AMHERST, Mass. - Senior co-captain Katie Bergeron scored a NESCAC Tournament-record 29 points as the Bowdoin women's basketball blitzed Colby 79-63 in the semifinals of the conference championship Saturday. The Polar Bears improve to 22-4 and will take on top-seeded Amherst College Sunday at noon in LeFrak Gymnasium for a shot at their ninth conference title. The Mules drop to 21-5 and will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Colby, which had its eight-game win streak snapped, got 18 points and 11 rebounds from Jules Kowalski, while Bowdoin used Bergeron's performance to defeat its in-state rival for the third time this season. Saturday's result increased Bowdoin's win streak to seven games and avenged the 75-64 victory the Mules earned over the Polar Bears in last year's conference semifinals.
Colby took a 7-4 lead on a pair of free throws by Kowalski, but Bowdoin scored the next 11 points to build a 15-7 advantage with 12:54 remaining in the opening half. The Mules cut their deficit to three points on a trey from Kowalski and again on a free throw by Rachel Mack '12, but the Polar Bears again responded by going on a 13-1 run that was capped off by a Bergeron three-pointer. Bowdoin led by 15 on three occasions, including with 50 seconds to go after a Bergeron layup, but Kowalski closed the half with a three-point play that made it a 38-26 game.
Bergeron led all players with 16 points in the opening period thanks to 5-of-6 shooting and a 4-for-4 performance at the line, as the Polar Bears shot 59.1 percent from the floor and were 3-of-6 from behind the arc. Kowalski had 10 points and seven boards for the Mules, who shot only 27.3 percent in the opening half.
Amy Hackett took charge to bump Bowdoin's lead to 19 points six minutes into the second period, as the Polar Bears led by at least 12 until Colby's Aarika Ritchie made it a 57-47 game with 8:13 to play. Bowdoin pushed right back with a 7-0 run that was capped by a Bergeron triple from the corner, and the Bears led by double digits the rest of the way.
Bergeron's 29 points bested the previous record of 28, which was set by Trinity's Sarah Cox back in the 2006 quarterfinals. Hackett added 14 points for Bowdoin, while Kaitlin Donahoe '13 had 11. Ritchie finished with 17 points for the Mules, who entered the game leading the NESCAC in rebounding margin but lost Saturday's battle on the glass, 38-29.
Amherst (2008, 2010) and Bowdoin (2001-07, 2009) have combined to win all 10 NESCAC titles, as the rest of the conference will have to wait at least one more year for that streak to end. Tickets for Sunday's championship will be $5 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens. Children under the age of 12 and Amherst College students with a valid ID will be admitted free of charge. Doors to LeFrak Gymnasium will open at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. A live webcast and live statistics will be available.
