Bates 74, Westfield State 67
at Westfield, Mass.

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Junior forward Kate McLaughlin (Laconia, N.H.) was one of four Bates College players to score in double figures as the Bobcats downed the Westfield State College Owls (1-2), 74-67, on the road.

The Bobcats used their trademark full-court press to jump out to a 19-4 lead after nine minutes of play. Westfield battled back to cut the lead to 37-31 at halftime, and eventually took a brief 45-43 lead with 14 minutes left in the game. The Bobcats answered with a 25-13 run over the next 11 minutes to take a 68-58 lead. After the Owls climbed back to 68-64 with 45 seconds remaining, the Bobcats hit three free throws down the stretch to close things out.

McLaughlin led all Bates scorers with 18 points on eight-of-13 shooting. McLaughlin also had a game-high six steals, as the Bobcats forced 30 turnovers. Senior guard Jolene Thurston (Post Mills, Vt.) had 12 points, mostly from her seven-of-11 performance from the free throw line. First-year forward Marcy Grossman (Eastsound, Wash.) had another solid game off the bench, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds. Senior forward Emily King (Lebanon, N.H.) had 10 points and a team-high six rebounds. Click here for full box score