Unbeatens Bowdoin, Norwich to Meet in Holiday Inn/Naismith Classic Women's Final
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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – January 2, 2007– Two teams entered the women’s side of the 12th Annual Holiday Inn/Naismith Classic at Springfield College’s Blake Arena this afternoon unbeaten, and those same two teams emerged unbeaten, setting up a most interesting final tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 pm.
In game #1, Norwich University of Northfield, Vermont upped its record to a perfect 10-0 by defeating the host team, Springfield College, now 4-5, by a score of 60-51. In game #2, Bowdoin College of Brunswick, Maine, the nation’s #1-ranked team according to d3hoops.com, defeated Union College of Schenectady, N.Y., 64-43. Bowdoin is now 9-0, while Union falls to 2-5.
In the first game, the score was tied just once at 2-2 after SC sophomore forward Corey Finch (Hanover, Pa.) scored with 19:11 left in the first half. Norwich then scored the next eight points to take a 10-2 advantage, a lead that was never headed. The Pride cut the margin to four on two occasions (21-17 and 22-18), the latter with 7:09 left. But the Cadets went on to lead by 10 late in that half (33-23), then by eight (33-25) at the half.
In the second half, Springfield never did make a run. Norwich’s lead was always between 14 and eight points. The Cadets’ largest leads came with 6:08 left (54-40), with 3:40 left (57-43), and with 1:47 left (59-45). In the last 1:31, SC went on a 6-1 run to make the final, 60-51.
The Cadets had the luxury of a balanced attack, led by junior forward Caitlin Bailey (Barre, Vt.) with 17 points. She also had eight rebounds. She was followed by sophomore guard Kayleigh Shappy (Burlington, Vt.) with 11 points , and sophomore guard Monica Selander (Caribou, Me.) and senior guard Kristi Powlovich (Jericho, Vt.) with 10 points each. Senior forward Sarah Chap (Stockbridge, Vt.) added a game-high 15 rebounds.
For the home team, Finch led with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Sophomore center Lauren O’Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.) followed with 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Assist leaders in this contest with five each were Powlovich for the Cadets and junior guard Christine Cotter (Stoughton, Mass.) for the Pride.
Neither team shot particularly well. Norwich shot .386 from the field (22-of-57), while Springfield shot just .317 (19-of-60). Norwich also out-rebounded SC, 46-35.
In game two, it took a while for the nation’s #1-ranked team to really break the game open, but Bowdoin did so in the last seven minutes or so of the first half. With defense the name of the game, the Polar Bears were leading by a score of 18-12 with 7:50 to go in that half. Bowdoin then went on a 17-5 tear the rest of the way to lead by a score of 35-17 at the intermission.
In the second half, Union cut it to 15 on one occasion with 18:18 remaining, but that was as close as the Dutchwomen would get. Bowdoin would eventually lead by as many as 24 points twice, the first at 55-31 with 7:59 left, and finally at 64-40 with 1:12 left.
Senior forward Eileen Flaherty (Fairfield, Conn.) led the Polar Bears with 23 points. She also had seven rebounds. The only other double-figure scorer for Bowdoin was sophomore forward Jill Anelauskas (Medfield, Mass.) with 12 points. She also had a game-high 11 rebounds. Freshman forward Leah Rubega (Norwich, Conn.) chipped in with nine points and eight rebounds.
Bowdoin out-rebounded Union, 50-34. The Polar Bears also forced 23 Union turnovers, while committing 17. Bowdoin shot .385 (25-of-65), while Union shot .302 (16-of-53).
Springfield and Union will meet in the consolation game tomorrow (Wed., Jan. 3) at 1 pm. The two unbeaten teams, Bowdoin and Norwich, will meet in the championship game at 5:30 pm.
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Head Coach Naomi Graves
Entering her 19th season as head coach in 2009-10, Naomi Graves has directed her squads to an impressive 266-117 record (.695 winning percentage) since joining the Division III ranks in 1995. Graves has led the Pride to eleven post-season bids in the past 14 years, including five berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the past nine years.
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