The women's basketball team finished its regular season with a decisive win over the Connecticut College Camels last Saturday, 81-37. With a regular season record of 19-5, the fifth-seeded Polar Bears will face Tufts in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament Saturday.
The Polar Bears stepped on to the court with an overwhelming offensive and defensive effort. Three first-half 3-pointers from Amy Hackett '12 helped contribute the 22 point Bowdoin lead at the half.
The impressive level of play carried through to the second half of the game. Top scorers for the Polar Bears were Caitlin Hynes '10 with 17 points, Ellery Gould '12 with 14 points, and Katie Bergeron '11 with 11 points. The victory was the team's fifteenth straight over the Camels.
The Polar Bears celebrated Senior Day with a ceremony honoring seniors Hynes, Sabrina Cote '10 and Leah Rubega '10.
"I was very happy with the way that the women played this weekend versus Wesleyan and Connecticut College," said Head Coach Adrienne Shibles. "It was especially nice to see such a balanced attack on Senior Day. Leah, Caitlin and Sabrina are incredibly special and have had amazing careers at Bowdoin. The younger players were really excited about putting forth their best effort for them on Saturday."
The victory came on the heels of another big victory for the Bears, which secured the No. 5 seed with a victory over the Wesleyan University Cardinals, 80-52. Bowdoin began the game with an early 10-0 run, and managed to maintain at least a 9-point lead for most of the first half. The hosts entered intermission with an 8-point advantage.
Upon returning from the break, the Polar Bears began their slow-but-steady pull away from the Cardinals.
The team collectively shot an impressive 62 percent in the second half. Top scorers for Bowdoin were Rubega with 16 points, Hackett with 15 points, Cote with 15 points, and Hynes with 14 points.
The Polar Bears enter the postseason with the fifth seed in the conference tournament. The team will face the Tufts University Jumbos for the second time this season in the quarterfinal game this Saturday. The Polar Bears fell to the Jumbos 52-40 in late January; however, the team is eager for the rematch.
"We are all excited about the opportunity to face Tufts again," said Shibles. "They have some good talent on their team, but I like the way we are playing right now. The women have been bringing great attitude and intensity to practice this week."