FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FLAHERTY NAMED NESCAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

LEWISTON, Maine — Bates College junior Carla Flaherty of Gorham, Maine, has been named New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week in WomenÕs Basketball for the week of Jan. 28 through Feb. 2.

During a weekend packed with games against in-state rivals Bowdoin and Colby, Flaherty turned out two phenomenal games. Against Bowdoin on Feb. 1, Flaherty scored a season-high 21 points, five rebounds and three assists. Of those points, 11 came in the first half when she shot five-of-eight from the floor. She also pulled down the final rebound that led to senior guard Kate Dockery's last drive. Dockery of New York, N.Y. finished by nailing two decisive free throws with less than one second left, clinching victory for the Bobcats. Also of note was the shot-clock beating bucket by first-year forward Olivia Zurek of Arlington, Mass., that thrilled a packed house in Alumni Gym. Zurek finished the night with 11 points and nine rebounds. These combined efforts pushed Bates to a 56-54 win over the undefeated Polar Bears. Before Friday night Bowdoin was ranked as the No.2 team in the nation by D3hoops.com.

On the following day, Feb. 2, Bates defeated the Colby, 63-43, when Flaherty dropped a game-high 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. Three other Bobcats, junior forward Lisa Golobski of Methuen, Mass., sophomore forward Lauren Dubois of Beverly, Mass., and Kate Dockery, each reached double digit scoring.

The two victories this weekend moved the Bobcats into third place in the NESCAC with a conference record of 4-1 and an overall record of 14-4. This week Bates faces conference foes Williams and Middlebury.

In the NESCAC, Flaherty ranks fifth in steals with 2.1 per game and seventh in field goal percentage with .427. Bates as a team is ranked third in field goal percentage in the conference. Flaherty is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game and playing time with 23.1 minutes per game.

Flaherty is a 1999 graduate of Gorham High School. She is the daughter of Greg and Jeanne Flaherty of Gorham, Maine.

For more information on Bates women's basketball, please visit our web site at http://abacus.bates.edu/sports/whoops.html.