LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College men's basketball team is flying high after its resounding 71-51 non-conference victory over Bowdoin College Thursday night in a packed Alumni Gym. The Bobcats remain undefeated at 7-0, matching their best start since 2006.
A complete team effort, particularly on defense, galvanized the Bobcats as they outscored the Polar Bears (4-2) 39-21 in the second half, pulling away from a 32-30 halftime lead. The Bobcats outrebounded the Polar Bears 39-22 in the game and limited Bowdoin to 45 field goal attempts, with 18 makes (40.0%).
Bates' sophomore brothers Malcolm Delpeche and Marcus Delpeche (Wilmington, Del.) combined to hold 7-foot All-NESCAC senior center John Swords to five points and three rebounds in 30 minutes. Swords attempted only two shots from the field and made both. Marcus Delpeche, the 6-7 forward, recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists, while 6-8 center Malcolm Delpeche added 10 points and six rebounds.
Senior Graham Safford (Hampden, Maine) led Bates with 12 points, to go with eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Junior Mike Boornazian (Portland, Conn.) scored nine points, including seven in the opening five minutes, and senior Billy Selmon (Atlanta, Ga.) scored eight points, all in the first three minutes of the second half.
Bates also received excellent play from its reserves, who outscored Bowdoin's bench 21-7 with standout spot duty by senior Adam Philpott (Gloucester, Mass.; 6 points), first-year Justin Zukowski (Portland, Maine; 5 points), junior Mike Newton (Chapel Hill, N.C.; 4 points) and sophomore Max Eaton (St. Petersburg, Fla.; 6 points).
Lucas Hausman scored a game-high 22 points for Bowdoin, while Keegan Pieri added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Swords was the visitors' next high scorer with five.
Philpott made back-to-back threes after a Malcolm Delpeche layup in an 8-0 run halfway through the first period, giving Bates a 22-14 lead. Bowdoin answered with a 10-0 run, getting a pair of layups by Neil Fuller and six points by Hausman, who warmed up with a deep three and then made three free throws two trips later after getting fouled on a shot behind the arc. Hausman fed Fuller's go-ahead layup with 6:00 to go for a 24-23 Bowdoin lead. Two trips later, a Pieri jumper gave the Polar Bears a 26-25 lead with 4:40 to go in the half. A steal by Safford with three seconds left in the half and a lead pass to Zukowski for the buzzer-beating layup gave Bates a 32-30 lead at the break.
Pieri opened the second half with two straight buckets and Bowdoin took its final lead at 34-32 with 18:15 to play. Selmon answered by swishing a three on a Boornazian assist, and Bates got a jolt of momentum seconds later, as Marcus Delpeche stole the ball and fed Selmon for a layup in transition. Marcus Delpeche fed Selmon again for a three on Bates' next possession, and Bowdoin called timeout after losing the ball out of bounds.
Bowdoin's Matt Palecki rippled a three from the wing to cut the lead to 42-38 before Eaton drained a spot-up three. After another Hausman jumper, Safford found Zukowski with an inbound pass for an open three. Safford followed with a steal and a breakaway layup to extend the lead into double digits for the first time.
Marcus Delpeche deftly dished to Safford and Newton for open layups, and after a missed three by Hausman, Safford sank a pullup three for a 57-45 lead. With 6:15 left to play, Safford fed Marcus Delpeche for an explosive throwdown of a dunk. Seconds later, Safford made another steal and flushed a breakaway dunk for a 61-47 lead, prompting a Bowdoin timeout and pandemonium from the Bates faithful.
Bowdoin went without a basket from the 7:53 mark until 46 seconds remained, allowing Bates to score 14 unanswered points -- eight of them scored by Marcus Delpeche, including another high-rising dunk from the baseline on an assist by Boornazian.
The Bobcats won't play again until Dec. 29 at Emory University. Bowdoin will host Colby in its first home game of the season on Saturday at 4pm.
Bates will play at Bowdoin on Feb. 13 in the rivals' NESCAC game.