POLAR BEARS FREEZE SAINTS, 70-49

BOSTON, Mass. –Emmanuel College dropped a 70-49 women's basketball decision to Bowdoin College on Tuesday night in the Jean Yawkey Center.  The non-conference loss opened up second semester action for the Saints, who fell to 5-8 on the season.  The visiting Polar Bears, receiving seven votes toward the Top 25 in this week's USA Today/WBCA Division III national poll, improved to 11-2 on the season with the win.  Bowdoin now holds an 11-3 all-time record versus the Saints.

The opening half featured five lead changes and four ties, before Bowdoin took over for good with 2:58 left in the first half.  After a two-minute scoreless start, Emmanuel's senior center Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) broke the silence with an and-one to give the hosts a 3-0 lead to kick things off.  Bowdoin's senior guard Sara Binkhorst (West Hartford, Conn.) matched it at the opposite end, knocking down a triple, along with the foul shot in her game-opening four-point play.  Shannon Brady (Scituate, Mass.) scored on the break for Bowdoin and Bujnowski scored twice down low for the Saints, as Emmanuel held a 7-6 advantage in the early-going.

Bujnowski and Emmanuel sophomore Jen Chalk (Horseheads, N.Y.) sunk buckets in the post for EC, forcing a Polar Bear timeout with Bowdoin trailing 13-9 and 12:40 remaining in the half.  Senior forward Megan Phelps (Southwst Harbor, Maine) scored in the lane for Bowdoin, nearing the ten-minute mark, as the visitors tried to chip away at Emmanuel's four-point edge (17-13).

A runner by freshman guard Sasha Puglisi (Cross River, N.Y.) put the Saints up 19-15 and forced a thirty second timeout by the Polar Bears with 6:18 on the clock.  Coming out of the timeout, Bowdoin's sophomore guard Marle Curle (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) drained consecutive three-balls, knotting the contest at 21-all with four minutes to play in the half.

Phelps dialed in from downtown to give Bowdoin a 26-23 lead, an advantage the Polar Bears would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.  Emmanuel's Sarah Higgins (Groveland, Mass.) stuck a baseline jumper, before the Polar Bears went 6 for 6 from the line in the final minutes of the half.  Puglisi netted a deep three as time expired for the Saints, to bring the spread to 32-28, heading into the locker room at halftime.

Bujnowski's 11 points led the Saints at the break.  Curle matched her with a team-high 11 points for the Polar Bears.  Emmanuel shot 52.2% (13-25) from the floor in the opening frame, while Bowdoin connected on 50% (5-10) of their tries from behind the arc.

Bowdoin opened the second half on a 9-2 run, forcing a quick timeout be the Saints, who found themselves down 41-30, six minutes into the period.  Rookie forward Alexis Ezell (Acworth, Ga.) scored in the post to cut the Bowdoin lead back into single digits at the thirteen-minute mark.

Trailing 43-33, EC's freshman guard Ryan Maynard (Bowie, Md.) drained a three, but the Saints would net just one field goal over the ensuing six minutes, as the Polar Bears went on a 14-5 run.  Following a baseline three by Binkhorst with 6:02 remaining, the Polar Bears stretched their lead to 62-44.

Bowdoin allowed just one field goal by the Saints over the final seven and a half minutes of the game and the visitors pulled out the 70-49 win.  The Polar Bears' defense forced 23 turnovers by the Saints, as Emmanuel's 52% field goal shooting dropped to just 25% in the second half.

Bowdoin's balanced attack featured four players scoring in double-figures, led by Binkhorst's 19 points, four rebounds and four assists.  Curle finished with 17 points and seven boards, including going 3-3 from behind the arc.  Phelps and Brady chipped in with 13 and 10 points, respectively, in the win.

Bujnowski shot 7-9 from the floor on the night to finish with 16 points and eight rebounds.  Chalk netted 12 points, while Higgins added with seven points, four rebounds and three steals for the Saints.

Emmanuel is not back in action until next Wednesday, January 14th, when the Saints host Albertus Magnus College in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opening game at 7:00 PM.  Bowdoin plays again on Friday, hosting Connecticut College in a 7:00 PM tip.