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Volume CXXXIII, Number 11 |
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Four-game winning streak kicks off season
MARIO LOPEZ
STAFF WRITER
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| Players battle it out in the key during a scrimmage. The mens basketball team, which will play at Bates tomorrow, is currently undefeated. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient) |
Off to a great pre-season start, the Bowdoin Men's Basketball Team has proven that hard work does indeed pay off.
The men took it all in the University at Maine Farmington Hight Memorial Tournament, which was held on November 21 and 22. They dominated the Thomas College Terriers 114-64 and went on to defeat the UMF Beavers 62-48.
Against Thomas, point guard Kevin Bradley '07 set the tempo early in the game. Bradley a.k.a. "Spyda," dazzled the crowd with his stylish passing and "stop on the dime" crossovers. He racked up 11 points and 7 assists.
The Polar Bears out-rebounded the Terriers 74-29 and received a huge spark off the bench from Steve Kerm '05, who had a career high 17 points. Kerm a.k.a. "Corey Gildart," shot perfectly from the floor, connecting on five of five three-pointers and two of two free throws in just nine minutes of play. Kyle Petrie '06 had a team-high 18 points, seven boards, and four assists.
In this contest, Antwan Phillips '06, a.k.a. "HEAD," made his debut appearance in an NCAA Division III basketball game. Phillips scored his first college points with a shot from beyond the arch. "Hitting the three reminded me of my high school days. It wasn't surprising at all because I expect to be effective when I'm on the court," said Phillips.
Though simply not good enough, the host Beavers did put up a good fight against Bowdoin. Bowdoin's stingy defense held the Beavers to only 19 points in the first half. Bradley and Captain T.J. McLeod '04 did a stellar job shutting down the Beavers backcourt, which, as a result, disrupted the Beavers offensive flow. After the game Bradley said, "I've never played defense like that in my life."
Although the Polar Bears played well on the defensive end, they struggled to get things going offensively in the first half. They came out scorching in the second half as tight defense led to easy fast-break baskets. McLeod demonstrated his leadership and great knowledge of offensive principles as his consistent scoring kept the Polar Bears ahead. He was almost perfect from the free-throw line hitting 9 of 10 shots. He led the team with 23 points and earned the Tournament M.V.P. award. Mark Yakavonis '05 had 8 points and 14 boards in this competition and earned All-Tournament honors.
In preparation for Turkey Day the Polar Bears feasted on the University of New England on November 25, defeating the Nor'easters 95-58. McLeod, a.k.a. "MVPJ", scored a game-high 26 points and collected five steals. Mario Ląpez '06 scored two points on a fast break lay-up and was held from scoring by Coach Gilbride.
The men continued their streak this past Tuesday as they defeated the University of Southern Maine 71-70. Bowdoin quickly took control of the game in the first few minutes but as the clock continued to tick, they began to break down and their lead disappeared. Even though they were not at their best, the Polar Bears were able to keep the Huskies' lead under double digits to tie the game at 31 a piece at halftime.
Absent in the Polar Bears starting line-up was forward Jonathan Farmer '03. John Goodridge '07 was called to the starting line up and he met the challenge, scoring ten points before fouling out. Despites Goodridge's solid performance, the Polar Bears still suffered from a lack of dominant inside presence and foul trouble.
Although McLeod did not have an M.V.P. night, he remained composed and vocal on the court, and thus inspired Petrie to take control of the game in the second half. Petrie scored a career high 29 points and grabbed ten boards. With 1:08 remaining in the game, Petrie knocked down two free-throws to tie the game at 69. The Huskies used consecutive timeouts to try and ice Petrie but he would not be fazed.
The Huskies went ahead 70-69 after hitting a successful free-throw, but it was Bradley's two free-throws with 8.7 seconds left that regained the lead and won the game for the Polar Bears. The team was ecstatic at the sound of the buzzer and coach Gilbride appeared to be teary-eyed. Several Bowdoin students who were in attendance performed victory dances at half court.
Bowdoin will continue their winning streak at Bates tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Attendance is required and worth 100% of your grade.
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