LEWISTON, Maine –Senior
Tara Flanders (Windham, Maine) and sophomore
Mackenzie Roderick (South China, Maine/Erskine Academy) each scored in double-figures but it was not enough as the Bates College Bobcats held off the University of Southern Maine Huskies 67-60 in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday night at Alumni Gymnasium.
Flanders led Southern Maine with 15 points and nine rebounds (both team-high totals) on 6-for-13 shooting from the field, including a 2-fo-3 mark from three-point range. Roderick matched her career-high coming off the bench for 12 points on a 5-for-6 effort from the floor and a 2-for-2 mark from three. Senior
Liz Cote (Conway, N.H./Kennett) and junior
Jade Smedberg (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) each had nine points. Smedberg added six rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Cote had three assists and a blocked shot.
Bates was led by 12 points from Mya Hicks, while Alyson Kennedy and Alexandra Long each had 10 points. Davina Kabantu had eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Elsa Daulerio had nine points, and four blocked shots. The Bobcats finished with 11 blocked shots in the game.
The Records:
Southern Maine (1-4)
Bates College (4-0)
Today's game marked the 58
th meeting between the University of Southern Maine Huskies and the Bates College Bobcats. Southern Maine leads the overall series 41-17. Bates has won the last three meetings consecutively, including a 68-56 win on February 6, 2023.
How It Happened:
- Southern Maine started the game strong and led 10-6 with just over four minutes left in the first on a layup from Cote following a steal from Smedberg, but Bates scored six straight to take a 12-10 lead with 2:23 in the quarter on a jumper from Danielle Adams. Flanders equalized for USM, and Roderick scored in the paint for a 14-12 lead before both teams traded baskets to close out the frame. Long connected on a layup with second remaining to keep Bates up 19-18.
- Southern Maine outscored the Bobcats 13-8 in the second to take a 31-27 lead into the half. Flanders had four points and five rebounds in the second quarter to pace the Huskies. USM trailed 24-18 early in the second on a layup from Daulerio, but freshman Campbell Doughty (Ashland, Va./Hanover) came off the bench to can a three, senior Tamrah Gould (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Memorial) scored in the paint and Flanders hit a three for an eight-point swing and a 26-24 USM lead with 4:07 to play in the half. USM closed out the half outscoring Bates 5-1 for the 31-27 break.
- Bates seized the game from the Huskies in the third, outscoring Southern Maine 20-9 in the quarter. The Huskies were just 3-for-13 from the field in the quarter, while Bates was 7-for-14, including three three-pointers. Bates opened the third with an 8-2 run capped by a three from Daulerio to take the lead for good 34-31 at the 5:31 mark. USM pulled to within one on a jumper and three from Flanders back to back to trail 37-36, but Bates closed the third on a 10-4 run to take a 47-40 lead into the fourth.
- Bates used another 10-4 run to open the fourth snagging its biggest lead of the game 57-44 on a layup from Kabantu and stayed comfortably in front of the Huskies the rest of the way. The Huskies rallied to make it a two-possession game, 63-57 with 36 seconds to play on a 6-2 run capped by a three from Cote, and trailed by five on a three from Smedberg with 11 seconds to go, but Bates converted when needed to earn the win.
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Inside The Stats:
- Southern Maine finished the game shooting a season-best 40.0 percent (24-for-60) from the field, including 39.1 percent (9-for-23) from three-point range.
- Southern Maine outrebounded the Bobcats 43-31. It is the first time this season that the Huskies have outrebounded their opponent. Flanders (9) and Gould (7) led the way on the boards for USM.
- Southern Maine turned the ball over 15 times compared to seven turnovers for Bates. Bates converted 14 points off of Husky miscues, while USM scored two.
Up Next:
Southern Maine is back in action hosting Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on Sunday (5:30 pm). The Huskies remain at home for the next contest hosting UMaine Farmington on Wednesday, November 29 (5:30 pm) before starting their LEC schedule on the road at Keene State on Saturday, December 2 (1:00 pm).
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