Box Score LEWISTON, Maine – Senior Allie Coppola (Tarrytown, N.Y./Hackley School) posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, both game-high totals, to lead the Bates College Bobcats to a 75-60 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday night at Alumni Gymnasium.
With the win, Bates improves to 1-1 on the season. Southern Maine, playing three of its first four games on the road, is now 1-3.
Narrowly trailing Southern Maine 35-32 at the half, Bates outscored USM 26-13 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Junior Emily Freedman (Marblehead, Mass.) scored 10 of the Bobcats' points in the quarter, and finished with 15 in the game, to give her team a 58-48 lead heading into the fourth. Bates closed the third quarter on a 10-3 run, including four points from freshman Kelli Kennedy (Millbridge, Maine/Narraguagus), three from Freedman and three from junior Nina Davenport (Freeport, Maine).
Southern Maine cut into the Bobcats lead early and trailed by eight, 62-54, after a driving layup from junior Kayla Stacy (Auburn, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) with 6:46, but Bates responded with another 10-3 run to lead 72-57 with 1:44 to play, which was capped by a traditional three-point play from Coppola.
Coppola was one of four players in double figures for the Bobcats, finishing the game 7-for-14 from the field and with four assists. Junior Lyse Henshaw (Brunswick, Maine) added 16 points, knocking down a trio of three pointers, while Freedman was 5-for-9 from the floor for her 15 points, adding five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Davenport finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Bernadette Connors (Windham, N.H.) added nine points and a game-high 10 assists.
Southern Maine freshman Chantel Eells (Turner, Maine/Leavitt) and junior Miranda Nicely (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) each scored 12 points to lead the Huskies. Eells overcame a slow first half to notch a season and career-high adding six rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot. Junior Emily Nicholson (Quispamsis, New Brunswick/Kennebecasis Valley) and freshman Katie Howe (New Boston, N.H./Goffstown) each had eight points, with Nicholson grabbing seven rebounds, and Howe dishing out four assists.
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