Brunswick, Maine - Andrew Madlinger scored 14 of his game-high 18 points in the second half as the Bowdoin College Polar Bears men's basketball team defeated the visiting Trinity Bantams, 55-43, win this afternoon at Morrell Gymnasium. The Polar Bears snap a three-game conference losing streak and improve to 11-5 overall and 2-3 in the NESCAC. The Bantams fall to 10-8 overall and 2-3 in the league with their third setback in a row.

Madlinger finished with a game-high 18 points, four rebounds and three steals in the win. Will Hanley had 15 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks for Bowdoin, who also got 13 points from Ryan O'Connell. Junior swingman Mick DiStasio (Cheverus, Maine led Trinity with nine points as no Bantam reached double figures. Neither team shot particularly well in the opening half, but Trinity carried a one-point lead into intermission (22-21) thanks to a late three-point jumper from freshman center George Papadeas (Athens, Greece) before the break. The squads exchanged blows in the second half, trading the lead 11 times in the opening 14 minutes of the stanza. The Bantams went just 2-8 from the free throw line while Bowdoin connected on 17-20 attempts. Bowdoin held a 39-34 edge in rebounds for the game.

Tied at 39 with 5:48 remaining, O'Connell sparked an 8-0 run for the Polar Bears with a baseline jumper that gave the hosts a 47-39 lead with 2:37 to go. A minute later, O'Connell put the game on ice with a three-pointer that pushed the lead to nine, 50-41, with 1:50 left. Madlinger scored seven points in the final 3:21 to help seal the win.