BOX
SCORE
AMHERST, Mass. - Junior forward Leah Rubega's last-second lay-in
lifted the Bowdoin College women's basketball team to a 63-61
victory over fourth-ranked Amherst on Friday evening. The Polar
Bears improve to 15-4 (3-1 NESCAC) this season as the Jeffs lose
for the first time this season and drop to 18-1 (3-1). The win
snaps Amherst's 25-game home-court winning streak.
Bowdoin jumped out to an early lead, sparked by an Alexa Kaubris
three-pointer to take a 14-6 edge in the opening moments. The teams
traded buckets for the remainder of the half, with Amherst rallying
to tie the score at 19. Bowdoin regained the advantage thanks to 11
first-half points from Jill Henrikson, and carried a 36-32 lead
into the break.
The Polar Bears extended their lead to nine points, 43-34, on a
pair of quick inside scores early in the second period. Amherst
chipped away at the lead and closed to within three points, 54-51
when Shannon Finucane connected on a three-pointer with six minutes
remaining. Amherst forced a Bowdoin turnover and got a pair of free
throws from Jaclyn Daigneault closed the margin to a single point
at 54-53 on a pair of free throws.
Leah Rubega put Bowdoin up three points on a lay-up, before Long
and Finucane hit four straight free throws to give Amherst their
first lead of the night at 57-56 with 2:54 to play. Henrikson
finished off a three-point play on the next Polar Bear trip to
steal the lead right back.
Amherst caught a break with 1:38 left, as Kaubris was whistled for
a foul on an offensive rebound attempt. Long was sent to the line
for Amherst, and calmly knocked down a 1-and-1 to tie the game
59-59. Finucane set the offense for the Jeffs, and found Leyman
inside for a right-handed scoop to take the lead back.
Bowdoin tied the game at 61-61 with :36 seconds to play on a pair
of Kaubris free throws, giving Amherst a chance to hold for the
last shot. The Polar Bears forced a turnover from the Lord Jeffs,
and called a timeout with 10.3 seconds to play. Senior Maria Noucas
brought the ball up the court, drove the lane and rifled a pass
inside to Rubega. With a defender at her back, the junior forward
turned and got a shot off at the buzzer that banked, rattled on the
rim and dropped for the game-winner.
Henrikson finished with a team-high 16 points for the Polar Bears
while Kaubris ended with 14.
