Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Williams Women's Basketball (13-2, 1-2 NESCAC) took on Bowdoin College (14-1) today in a NESCAC matchup and beat the Polar Bears by a score of 69-55. The Ephs took an early lead and held on for the remainder of the game, even managing to maintain a twenty-point berth for a period of time.
The Ephs won the tip off, but it would be Bowdoin who'd strike first with a pair of made foul shots. Williams' Kellie MacDonald responded with a three-pointer to make the score 3-2 in the home team's favor. Although both teams would remain scoreless for a few minutes, MacDonald followed up with another jump shot, this time for two points. The Ephs continued to shoot well, with Lauren McCall sinking a three pointer of her own to give Williams an 8-2 lead. Bowdoin called a timeout to regroup, but Williams continued to widen their lead with a layup by MaryKate O'Brien. The home team would make this into a ten-point run until Bowdoin's Sara Binkhorst sunk a layup to bring the score to 12-4 with 14 minutes remaining.
Great defense on both sides kept the two teams scoreless for a two-minute span, until Williams went on a five-point run. Bowdoin followed that up with a four point run of their own, but McCall scored her third three-pointer of the night to stymie the Polar Bears' progress. The score would remain at 23-10 for close to two and a half minutes until MacDonald sunk another three and then two foul shots. Despite their double-digit lead, Williams kept up the pressure offensively and continued to crash the boards defensively. A great rebound followed by a quick layup by McCall brought the score to 33-12.
Bowdoin didn't give up however, as Rachel Norton sunk a free throw and Binkhorst made a jump shot to help bring the Polar Bears back within 22 of their opponents. A great give and go play set Devon Caveney up for a layup, but Bowdoin would utilize a similar play to respond with a layup of their own. Williams had the final say of the half, with another three by McCall to bring the score to 42-19.
Bowdoin began their comeback effort early in the second half with a hook shot by Shannon Brady. Megan Phelps capitalized on her foul shots three minutes later to bring Bowdoin within less than twenty of their opponent for the first time in eight minutes. The Polar Bears made a push defensively, stealing the ball at the 15 mark to maintain possession, but Bowdoin could not seem to capitalize on their defensive success. Both teams would remain scoreless for a three and a half minute period, until Ellen Cook made a free throw to bring the score to 43-26 in Williams' favor.
A timeout by Bowdoin proved to be a productive break as immediately thereafter they forced a turnover, and capitalized with a layup by Kirsten Prue and free throws by Phelps. McCall made some clutch shots for the Ephs, however, making two jump shots to bring the score to 48-32. The momentum was in the home team's favor as they went on a six-point run, culminating in a fast-break play for a layup by Oge Uwanaka. A clutch three-pointer by Binkhorst helped Bowdoin come back within thirteen of Williams, but Uwanaka followed up with what could have been a three point play of her own, grabbing an offensive rebound and going hard to the hoop to draw a foul and sink her layup. However, Uwanaka would not make her free throw, allowing Bowdoin to come within eleven of Williams thanks to a layup by Brady and jumpshot by Prue.
With three minutes left, Bowdoin had mounted an impressive comeback effort and found themselves only down by nine points. McCall helped break up Bowdoin's momentum with her sixth three-pointer of the night, but the Polar Bears responded with a layup by Anna Prohl. At the 1:15 mark, the score was at 61-51 in the Ephs' favor. Foul shots by both teams and some last minute hustle plays by Williams locked in the score at 69-55 in Williams' favor. Said Coach Pat Manning, "Today's game was so exciting because it was a team win. Kellie MacDonald had an amazing first half, Oge Uwanaka had key offensive rebounds and free throws in the second half, MaryKate O'Brien had one turnover in 34 minutes, and Lauren McCall made six three-pointers. Everyone did their part, and five members of our team just nabbed their first conference win."
Williams next takes on Colby at home tomorrow at 2 P.M.
