Grace Kinum, Abbie Quinn (Bangor), and Maria Belardi all scored in double figures on Friday night, as #8 Bowdoin College held off a pesky Emmanuel College team 51-42 in a First Round NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament game hosted by the Polar Bears in Brunswick.
Neither team shot the ball well, and it turned out to be a defensive slugfest. The Polar Bears had their best quarter shooting it in the second where they hit 7-13 from the field (including two 3-pointers) to take a 29-21 advantage into the break. Bowdoin scored the first six points of the third quarter capped off by a Quinn layup to take their biggest advantage of the night at 14 (35-21). Emmanuel College would chip away and a three-pointer by Lia Krumian cut the Saints deficit to 42-38 with 5:16 left to play. But the hosts were too tough down the stretch, as Carly Davey scored five points (including a key three-pointer) and Kinum also put in a layup to secure the victory.
Krumian led Emmanuel College with 11 points and five rebounds. Kaitlyn Bartash added eight points and seven rebounds, while Tyra Blye contributed seven points. The Saints, the champions from the GNAC who went undefeated in league play, finish their season with a record of 22-7. Kinum finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for Bowdoin College. Quinn and Belardi both chipped in 10 points. Quinn also had six rebounds. Davey was also a key off the bench in the victory as she had nine points (3-3 FG) including that key three-pointer in the fourth quarter. The Polar Bears, who are appearing in their 22nd tournament since 2000 including in the Sweet 16 last season, improve to 25-2. Bowdoin will play the University of Southern Maine in Brunswick on Saturday night at 7:45 with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
