BRUNSWICK, Maine – Ray Cuevas hit an off-balance jumper with 0.1 seconds remaining to give the Bowdoin men's basketball team a dramatic 68-67 win over the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Sunday afternoon, 68-67. The win caps a successful first semester for the Polar Bears, who enter break with a 7-3 record. The Blue Jays fall to 4-5 with the loss.
 
Game Highlights

• Bowdoin controlled much of the opening half thanks to 11 points off the bench from Benedek Maly, who sparked the Polar Bears to a ten-point lead, 34-24, before a late three-pointer by Jakari Tertulien of USJ trimmed the lead to 34-27 at the break.
• The Blue Jays came out firing in the second half, sprinting out of the break on an 11-4 surge to cut the Bowdoin lead to 38-36.
• The Polar Bears were able to main a single-digit lead until under seven minutes to play when four straight points from Lence Altendor turned a three-point lead into a one-point deficit, 58-57 USJ, with 6:17 to go.
• The Blue Jays extended their lead to as many as four points before a 9-4 run by Bowdoin with under four minutes to play saw the Polar Bears tie it on a three-pointer from Ben Chilson and take a one point edge, 66-65, on a free throw from Nolan Bessire with 3:23 on the clock.
• The defenses clamped down on the next few possessions, but USJ's Altenor drove for a lay-in to reclaim the lead, 67-66, with 1:51 to go.
• After trading scoreless possessions, the Blue Jays grabbed a defensive board with 12 seconds to play and went to the line, where they missed the front end of a 1-and-1.
• Ray Cuevas grabbed the rebound, took it the length of the court, shook off a double-team, and lofted an off-balance shot from the free throw stripe that rolled around the rim and fell, giving the Polar Bears the one-point win.

By The Numbers

• Ben Chilson led Bowdoin with 18 points and five boards while Benedek Maly finished with a clutch 16 points off the bench for the Polar Bears with five boards and two steals.
• Kevin Reeves and Ray Cuevas finished with 11 points each while Mason Dawkins had nine points, ten rebounds, and three assists.
• Both teams shot an identical 46.4% from the field but Bowdoin owned a 35-29 edge on the glass and scored 12 second chance points in the victory.

Up Next

• Bowdoin is off until New Year's Day when they travel to play at Maine Maritime at 2:00 p.m.