BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin College women's basketball team clinched the top seed for the 2026 NESCAC Tournament with a dominating 71-31 win over Wesleyan on Friday night in Morrell Gymnasium. The Polar Bears move to 21-1 (9-0 NESCAC), two games and a tiebreaker clear of second place Bates (7-2 NESCAC) heading into the season finale Saturday. Wesleyan drops to 6-15 (1-8 NESCAC) on the year.
 
Game Highlights

• Bowdoin put the game away early, scoring the first five points of the game and building a 24-6 lead after one quarter of play on 64% shooting.
• The Polar Bears held Wesleyan scoreless for over 13 minutes of play in the first half, and extended their advantage to 31 points by halftime, 39-8.
• Bowdoin continued to roll in the second half, leading by as many as 45 points in the fourth quarter on their way to the win.

By The Numbers

• Bowdoin's suffocating defense held the Cardinals to 19% shooting and a season-low 31 points.
• The Polar Bears connected on 51% for the game, including 13-23 on three-pointers (56%).
• A balanced attack saw Payton Collins lead the team with 11 points while Maria Belardi and Jamie Yue had ten points each.
• Bowdoin finished with a 40-25 advantage on the glass and scored 19 points off turnovers.
• Bowdoin's bench scoring total (43) exceeded Wesleyan's team total by double figures.

Up Next

• Bowdoin will host Trinity on Senior Day in Morrell Gymnasium beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.