Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information

Box Score

BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College women's basketball team won its second straight NESCAC Championship this afternoon, taking a 68-57 win over Middlebury in the NESCAC Title Game at Morrell Gymnasium in Brunswick. With the win, the Polar Bears (24-1) earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while Middlebury (22-5) will hope for an at-large berth when pairings and game times are announced on Sunday evening.

Both teams came out firing in the first half as the Polar Bears took a 13-9 edge just five minutes into the game. Bowdoin raced on a 15-0 run over the next five minutes as Jessie Mayol, Lora Trenkle and Kristi Royer all connected for three-pointers to lift the Polar Bears to a 28-9 lead with 9:53 remaining in the first half. Middlebury chipped away at the lead and closed the gap to 12 points, 39-27, on a Megan McCosker three-pointer just before the intermission.

The decisive run took place early in the second half as Bowdoin, leading 44-32, raced on a 15-3 spurt to take a 59-35 lead with 11:04 left in the game. The Polar Bears would lead by as many as 25 points before the Panthers rallied to score 17 of the game's final 19 points. Royer had 19 points and five boards to lead Bowdoin, as Trenkle (15) and Mayol (11) also reached double-digits for Bowdoin. Middlebury was led by Kristin Hanley's 15 points and seven rebounds, while McCosker finished with 14.

2002 NESCAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - uesday, Feb. 19 at Higher Seeds
at No. 2 Middlebury 67, No. 7 Wesleyan 40
at No. 3 Bates 77, No. 6 Trinity 59
at No. 4 Williams 63, No. 5 Colby 60

Semifinals - Saturday, Feb. 23 at Bowdoin
at No. 1 Bowdoin 56, No. 4 Williams 40
No. 2 Middlebury 61, vs. No. 3 Bates 56

Championship Sunday, Feb. 24 at Bowdoin
at No. 1 Bowdoin 68, No. 2 Middlebury 57