Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – Junior guard Kaitlin Donahoe (Amherst, N.Y.) scored a team-high 20 points and hit clutch second half baskets to lead the Bowdoin College Polar Bears to a hard-won 75-68 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament Friday night at Ben Light Gymnasium in Ithaca, N.Y.
With the win Bowdoin improves to 20-7 and advances to play the winner of the Ithaca College Bombers vs. Elms College Blazers game on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Southern Maine concludes its season with a 21-7 record.
Donahoe was 5-for-13 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line and chipped in with five assists to lead Bowdoin. Senior guard Amy Hackett (Bangor, Maine) added 14 points, senior guard Jill Henrikson (Bath, Maine) tossed in 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while sophomore guard Allie Piscina (Pelham, N.Y.) had a solid game off of the bench for the Polar Bears with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
Southern Maine senior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) notched her 15th double-double of the season with 20 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Senior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) added 17 points and set the USM record for three-pointers in a season with 78. Garland was 6-for-10 from the field including a trio of threes. Junior forward Jordan Grant (Concord, N.H.) added 11 points and eight rebounds off of the bench and junior forward Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) tossed in nine point and grabbed five rebounds.
With the score tied at 58 following one of two free throws from USM's Grant, Bowdoin strung together a 6-0 run to grab a 64-58 lead with 3:59 to play. Piscina scored a jumper in the paint for the Polar Bears while Donahoe capped the run with a tough lay-up in the paint.
Cochran cut the scoring drought for the Huskies with a lay-in, but freshman forward Megan Phelps (Southwest Harbor, Maine) hit a dagger of a three pointer for a 67-60 Bowdoin lead with 3:25 on the clock.
The Huskies countered with a 6-2 run with a Cochran layup, an acrobatic drive from Garland and a pull up jumper from sophomore guard Erin McNamara to trail 69-66 with 1:30 remaining.
However, the Polar Bears were able to hold off the Huskies at the free throw line as Donahoe helped Bowdoin outscore USM 6-2 in the final moments of play for the 75-68 final.
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