Courtesy of Brian Beard

The women’s basketball team scored a big win against Colby College (9–9; 1–4 NESCAC) in Waterville last Saturday. The 72–57 victory put the Polar Bears ahead of the Mules with a 5–0 NESCAC record.

The win was spearheaded by Sydney Jones ’25, who matched her career high of 28 points. Carly Davey ’26 (14 points) and Maria Belardi ’26 (10 points) also played important roles in securing the team’s victory.

“Games against Colby are always competitive, and have a bit of Maine rivalry,” Jones said.

The game remained close until halftime when the team molded its plays to capitalize on its strengths and pick on its opponent’s weaknesses.

The team’s positive dynamic supports the players’ ability to work together during games. The players spend a lot of time in each other’s company and have learned to communicate both on and off the court.

“We spend all of our time together. That’s what’s so awesome about our team. We all get along and really want to be around each other,” Jones said.

The positive dynamic of the team has elevated the players’ spirits and encouraged them to provide constructive feedback on what they believe can be improved. The team has been preparing for its upcoming games with the same level of intensity and enthusiasm as last weekend.

“This season has been really exciting. We’re excited to continue at conference play and keep beating teams that people don’t expect us to beat,” Belardi said.

The team expects to keep putting in the hard work in future games.

“We worked really hard to be 5–0 right now, but we know that nothing is guaranteed as we go into the end of the conference play. We’re hopeful that we at least get a playoff home game, if not, get to host the championship game here,” Jones said.

Winning against the University of Chicago (10–6) earlier this season boosted morale, and the team believes its combination of teamwork and experience will continue to help them against stronger opposition. Davey emphasized the importance of playing with purpose and resilience as the Polar Bears face off against other NESCAC teams.

“We play [Connecticut College] this week. These next couple of weeks will be really important for us to be mentally locked in,” Davey said. “Every game is a big one. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”