Bowdoin College’s women’s basketball team held the lead over the USM Huskies the entire game on their way to a 60-47 win last Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham.
Bowdoin’s forwards dominated the Huskies on both sides of the court all game. Senior forward Caitlin Hynes (Rockland) scored a game high 20 points and had nine rebounds, while senior forward Leah Rubega (Norwich, CT) put up 12 points and had a game-high 13 rebounds for Bowdoin.
USM held the score close for much of the game, but couldn’t stop the momentum of nationally ranked Polar Bears.
“We had it down to two with 10 minutes left in the game and then we ran out of gas,” said head coach Gary Fifield after the game.
USM senior guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan) scored a team-high 12 points, and senior forward Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, CT) scored 10 points and led the Huskies in rebounds with nine.
After USM cut the lead to two with a layup by Paradis, Bowdoin went on a 7-0 run to give themselves a 42-33 lead. USM freshman guard/forward Curran Leighton (Dover, NH) scored off an inbound pass and was fouled. She made the free throw for a three-point play that brought the lead down to six, at 42-36. The Huskies pulled within five with five minutes remaining before Bowdoin scored increasing the lead to 49-41. That started an 11-2 run for Bowdoin who pulled away for the win.
“I think they beat us in transition and on the offensive boards,” coach Fifield said.
Bowdoin out-rebounded the Huskies 39-31 in the game, with 18 of them coming on the offensive boards.
Leighton had 10 points and 5 rebounds for the Huskies who shot 36 percent (18 for 50) from the field and 8.2 percent (2 for 11) from three-point range. Bowdoin shot 38.1 percent (24 for 63) from the field and 16.7 percent (3 for 18) from three-point range in the game.
The Bowdoin Polar Bears were ranked seventh in the country before the game while USM was ranked 17th. This was the first win for the Polar Bears at Hill Gymnasium since 2003.
“Hopefully we are going to learn to play harder from the start,” said Coach Fifield. “In big games like this, we’ve got to respond and come out with some urgency.”