The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team will play in the NESCAC semifinals on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. against Amherst at Tufts University. The third-seeded Polar Bears (23-2), who are ranked fourth in the latest WBCA Division III poll, will look to avenge one of their two regular-season losses against the second-seeded Mammoths (22-3), who rank fifth in the latest national poll.
TICKET INFORMATION
For Bowdoin fans looking to attend Saturday’s NESCAC semifinal game in Medford, tickets can be reserved by calling Katie Greene in the Bowdoin Athletic Department office at (207) 725-3142 between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday, February 27. Once reserved, tickets will be held at the Will Call table at Tufts on Saturday where they can be purchased ($6.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors, students and children).
SEASON RECAP
The Polar Bears got off to a hot start, rolling off 19 straight wins to start the season and reaching as high as number two in the Division III rankings before bowing to top-ranked Tufts in a battle between the nation’s two top-ranked squads, 97-88, on January 31. After losing on the road at Amherst on Feb. 7, the Polar Bears rebounded to win three straight double-digit games to advance to the NESCAC semifinals.
The Polar Bears are the only program in NESCAC history to reach the conference semifinals in every year of the league tournament. Four Polar Bears are averaging double figures in the scoring column, led by Maddie Hasson’s 16.4 points per game (3rd in the NESCAC). She ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and leads the league in field goal percentage, shooting 62.6 percent from the floor.
Sophomore Sela Kay (Los Angeles, Calif) is the league’s top 3-point threat, draining 64 this season and shooting 43.8 percent from long range while chipping in 11.7 points per game. Senior Samantha Roy (Stafford Springs, Conn.) is the conference leader in assists (5.4 apg) and contributing 11.2 points per game. Bowdoin is averaging 78.0 points per game to lead the NESCAC, while holding opponents to 52.6 points per contest. The Polar Bears also own a +13.7 rebounding margin and are the best shooting team in the NESCAC from the floor (46.2%) and 3-point range (36.5%)
SEMIFINAL MATCH-UP
Amherst owns a 5-4 lead in the NESCAC Championship series. The two teams have not played each other in the tournament since the 2016 semifinals, a 63-51 win for the Mammoths. This season, Amherst earned a 59-46 victory on its home floor on February 7. Amherst and Bowdoin have combined to win 16 NESCAC titles, each school owning eight championships. The Mammoths last title came in 2018, while the Polar Bears won their last championship crown in 2009.
NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Tufts and Williams will play in the first semifinal game (12:00 p.m.) on Saturday at Cousens Gymnasium, preceding Bowdoin and Amherst at 2:00 p.m. The semifinal winners will square off on Sunday, March 1 at 12 p.m. A webcast of all games will be available online at NESCAC.com and on Roku, AppleTV, and Amazon Fire (search NESCAC Network).
Images courtesy of Brian Beard/Creative Images Photography