LEWISTON, Maine - Jill Henrikson scored 13 of her game-high 16 points in the first half as 16th-ranked Bowdoin women's basketball team took a 39-26 halftime lead and cruised to a 67-61 non-conference win over Bates on Tuesday at Alumni Gym. The Polar Bears have won a dozen straight games and improve to 12-1 this season after ending Bates' four-game winning streak and dropping the Bobcats to 11-3.

Henrikson added eight rebounds and three assists for Bowdoin. Kaitlin Donahoe and Amy Hackett added 10 points apiece while Nicole Coombes grabbed 11 rebounds, helping the Polar Bears to a 42-37 edge on the glass. Bates junior Kelsey Flaherty led the Bobcats with a career-high 15 points, while Allie Beaulieu chipped in 11 points and Jessie Igoe added 10 points and seven boards.

Bowdoin jumped out to a 16-5 lead over the first 6:23 of the game, on the strength of a pair of putbacks by Coombes and three-pointers by Henrikson and Donahoe. Henrikson canned back-to-back threes at the 10:39 and 9:19 marks, extending the lead to 15 (26-11), and another three by Amy Hackett put Bowdoin on top 35-17 with 5:20 left. Bates outscored Bowdoin 9-4 over the final five minutes to head into the locker room at a 13-point disadvantage.

A layup by Igoe and a three by Taryn O'Connell cut Bowdoin's lead to 41-31 early in the second half, and the Bobcats continued to whittle at Bowdoin's lead, cutting it as low as 48-41 with 12:42 left in the game. The Polar Bears punched back with a 9-2 run to build the lead back to 14 (57-43) with 8:25 left, and another Henrikson three made it 62-47 with 5:40 to play.

The teams will meet again for their NESCAC matchup on Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. at Bowdoin. Bates opens NESCAC play on Friday at 8 p.m. against Williams; Bowdoin next plays host to UMaine-Presque Isle on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.