The women's basketball team bested the Huskies at the University of Southern Maine Tuesday by a score of 60-47. The win marks the team's first victory over rival USM since December 2003.
The Polar Bears (4-0) look to build on their undefeated record when they face Colby on Saturday.
Senior Caitlin Hynes attributed the team's win to determined play on the defensive end.
"I was really proud of our defense against USM," she said. "At times we were struggling offensively, but USM was never able to take the lead because we had an incredible night defensively. Every player focused on every aspect of their defensive game, and I think if we can do that consistently, teams will certainly struggle against us."
The Huskies were held to 30 percent shooting during the first half, and the Polar Bears were able to force nine turnovers.
Kaitlin Donahoe '13 started the evening off with a bang for Bowdoin, banking a three in her first career start.
The Huskies trailed throughout the first half, never closing the gap to less than three points. A last-minute basket from Alexa Barry '12 sent the Polar Bears to the locker room at half-time with a 25-18 lead.
Bowdoin maintained its lead throughout the entire game, although USM came back to within two points after an extended run in the second half.
Baskets from Sabrina Cote '10 and Ellery Gould '12 helped to turn the tide back in favor of the Polar Bears and the team managed to further extend its lead in the final minutes of the game.
Hynes also attributed this important turning point in the game to defensive play of teammate Leah Rubega '10.
"Rubega had a huge game overall, but it was at that moment that she really stepped up big for us," Hynes said. "She grabbed some huge boards and made some great plays that ended USM's run and gave us a bigger lead."
Top scorers for the team were Hynes with 20 points, Rubega with 12 points, and Colleen Sweeney '11 who came off the bench to score a total of nine points.
The pair of Hynes and Rubega combined for a total of twenty-one rebounds in the game. The Polar Bears outperformed the Huskies overall on the boards 39-31.
On Saturday, the team will travel to Waterville to face Colby College. The rival team also started its season undefeated with a record of 3-0.