Against University of the South, the Bobcats had a relatively easy time of it, jumping out to a 24-6 lead in the first nine minutes and never looking back. Five Bobcats reached double figures, including first-year guard Colleen McCrave, who led the team with 18 points and also tied a school record by making 10 steals. Also in double figures for Bates were first-year forward A.T. Taylor (16 points), senior point guard Dianna Devlin (14 points), junior center Sarah Bonkovsky (13 points) and senior forward Colleen Matlen (11 points)
Bowdoin was able to take advantage of Bates foul trouble and lack of size inside to escape with a ten point victory. Once again, five Bobcats placed in double figures, but were outshot by their NESCAC rivals, 60% to 36%. In addition, Devlin, McCrave and Taylor all fouled out and ended with limited playing time, though McCrave once again recorded a double-double, this time with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
In the first game at Babson, the Bobcats took a 22-point advantage in the first half to secure the lead for good, eventually going on to win handily by the score of 93-42. Bates had a balanced scoring attack, with all of their starters in double figures. Devlin led the scoring with her 23 points. Taylor scored 16 points and chipped in 13 rebounds, while McCrave scored 13 points and had 9 assists for the Bobcats.
In the championship game against Babson, Bates didn't enjoy a large lead, but held on the whole way. They took a 7-point advantage into the locker room at halftime. Bates outscored Babson again in the second half to win the tournament, defeating Babson 85-75. The key seemed to be foul shooting. Bates was 17-20 from the line while the Beavers could manage just 9-20. For the Bobcats in game two, Amy Taylor earned tournament MVP honors for her stellar performance with 26 points, 5 rebounds. Sarah Bonkovsky made the all-tournament team, scoring 18 points and adding 11 rebounds in game 1, and by scoring 14 points and adding 6 more rebounds in game two. The Bobcats are now 4-2 on the year.
In addition to the fifth spot in the MWBCA poll, several players earned individual honors. A.T. Taylor was named NESCAC Player of the Week, MWBCA Rookie of the Week and New England Women's Basketball Association Co-Rookie of the Week by averaging 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds on the week. Dianna Devlin was named to the MWBCA Honorable mention list for averaging 18.7 points and 7.3 assists per game. Devlin leads all of Maine with 8 assists per game, while Colleen McCrave's 6.6 steals is tops in the state. Taylor's 17.6 points per game are fourth in the state, while the team's 81.1 points per game average ranks second.
Against the Polar Bears on Nov. 28, Bates opened the game on a 14-4 run and maintained the lead the rest of the way, cruising to the 86-66 win. Piandes led the way with 24 points, including 9-9 from the line, and seven assists, while junior forward Mike Marsh added 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Bobcats were able to empty the bench in this one, as 15 of 16 eligible players saw playing time.
The team took to the road on Dec. 2 to defeat Maine Maritime Academy, 87-60. Bates and Maine Maritime played a close first half, with Bates being on top 40-30 at the break. But they again outscored Maine Maritime in the second half, giving them the 87-60 victory. For the Bobcats, Piandes led the scoring attack with 20 points, and also had a team high 12 assists. Marsh chipped in 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bobcats' completed the trifecta with their triumph over UNE, 93-89. In a tightly fought contest, the Bobcats went into the locker room up 48-45. They pulled away with an 8-0 run two minutes into the second half. While UNE answered with a 6-0 run of their own to close the gap to two with 5:04 left in the game, Bates was able to hold them off. The key play of the last two minutes was made by Mike Marsh. With the score 88-86 Bates, Marsh first turned the ball over at half court. The Knights called time out to run a set play, but Marsh ruined things, stepping in front of a pass and converting the lay-up at 42 seconds. For the game, Marsh had 27 points and nine boards, while junior guard Matt Garvey added 23 on 7-15 shooting from 3- point range.
The key moment of the game, however, came at 11:43 of the first half, when Piandes stepped behind the 3-point arc and nailed a jumper for his 11th point of the game and 1000th of his career. Over the past week, he averaged 20.7 points and 7.3 assists per game. He is also averaging 8 assists per game for the season, 2nd in the state of Maine.
12/9 Alumni Meet