Nov 25, 2014
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- An 8-0 run late in the 2nd half turned a three-point deficit into a lead the University of New England would not relinquish, as the No. 20 Nor'easters edged Bowdoin College, 68-64, in non-conference women's basketball action Tuesday evening (Nov. 25) at the Harold Alfond Forum.
It was the second win for Big Blue (3-1) in the last three meetings of the series with the Polar Bears (3-2), following a string of 17 consecutive setbacks to Bowdoin.
Lauren Hayden broke a two-minute scoring drought for both sides with her first basket of the contest at the 4:40 mark, cutting into a 54-51 lead for the visitors. Then, with 3:07 to play, Meghan Gribbin drove down the right side put the hosts in front for good with a three-point play. After a steal, Hayden banked home a trey from the top of the arc to push the gap to 59-54.
Bowdoin's Kate Kerrigan scored a quick five points around a UNE free throw to get the margin back down to one (60-59), but the Polar Bears could not get any closer in the final 2:10. Gribbin made all four of her freebies in the last 10 seconds to seal the decision.
Alanna Vose led all players with 21 off the Big Blue bench, scoring 18 of those points from long distance. Gribbin added 15 and Kelly Coleman tallied 13, while Hayden ended with seven points and team-high eight rebounds.
The Nor'easters finished the game with a 10-point cushion at the charity stripe, going 20-of-31 on the night.
Sara Binkhorst and Shannon Brady paced Bowdoin with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Kerrigan and Megan Phelps each totaled seven points, while Brady and Phelps pulled down seven rebounds apiece. Marle Curle had a game-best 10 caroms for the Polar Bears, who held a 46-32 edge on the glass.
The visiting squad, which had a decided 36-12 scoring advantage in the paint, was hampered by a 4-for-24 effort from deep and 19 turnovers.
Binkhorst opened the match with nine of Bowdoin's initial 17, helping establish an 11-point cushion with 6:07 gone.
However, UNE responded with a 30-8 stretch spanning 11 minutes to rally and take a 36-25 lead. Six different players scored for the Nor'easters during the run, including 10 from Vose and seven from Coleman.
The Polar Bears managed to close the half with six of the last seven to trim things to 37-31 in favor of Big Blue at the break.
The spread was seven (44-37) after a little more than five minutes of action in the 2nd frame, before a 12-1 spurt swung Bowdoin back in front (49-45) just prior to the midway mark of the period.
UNE resumes its schedule on December 3 as Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play begins at home against Eastern Nazarene College (5:30 p.m.). The Polar Bears head back to Brunswick to entertain Salve Regina University on Saturday (2 p.m.) in a non-league contest.