Volume CXXXIII, Number 11 November 30, 2001 f

Women's basketball defeats USM, stands with record of 4-0
LAUREN McNALLY
ORIENT STAFF

The women of Bowdoin basketball, after earning four wins already this season, are clearly the most electrifying heroines in Bowdoin sports entertainment and are well on their way to proving their place as one of the nation's best teams once again.

Sophomore Kristina Fugate lines up a shot in practice this week. (Colin LeCroy, Bowdoin Orient)

On the weekend of November 17, the Polar Bears traveled to the Boston area where they won the Wellesley Invitational, with a 56-55 overtime victory over the home team on Sunday.

They demonstrated strong shooting in the first half-41 percent-and held a 28-23 lead at the half.

In the second frame, Wellesley rose to the challenge and made 11 free throws, while Bowdoin couldn't muster any. The score was tied at 52-52 at the end of regulation, and the game went into overtime.

The Bears scored four points in the overtime period, outpacing Wellesley's three and earning the victory. Sophomore Lora Trenkle had 19 points and was 3-5 from three point range, while senior Jessie Mayol scored 15 points and made three of four three's.

Mayol had nothing but praise for her fellow teammates after the tournament. "The Wellesley game was one of the best games I've played in…the team really showed a lot of heart, confidence and determination," she said. "With [junior Kristi Royer] on the bench with foul trouble, younger, less experienced players needed to step up, and they responded very well.

"So many crucial plays happened in the last few minutes of that game," Mayol continued. "That win was one of the best 'team' victories I've played in, and that's a credit to all twelve members."

On the following Tuesday, as everyone else geared up their abdominal cavities for the big T-day dinner, the Polar Bears took a hard-fought 80-66 victory over the University of New England, the women's first home game of the season.

In the first half, the Nor'easters kept the Bears on their claws, forcing Bowdoin to end the frame with only a three-point (34-31) edge. As New England quickly closed the gap to 34-33 after halftime, Mayol cracked down on the Nor'easters' ambition with a three pointer, reclaiming the Bear lead at 37-33. First year Erika Nickerson then increased the lead to 39-33, but UNE answered again to make it 39-37.

Trenkle and Royer then decided to shine some Bowdoin sun on the chilly Nor'easters, posting 17 and 20 points in the second half, respectively. Combined with free throws, the Bowdoin lead spiraled toward an 80-66 win.
Trenkle ended the game with 28 points, and Royer totaled 26 of her own, 20 of which were scored in the second half. For her efforts in that game and her 13 points-per-game scoring average, Royer was named NESCAC Player of the Week on Monday.

Junior Corinne Pellegrini noted that the team learned a lot from the game. "UNE was an interesting game, because it wasn't the best we've ever played," she said. "We should have won by a much bigger margin; luckily, we're a talented team, and that talent got us through much of the game.

"We did come out on top, but we learned that we need to approach every game with the same amount of intensity, regardless of who we're playing," she added.

The women did just that on Tuesday at the University of Southern Maine, as Royer scored a game-high 14 points to help the Bears overcome a slow start for a 49-40 win.

Early in the game, the Bears trailed USM 8-0. Not discouraged, they went 22-9 for the remainder of the first half and held a 22-17 lead going into halftime.
Royer hit two free throws in the second half to increase Bowdoin's lead to 31-24, but USM closed to 31-28 with 11:46 remaining.

Trenkle answered by throwing down two three-pointers, sealing the game for the Bears.

"Games versus USM are always a lot more up-tempo, which I think is good for us," Mayo said. "The victory over USM was a credit to our defense. We played predominately with a 2-3 trapping zone that took away their inside game and forced a lot of turnovers.

"It was a low-scoring game (49-40), because neither team shot the ball very well (Bowdoin 24 percent, USM 29)," she said. "But our offense will come, and when it does, it'll be scary to see how good we can really be."

The victory put the Polar Bears at 4-0 and earned them the #14 spot in Tuesday's national poll.

Feel like taking a road trip? Follow the women to Rhode Island tomorrow, where they take on Roger Williams at 4:00 pm.