Bowdoin 88, Bates 72
at Lewiston, Maine

BOWDOIN TOP BATES IN NESCAC OPENER, 88-72

LEWISTON, Maine -- Junior center David Baranowski hit 11 of 13 shots from the field to lead the visiting Bowdoin College Polar Bears (9-2, 1-0 NESCAC) to an 88-72 conference victory over their in-state rival, the Bates College Bobcats (5-6, 0-1).

The teams played even in the first half, with Bowdoin taking a 37-34 lead into the locker room. Bates was paced in the first stanza by first year forward C.J. Neely (No. Easton, Mass.) who scored a game-high 10 first-half points in his first career start.

Bowdoin pulled away in the opening moments of the second stanza, outscoring the Bobcats 21-10 over the first seven minutes. Baranowski had eight of the Polar Bear points in the run, while senior Wil Smith had seven, including a 3-pointer to start the half. Bates closed to within five points at the eight minute mark thanks to a pair of trifectas from sophomore forward Alex Wilson (Duxbury, Mass.) that capped a 14-5 run, but Baranowski's ninth consecutive field goal of the game stopped the Bobcats' momentum. Bowdoin made 15-of-19 free throws down the stretch to help expand the lead.

Bates' Wilson led all scorers with 25 points, while Baranowski had 23 for the Polar Bears. Both shared game-high honors with eight rebounds, with Baranowski picking five on the offensive glass. Junior guard Stephen McKinnon had 18 points for Bowdoin, including 12-of-15 from the line, while sophomore Billy Hart (Haverhill, Mass.) had 16 for the Bobcats. Bowdoin shot 51.8 percent from the field (29-56) as a team and 81.2 percent from the line (26-32), while Bates hit 42.9 percent from 3 point range (9-21).

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