WELLESLEY, Massachusetts — Jaquann Starks tossed in 20 points and Shay Ajayi registered a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds as Trinity College ended Bates College’s postseason run with a 79-62 victory Friday night in the sectional semifinals of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship at Babson College.
Trinity (23-6) advances to the Elite 8, while Bates College of Lewiston closes out the season at 21-7.
George Papadeas added nine points and Ed Ogundeko provided eight points and seven rebounds in a balanced effort by the Bantams. Trinity shot 44 percent from the field, making eight of 13 3-pointers, and outrebounded the Bobcats 45-32.
Bates was propelled by former Camden Hills High School and Hampden Academy star Graham Safford, who finished with 20 points and four assists. Malcolm Delpeche scored 10 of his 16 points from the foul line, while Marcus Delpeche chipped in with 10 points.
Trinity pulled in front with a 12-1 first-half run that included five Starks free throws, a Chris Turnbull 3-pointer and two layups by Ogundeko. The Bantams led 31-20 with 1:59 left in the half and the Bobcats never got closer than five after that.
Women’s Basketball
Montclair 61, Bowdoin 54
At Montclair, New Jersey, Bowdoin couldn’t battle back from a 15-point halftime deficit and fell to Montclair State University in the third round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Polar Bears finish with a record of 25-5, reaching the 25-win plateau for the first time since 2007 and their 11th Sweet Sixteen appearance. Montclair (29-1) advances to play Salisbury on Saturday evening for a trip to the Division III Final Four.
In her final collegiate contest, Bowdoin senior Sara Binkhorst recorded 15 points. Marle Curle had 13 with eight rebounds while Shannon Brady scored eight points and grabbed eight caroms. Ally Silfen had nine points off the bench for the Polar Bears.
Montclair was led by 17 points from Janitza Aquino and 10 points with 17 rebounds from Mellisa Toble.
Neither team lit up the scoreboard offensively, but the Red Hawks were able to muster enough offense in the opening period to create a sizeable margin by intermission. Aquino had 10 first-half points and Rachel Krauss hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to give Montclair a 33-18 lead at the break.
The hosts extended their lead to 17 points midway through the second half, 43-26, before Bowdoin mounted a furious comeback. Sparked by five straight points from Binkhorst, the Polar Bears rolled off a 11-0 run to close the gap to 43-37 with 9:17 to go.
Bowdoin cut the lead to five points on four occasions over the next six minutes and drew within four points, 54-50, following a Curle free throw with 1:34 to go. Bowdoin got an offensive rebound and had a chance to cut into the lead further, but missed three shots to cut into the advantage. Aquino hit four free throws to extend the lead back to eight points with under a minute to go to seal the win for Montclair.
Both teams finished an identical 21 of 59 from the field, but Montclair connected on 17 of 21 from the free throw line compared to an uncharacteristic 9-17 for the Polar Bears, who entered the game as one of the top free-throw shooting teams in the nation. Bowdoin finished with a 44-42 lead on the glass.
The loss finishes the collegiate careers of Bowdoin seniors Binkhorst, Megan Phelps and Siena Mitman, who led the Polar Bears to 81 wins, three NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet Sixteen showings over their four years in Brunswick.
Softball
UMaine posts 2 shutouts
At Clearwater, Florida, Alexis Bogdanovich pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game, then Molly Flowers and Annie Kennedy combined on a two-hit shutout in the nightcap as the University of Maine won two games.
The Black Bears beat Syracuse 4-0, then blanked Army 5-0 to improve to 11-11.
In Game 1, Bogdanovich (6-2) surrendered only three hits and struck out 16 in a dominating performance.
Janelle Bouchard hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and singled to spark the offense for UMaine, which also received an RBI triple from Rachel Carlson on a run-scoring bunt single from Erika Leonard.
Starter Sydney O’Hara (3-5) gave up four hits and four runs in three innings to suffer the loss for Syracuse (9-13).
In the second game, Flowers picked up the win with 5 ⅔ innings of two-hit shutout ball with two strikeouts and a walk. Kennedy earned the save with a strikeout in 1 ⅓ innings.
Rachel Harvey hit a two-run single and an RBI hit to pace the UMaine offense. Jessica Burk rapped an RBI double and a single and Samantha Ralphs legged out a pinch-hit triple.
Losing pitcher Caroline Smith (1-5) and Hailey Megge singled for Army (7-8).
Baseball
Husson splits with Dickinson
At Winter Haven, Florida, Ben Walls pitched 6 ⅓ solid innings and Kyle Bishop knocked in two runs with a double and a single as the Eagles won the first game of a doubleheader 7-3.
Dickinson bounced back to beat Husson 10-6 in the second game.
In Game 1, Walls (1-1) spaced seven hits and three runs with five strikeouts and three walks. J.T. Whitten (RBI) and Ryan Rebar each singled twice and Brandon Gendreau hit two doubles for 2-7 Husson of Bangor. Christian Corneil and Jordan Carter smacked solo home runs.
Matt Primavera hit a solo homer and a single to pace Dickinson (2-8). Rich Hopkins posted a two-run single.
In Game 2, Steven Haynes belted a two-run double, a solo homer and a sacrifice fly to spearhead Dickinson’s 13-hit attack. Mike DeVivo added two doubles, two singles and two RBIs to back winning pitcher Jimmy Robertson.
Bishop doubled home two runs, Gendreau provided an RBI single and Rebar doubled with two runs scored for the Eagles behind starter and loser Brandon Reilly.
UM-Farmington 16, Medaille 6
At Lakeland, Florida, Ben Keene drove in five runs with four hits to propel the Beavers to a season-opening victory.
Jimmy Neal collected three hits, including a two-run double and finished with four RBIs, while Grayson Beressi tripled twice among four hits for the University of Maine-Farmington. Nate Pushard allowed three hits and one earned run and struck out two in four innings to record his first collegiate victory. Riley Pickering pitched three innings in relief.
Daniel Luppens hit a two-run double for Medaille College of Buffalo, New York.
Track and Field
USM’s Ruginski 2nd at nationals
At Winston-Salem, North Carolina, University of Southern Maine senior Jamie Ruginski of Buxton earned All-America honors for the fifth time in his career when he finished second in the long jump at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Ruginski posted a mark of 23 feet, 6 inches to take the runner-up spot behind senior Dominique Neloms of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (24-2¼).