The men's basketball team celebrated its Senior Night, the final home game of the regular season, with a 98-45 victory over the University of Maine-Presque Isle on Monday. But earlier in the week, the Polar Bears suffered a conference loss to Colby in a game with critical playoff implications for both teams.
In their matchup in Waterville on Saturday afternoon, the Polar Bears simply could not find an answer for Colby point guard Nick Farrell. The Polar Bears were able to jump out to another early lead in this contest, but behind 15 first-half points from Farrell, Colby not only clawed its way back into the game, but went into halftime with a slight advantage (30-29). Farrell's sharp shooting continued in the second half as he poured on 24 second-half points to finish with 39.
Co-captain Kevin Bradley '07 led all Polar Bears with 19 points in the 81-67 loss.
The loss to the Mules puts Bowdoin in a tie for eighth place in the league with Wesleyan, as both teams are now 2-5 in conference play. However, Wesleyan holds the tiebreaker advantage after beating the Polar Bears 63-61 on January 20. Colby and Middlebury, which are directly ahead of Bowdoin in the standings with 3-4 NESCAC records, also hold tiebreakers over the Polar Bears.
Needing to put the loss behind them, the Polar Bears returned to Morrell Gymnasium on Monday afternoon for their last regular season home game. The Polar Bears rebounded quickly, dismantling the Owls of Presque Isle 98-45. The win gives the Bears a 13-8 overall record and Presque Isle a 3-18 standing.
On a night to honor the seniors, both senior captains turned in fine performances in the contest. Co-captain John Goodridge '07, who has appeared in every Polar Bear contest during his career, started the contest and turned in a strong all-around performance. Playing 25 minutes, he scored six points on two three-pointers, pulled down six rebounds, and ripped away four steals.
"It was a great feeling," says Goodridge of his Senior Night. "It's something I will remember forever. Hopefully, we can extend our season this weekend."
Bradley put on a show for the crowd, too, making his final home game a memorable one. Bradley scored a career-high 30 points in only 23 minutes.
Bradley also eclipsed the school record for three-pointers made in a game, hitting nine. Bradley now ranks second at Bowdoin all-time in career three-pointers made, with 203. The Polar Bears also set new marks for three-pointers attempted in a game and made by going 19-42 from behind the arc.
"This was an emotional game and it's great to accomplish something like that in your final home game," Bradley said. "What's more important is that the team played well. We're going to need to play well to win this weekend."
But it wasn't just the senior class contributing: the first-year class gave a glimpse of the future. Kyle Hebert '10 looked impressive scoring 11 points, hitting three shots from behind the arc, and grabbing six rebounds. Mark Phillips '10 also scored 11 points, including a monstrous two-handed dunk thanks to an impressive pass from fellow first-year Mike Hauser.
The Polar Bears have a tough road ahead of them this weekend. Today they travel to Medford, Massachusetts for a 7 p.m. matchup against Tufts (13-8, 2-5 NESCAC). On Saturday, the Bears visit rival Bates (18-4, 3-4 NESCAC), which already defeated the Polar Bears earlier in the season.