Courtsey of Brian Beard

Last Saturday, the women’s basketball team (2–0; 0–0 NESCAC) blew out the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds 74–44 in its first game of the season. Eleven different Polar Bears scored in the win, led by 22 points, five rebounds and five steals from captain Sydney Jones ’25.

The Thoroughbreds started the game with some quick points off of jump shots and were up 10–5 three minutes into the game. After point guard Maddie Wilkin ’26 hit a three-pointer to take a 14–12 lead, the Polar Bears didn’t trail for the rest of the game. Despite the slow start on offense, Bowdoin finished the first quarter on a 18–6 run to lead 23–16 at the break.

“Those first couple minutes were just nerves,” forward Abbie Quinn ’27 said. “We were able to get back in the next couple minutes and turn the game completely around.”

Guard Maria Belardi ’26 added that she trusted her teammates to stop Skidmore’s scoring.

“They hit so many in a row that they were going to miss some right after that,” Belardi said. “We needed to respond quickly, but we also trusted our practice, that once we start getting into a groove and hitting shots, our defense will come along with it and stop them from getting open looks.”

The second quarter saw lots of scoring in the paint for the Polar Bears while playing lock-down defense. All of Bowdoin’s 17 points in the quarter came via lay-up or free throw, while only allowing four buckets on the other end of the court for the Thoroughbreds. The score going into halftime was 40–27.

With the double-digit margin, the Polar Bears were in a comfortable position for the remainder of game, but also knew that they couldn’t let their guard down against Thoroughbred shooters.

“A big talk in our locker room was ‘Yes, we got that lead, but now we need to maintain it,’” Belardi said. “Also lock in on our scout [Skidmore player],… knowing what they want to do and stopping it more than in the first half.”

The Polar Bears followed through by continuing to build on their lead while also playing lock-down defense in the second half. Bowdoin held Skidmore to 32 percent shooting (8–25) and out-rebounded Skidmore by 17, including 20 offensive rebounds that created 20 second-chance points. Twenty-eight more points came off of 20 turnovers from the Thoroughbreds, as the Bears had 14 steals and three blocks throughout the game.

“Coach [Megan Phelps] highlights that ‘Defense wins championships,’” Quinn said. “So always being able to increase our defensive intensity and our rotations will help us win games.”

The offense was consistent throughout the game, shooting a combined 42 percent from the field and 16–21 from the free throw line. Bowdoin’s ball movement was on point, creating opportunities for the post players and open shots for the guards all game long.

First years also saw action in the game. Jamie Yue ’28 started for the Polar Bears in her first collegiate game, scoring three points and grabbing four rebounds. Grace Kinum ’28 had six points and four rebounds in her 15 minutes on the court.

“We were so proud of our freshmen,” Quinn said. “They each had a role on the team and contributed to our win.”

Getting their first win of the season in Morrell Gymnasium was exciting for the Polar Bears and their fans. More than 400  fans were in attendance, a mix of students, faculty and area residents.

“We know we have that support system behind us,” Belardi said. “We call them the ‘super fans’—the community members that come to our games and even some of the card-swipers in Moulton and Thorne are super fans.”

The Polar Bears returned to the court last night versus the Curry College Colonels (1–1), winning 73–37. They will be on the road tomorrow at 2 p.m. against the Wheaton College Lyons (1–3).

Looking towards the two games this coming weekend, Belardi is excited to grow as an individual player and to be part of the team’s growth as the season progresses.

“This weekend, I want to work on my leadership on the court,” Belardi said. “There are opportunities now when I might be one of the only upperclassmen on the court, so people look to me in situations, and I need to know how to respond.”

“[I’m] excited for the rest of the season and good momentum going into the weekend,” Quinn added.