Bates/Bowdoin Classic
Day 1
Bowdoin 72, Suffolk 60
Bates 105, Thomas 51
at Lewiston, Maine

HOSTS SWEEP IN BATES/BOWDOIN CLASSIC
Bates stomps Thomas, 105-51
Bowdoin downs Suffolk, 72-60

LEWISTON, Maine — The host institutions both won in convincing fashion in the first round of the Bates/Bowdoin Men's Basketball Classic in Alumni Gym at Bates College today. The Bowdoin Polar Bears (4-1) defeated the Suffolk University Rams (2-4) in the opener, 72-60, while the Bates College Bobcats (4-2) slammed the Thomas College Terriers (0-5) in the nightcap, 104-51.

In the second game, all 13 Bates players who got in the game scored, led by 19 from senior Ed Walker (Roxbury, Mass.) and 16 from junior C.J. Neely (No. Easton, Mass.). Sophomore John Costello (Wellesley, Mass.) and rookie Mario Lugo (Hartford, Conn.) also reached double figures, with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Senior Alex Wilson (Duxbury, Mass.) added 11 rebounds.

Bates scored 16 of the first 19 points of the game. Thomas cut the lead to six, 16-10, at the 14:54 mark, but the Bobcats answered with a 27-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 33-10 lead and would never look back, going up 56-25 at halftime. The Bobcats have scored more than 100 points in both home games this season.

Thomas was led by 14 points from rookie John Kesel (Woodland, Maine) and 12 from classmate Shelby Tucotte (Monmouth, Maine).

In the opener, Bowdoin was led by senior Greg Orlicz (Liverpool, N.Y.) in the opener. Orlicz had 25 points on nine-of-18 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Junior guard Braden Clement (Skowhegan, Maine) added 12 points and six rebounds.

Bowdoin trailed by three points, 14-11, just over five minutes into the game. At that point, the Polar Bears rattle off the next 17 points over an six-minute span to take a 28-14 lead at the 10:11 mark, a lead they would not relinquish. Orlicz and senior Hugh Coleman (Boston, Mass.) each contributed five points to the key run.

Suffolk got as close as six points at 61-55 on back-to-back field goals by sophomore Chris Fritch (Torrington, Conn.) with under four minutes to go in the game, but Bowdoin pulled away. Junior Tom Carey (Abington, Mass.) led the Rams with 20 points, connecting on eight of nine shots, including three-of-four trifectas.

The Bates/Bowdoin Classic will resume tomorrow at Morrell Gym in Brunswick. Bates will face Suffolk at 1 p.m., while Bowdoin takes on Thomas at 3 p.m.