Saints Battle Against No. 12/23 Bowdoin Falls Shy in 64-55 Non-Conference Defeat

BOSTON – With every possession mattering down the stretch, the No. 12/23 Bowdoin Bears made the necessary plays in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Emmanuel Saints 17-11, and surviving an upset scare with a 64-55 victory on Andy Yosinoff Court on Monday night in non-conference play.

Bowdoin keeps their one-loss record alive, improving to 18-1 with the win while boosting their winning streak to 15 straight games. The Saints drop down to 8-9 overall in their final non-conference game of the season. Emmanuel has eight games remaining, all against Great Northeast Athletic Conference opponents.

The Polar Bears led by three entering the fourth, but faced adversity with 6:01 remaining after a three-pointer by Saints junior Paris Atuahene (Phoenix, Ariz.) put Emmanuel ahead 51-50. The game's most important stretch came over the next 2:31 as Bowdoin scored seven consecutive points, including five points for first-year Abbie Quinn (Bangor, Maine) to take a 57-51 advantage.

Emmanuel closed to within four with just over two minutes remaining, but the Polar Bears and senior Callie Godfrey (Cheshire, Conn.) quickly doubled their lead with four straight points to lead 61-53 with 1:06 remaining. Foul shots down the stretch held off any Saints run as the Polar Bears escaped Yosinoff Court with a 64-55 victory.

Bowdoin raced out to an early lead in the first quarter but a 9-0 run by the Saints showed the visiting Polar Bears that they were in for a close game on Monday night. The next 12:13, spanning the first and second quarters, was played all within one possession before a 10-2 run by Bowdoin gave them a 31-23 lead. Traded baskets at the end of the half kept the Polar Bears lead at eight at the break.

The Saints came racing out of the locker room, going on a 12-4 surge, tying the game at 37-37 with 4:02 left in the third quarter. By quarter's end, Emmanuel outscored Bowdoin 19-14 in the third, cutting the deficit down to 47-44, entering the final quarter.

Quinn scored a game-high 17 points, using 7-of-8 shooting from the line to lead to the game-best scoring output. The rookie forward added six rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Godfrey and junior Sydney Jones (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) each chipped in with 13 points. As a team, Bowdoin finished with 21 second chance points on 20 offensive rebounds, outscoring the Saints by eight in the key category.

Saints senior Kiera Eubanks (Portland, Maine) had a team-high 11 points to go along with eight rebounds and four blocks in 32 minutes. Fellow senior Shakirah Ketant (Easton, Mass.) had a team-best 11 rebounds to go with four points and two assists. Senior Olivia Matela (Swampscott, Mass.) and junior Desiree Robinson (New Haven, Conn.) chipped in with eight points each.

The Saints return to play on Wednesday, Jan. 24, welcoming Regis to Yosinoff Court for a 7:30 p.m. game and the annual Coaches vs. Cancer, Suits and Sneakers game. Bowdoin hosts Connecticut College in conference play on Friday, Jan. 26, at 7:00 p.m.