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By JOE PETRUCCI jpetrucci@leader.net
Saturday, March 15, 2003 Page: 5B
WILKES-BARRE – So what if the Bowdoin College women’s basketball team had
to travel eight hours over two days to play an NCAA Division III sectional
game against in-state foe University of Southern Maine.
“We look at this as spring break. You’ve got to look at the positives,”
said Bowdoin junior forward Lindsay Bramwell, despite the snowfall that
greeted the Polar Bears when they arrived in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.
Bowdoin rewarded itself with another day in its newfound paradise, as
senior forward Kristi Royer led all scorers with 22 points and Bramwell made
four first-half steals to help the Polar Bears down the Huskies 64-47 on
Friday at Scandlon Gymnasium.
Freshman forward Lauren Withey and junior guard Lora Trenkle added 11
points apiece for Bowdoin (26-2), which advances to play Eastern Connecticut
(26-4), a 67-57 winner over host King’s College, in an Elite 8 game at 7
tonight at Scandlon. The winner of tonight’s game moves on to the Final Four
in Terre Haute, Ind.
Southern Maine’s 13-game winning streak was snapped and its season ends at
26-4.
One might have a difficult time believing that these were the same two
teams that went to double overtime on Dec. 2, with Bowdoin escaping with a
78-76 victory in Brunswick.
“All the members of our team knew what we could do. We were just starting
out in December,” said Royer.
Leading 28-23 at the break, Bowdoin could only maintain that five-point
lead for the first eight minutes of the second half, but at the 11:24 mark,
the Polar Bears embarked on a 17-4 run that put the game away.
Courtney Trotta’s three-pointer jump-started the run. Royer looked to take
the ball inside but was double-teamed. She promptly kicked it out to Trotta,
who buried the trey for a 41-33 lead. Royer added a layup and a three-point
play during that game-breaking stretch. Bramwell also pitched in with four
points.
Royer got stronger as the game went on. She scored 11 points, blocked two
shots and had two assists in 13 minutes of action in the second half.
“Her 22 seemed like 42,” said Southern Maine coach Gary Fifield.