BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Shortly after the Bates men's team's big comeback win over Bowdoin on the same floor, and 18 hours after a triple-overtime setback at Colby, the Bates women's basketball team stunned rival Bowdoin 77-56 on Saturday at Morrell Gymnasium, handing the 13th-ranked Polar Bears their worst home loss in over a decade.
The Bobcats improve to 14-5 (2-2 NESCAC) while Bowdoin drops its second straight game to fall to 14-3 (1-2).
Bates sophomore Allie Beaulieu (Swampscott, Mass.) was outstanding for Bates, scoring 16 points to go with six assists and four rebounds. Senior Jessie Igoe (Lexington, Mass.) added 13 points and nine boards while junior Annie Burns (Topsfield, Mass.) and sophomore Taryn O'Connell (Georgetown, Mass.) scored 11 apiece for the Bobcats. Senior Christine McCall (Lowell, Mass.) contributed nine points and eight boards.
Bowdoin's loss spoiled a career-high 29 points from Jill Henrikson, who accounted for more than half of her team's point total and tied a program record with six three-pointers in defeat.
After an evenly played first ten minutes, Bates went on a 16-0 run to take a commanding 35-21 advantage after O'Connell hit a running lay-in with a minute to play before halftime. O'Connell scored seven points in the decisive run, while Beaulieu hit three jump shots. Burns made a three-pointer to close out the half, with Bates in a 40-25 lead.
Beaulieu scored 11 points in the first half, followed by O'Connell with nine. Junior Lauren Dobish (Chambersburg, Pa.) handed out five of her six assists in the period.
The Bobcats were never threatened in the second half, as Bowdoin could get no closer than 13 points and trailed by as many as 24. Igoe was a key to Bates sustaining the lead, with nine points and six boards in the period.
The Bobcats connected on 57.9% of their shots for the game, including a scalding 63% in the opening stanza. They held Bowdoin to just 33.3% from the field for the game. Bowdoin's last 20-point home loss was a 65-45 result against Trinity in 2000.