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Volume CXXXII, Number 12 |
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Women ballers surging past competitors
JENN LARAIA
STAFF WRITER
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| The Polar Bears put their tough defense on display in practice. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient) |
While most people were enjoying a few weeks of relaxation during winter break, the Bowdoin Women's Basketball Team was hard at work, braving the cold Maine winter to get in some wins.
It wasn't just the snowy wonderland of Brunswick that brought these hard-core hoopsters back to school. The team kicked off the New Year with a tournament in sunny California where the Polar Bears collected one win and one loss.
Returning to Bowdoin, the Polar Bears spent the rest of break improving their record to 12-1. On January 7, the Polar Bears handed Husson College a crushing defeat, 76-41. Two days later, the Bowdoin team was victorious against Plymouth State in a closer game, 78-71.
The following week, the Polar Bears defeated three NESCAC teams, Colby (76-66), Trinity (75-48), and Amherst (91-61). Against the Mules, the Polar Bears had five players in double figures. Kristi Royer '03 scored 13 points, while Erika Nickerson '05 scored 12; Courtney Trotta '04 and Lora Trenkle '04 each chipped in 11, and Justine Pouravelis '06 added ten points.
At Trinity, Trenkle paced the team with 17 points, while Royer and Nickerson each chipped in 14. Alison Smith '05 and Lindsay Bramwell '04 each scored seven. In the Polar Bears' massacre of the Lord Jeffs, Royer and Nickerson led the team in scoring, netting 22 and 20 points respectively. Trenkle and Pouravelis also reached double-figures, each scoring ten points.
This week, co-captain Royer was honored with a NESCAC Player of the Week selection for her high-scoring performances in the past three NESCAC games. Royer is currently averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
This past Thursday, the Polar Bears traveled to Lewiston where they defeated Bates 66-48. Trenkle dominated Bowdoin's scoring by hitting three three-pointers, seven two-point shots, and two free throws. In total, she netted a game high of 25 points. Trenkle also crashed the boards for ten rebounds.
Thanks to her consistent play, Trenkle is poised to reach the 1,000-point mark, as she is currently stuck at 997 career points. Royer also reached double figures with 13 points, while Smith, Lauren Withey '06, and Bramwell scored eight, seven, and six points respectively. With the victory, the Polar Bears have extended their record to 13-1.
Co-captain Corinne Pellegrini '03 explained the team's formula for success: "A sports fan may think that a basketball team of fifteen people would have a hard time developing chemistry, but not our team. On and off the court, all fifteen of us work hard to contribute to our team's chemistry." The team will count on its depth of talent in tournament and post-season play.
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