An impressive 24-3 basketball season from the Bobcats caps off with a well-earned NESCAC championship. The stands in Morell Gymnasium were packed with over 1000 attendees as the Bates Women’s Basketball Team took down their conference rival the Bowdoin College Polar Bears on their home court.
Kayla Bridgemen ‘23 came to talk to the team giving them valuable insight before they took the court saying that this is one of the last times this specific group will be playing together and they should make the best of it.
The Bobcats certainly did, now heading into the NCAA Division III tournament with strong momentum after defeating the team that served them two of their losses this season. The first being on Dec. 4, when the Bobcats lost 70-77 in double overtime. Then again on Jan. 16, with the Bobcats losing 49-62. Needless to say, the Bobcats were hungry for a win against Bowdoin.
“Bowdoin has been a rival for a long time,” Head Coach Alison Montgomery said. She described the win as being particularly meaningful not only because it secured the NESCAC championship, but also because of the two Maine teams’ competitive history.
Montgomery has been the head coach for women’s basketball for 11 seasons. This year alongside assistant coaches Jackie Luckhardt, Jack Stannard, and Mike Seltzer, they were honored as the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
This victory tallies the second conference win in program history with the first ever taking place during the 2021-2022 season.
“We prepared every single day for this opportunity to win our conference, and we knew how deserving this group is,” Petra Kuncz ‘27 said. “Each of our losses have all emphasized different aspects of what we cannot afford if we want to achieve great things.”
With the Polar Bears chasing a perfect season and the Bobcats seeking redemption after their earlier loss, the championship clash was charged from the start.
“We knew going into it that we had put in so much work and we wanted the win bad, especially for our team this year because of how amazing our seniors are,” Abby Walsh ‘28 said. “We approached it with this mindset of we are playing together and we are playing for each other.”
Seniors Elsa Daulerio, Ava James, Sophie Spolter, and Dani Adams have anchored the team this season, bringing consistency and leadership to the lineup.
Both teams started off frantic, with turnovers on both ends and missed scoring opportunities. However, the Polar Bears began to gain offensive momentum in the paint that gave them a four-point lead over the Bobcats.
After falling behind early, back-to-back threes from Sarah Hughes ‘27 and consecutive layups from Daulerio shifted the energy, sending the game into a back-and-forth battle to end the quarter in a 16-16 tie. Hughes and Daulerio had an accomplished season, both receiving First Team All-NESCAC, and in addition, Daulerio also earned NESCAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
“…Not letting them control the pace was crucial. We knew hardships would come and we just needed to embrace them and push through,” Kuncz said.
Although the second quarter maintained the same intensity and once again ended in a tie at the half, the Bobcats were more efficient from the field, asserting offensive control while the Polar Bears relied on free throws in order to keep the pace.
Out of halftime, the Bobcats were committed to defensive pressure holding the Polar Bears to only eight points. Although the Bobcats were only up by three at the end of the quarter, they were successful in getting to the foul line, shooting five for five.
This season the Bobcats have shot 73.3% from the foul line over the Polar Bears’ 69.8%. Statistically, both teams entered the game closely matched with the Polar Bears having a slight advantage from the field and from three. However, the Bobcats had higher shot attempts and stronger three-point defense.
In the final stretch, the Bobcats began to pull away. By the sixth minute, they managed to build a 12-point advantage,the largest lead of the game.
“We had a swing where Mya Hicks had a three, and then Sarah Hughes and that felt really decisive. There was a lot of time left, but…those two shots felt like very momentous moments,” Montgomery said, describing key plays of the game.
After the final buzzer, the Polar Bears fled the scene as the Bobcats prepared for the unveiling of their much deserved NESCAC Championship trophy. Captains Daulerio and James went onto the court to accept the title, surrounded by an energized crowd of Batesies who made the trip to Brunswick in support.
Students waved Bates flags, crowding the edge of the railing to catch every second of celebration. The rest of the players on the team ran out to embrace the captains.
“There is a belief in every single person and it is amazing to see how valuable everyone’s role was in that win,” Walsh explained.
Following the unveiling of the trophy, the players took part in the tradition of cutting down the net, going one-by-one with a pair of scissors until the hoop stood netless. This moment was one that the team as well as the class of ‘26 will never forget.
