Nov 24, 2015
GORHAM, Maine -- Nina Davenport led the Bates women's basketball team in scoring for the third straight game as she tallied a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds but the Bobcats lost their third straight contest as they fell 65-56 to the University of Southern Maine Tuesday night.
The Huskies (2-2) and Bobcats (0-3) were pretty evenly matched throughout the evening. But turnovers ended up being the difference in the game. Bates turned the ball over 22 times and the Huskies scored 17 points off turnovers. Meanwhile USM only turned it over 10 times and the Bobcats only tallied five points off turnovers.
Davenport '18 (Freeport, Maine) hit three of her 10 shots from three-point range and pulled down eight of her game-high 10 boards on the defensive glass.
The Bobcats also got significant contributions on offense from Chelsea Nason '16 (Boxford, Mass.), who scored 12 points on 5-12 shooting and Allie Coppola '17 (Tarrytown, N.Y.) who also put up 12 points while pulling down five rebounds. Bernadette Connors '17 (Windham, N.H.) added eight points and a team-high five assists.
Bates got off to a hot start in the game as they went on a 9-0 run at the beginning of the first quarter behind three straight three-pointers. Davenport knocked one down from deep, followed by a Nason three and another Davenport triple.
A Davenport three later in the quarter put Bates up 14-5. But a 6-0 run from the Huskies cut the lead to three.
With 1:20 to go in the first quarter, the Huskies took their first lead of the game on a Kayla Stacy three. Neither team scored again in the quarter so USM led 18-17 at the end of one.
The second quarter turned the game into a defense struggle. Connors nailed a three to start the quarter, giving the Bobcats the two-point lead. The teams went back-and-forth after that. A Nason three gave Bates a 26-24 lead but the Huskies finished the half on a 4-0 run to take a 28-26 edge into intermission.
A Starcy three got the scoring started for the Huskies in the third quarter and they didn't look back, out-scoring the Bobcats by five points in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter as the Bobcats couldn't get any closer than to within three points down the stretch.
Ellie Ramonas led all scorers with 16 points while Megan Pelletier added 11 of her own for the Huskies.
Bates will look to pick up their first win of the season on Sunday as they welcome rival Colby to town for the Bobcats' home opener. Tip at Alumni Gym is set for 2:00.