BRUNSWICK, Maine — The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team closed the game on a 11-0 run to beat Ithaca College, 71-66, in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday evening at Morrell Gymnasium.
Sophomore Marle Curle hit a pair of huge 3-pointers to help the Polar Bears (25-4) rally from a seven-point deficit with under four minutes to play to advance to their 11th Sweet Sixteen and first since 2012. The Bombers finish at 23-6.
Bowdoin advances to play Montclair (N.J.) State in the Sectional semifinals next Friday evening. Sectional sites will be announced on Sunday.
Curle hit a game-tying and go-ahead 3-pointer to finish with a career-high 23 points. She also had five rebounds and four steals, including a swipe with under two minutes to go with the game tied at 66. Shannon Brady scored 21 points and had five rebounds and five blocks in the win for Bowdoin while Kate Kerrigan had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Ithaca featured a balanced attack that was led by 14 points from Samantha Klie, who also had four assists. Alex Gilligan and Keri Steele had a dozen points for the Bombers while Ally Mnich had 11.
With a chance for Ithaca to regain the lead, Curle stepped up again for Bowdoin, swiping the ball. With the shot clock running down and the game clock under 1:15 to play, Curle set up from the top of the arc and swished another long 3-pointer to give the Polar Bears a 69-66 lead.
Ithaca had several chances to cut into the Bowdoin lead, but missed a pair of free throws. Keri Steele stepped up for a potential game-tying 3-pointer, but Shannon Brady blocked the shot and gained the rebound. Bowdoin sealed the win at the free throw line to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
FDU-Florham 91, UNE 75
At Madison, New Jersey, Saturday night, sophomore guard Alyssa McDonough tallied 19 of her team-high 28 points in the second half and No. 4 Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham surged out of a three-point halftime lead on the way to the victory over the University of New England in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.
The Devils (28-1) — last season’s national champion — move into the Sweet 16 where they will take on SUNY Geneseo next Friday.
The Nor’easters finish the year with a 24-6 mark and a third straight appearance in the round of 32. Each of the last two times, the team advancing past UNE has reached the Final Four.
McDonough nearly recorded a triple-double for the hosts, collecting 10 rebounds and dishing out eight assists to go with her point total, which included an 11-of-11 effort at the free throw line. Senior guards Kara Dayon, Kyra Dayon, and Leigh-Ann Lively notched 16 points, 11 points and 11 boards, and 10 points, respectively. Junior guard Alicia Cox had 12 points in support.
For UNE, senior Kelly Coleman dropped in a season-best 28 points and secured nine rebounds. Junior Meghan Gribbin had 18 points and five assists, and classmate Sadie DiPierro tossed in five 3-pointers to conclude with 17 points and six rebounds. Junior Lauren Hayden corralled a team-high 11 boards.
Men’s Basketball
Bates 68, Stockton 59 (OT)
At Galloway, New Jersey, the Bates College men’s basketball advanced to the NCAA Division III men’s basketball Sweet 16 for the first time in school history Saturday night, beating host Stockton in overtime.
The Bobcats (21-6) knocked out St. Vincent on Friday. They’ll move on to face a more familiar foe, NESCAC rival Trinity, in the third round next Friday, at a site to be determined. A berth in the sectional final will be at stake.
Junior Mike Boornazian continued his torrid shooting, leading Bates with 18 points and seven rebounds. He also was 6-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Malcolm Delpeche, a sophomore, added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Graham Safford chipped in 14 points and was 5-for-6 from the line.
Adam Philpott had eight points and Marcus Delpeche yanked down 10 boards for the Bobcats.
Anthony Woodard sparked a late comeback for Stockton (23-6) and led the Ospreys with 17 points. Josh Blamon finished with 14 and Armin Cane had 10.
Bates scored the final 10 points in overtime.
Safford’s two free throws gave the Bobcats the lead for good, 60-59, with 2:27 left. That followed an exchange in which Safford supplied the lead with a 3-pointer and Woodward took it back on a layup.
Billy Selmon added a free throw and Marcus Delpeche delivered a putback dunk for a 63-59 cushion with 26 seconds to go, before the Bobcats pulled away at the line.
Boornazian’s 3-pointer gave Bates a 55-51 lead with 2:58 left in regulation.
The Bobcats went cold, however, and were kept off the board until the horn. Woodward closed the gap with two free throws, and his layup forced overtime.
Bates jumped out to a 10-0 lead and was up by as many as 16 in the first half. It was 33-23 at intermission.
Defensively, the Bobcats harassed the Ospreys into 4-for-29 shooting from 3-point range. They also won the battle on the boards for the second consecutive night by a 48-34 margin.
The Bobcats trailed for only 1:49 in the game.