posted 12 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Grace Kinum contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and a game-high six assists.

 
Up Next:

• The Bantams will wait to learn their seeding in the NESCAC Men's Basketball Championship once play concludes on Sunday.
• The Quarterfinals of the Championship Tournament will begin on Saturday, February 21 with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds.