Sophomore Meghan Graff (South Portland, Maine) started the week with a pair of buzzer beaters in one game in a 74-73 overtime win over Colby and finished the week with a career-high 26 points in a 67-52 win over Saint Joseph's College of Maine in a 2-1 week for the Bobcats.
Graff hit a shot at the buzzer to force overtime and drained a free throw with 0.7 seconds left in the extra period to give Bates the come-from-behind victory over the Mules.
Colby's Ainsley Burns hit a jumper with nine seconds remaining in regulation, putting the Mules up 66-62. Graff responded with a layup with 4.9 seconds left, trimming the lead to two. The Mules called timeout to advance the ball. But out of the timeout, Burns couldn't get the ball inbounds within the allotted five seconds, giving it back to the Bobcats.
Sophomore Ariana Dalia (Brick, N.J.) got the ball in to Graff, who drove toward the hoop. She fired an off-balance shot from just outside the left block and banked it home at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
The Mules opened up another four-point lead in overtime, going up 73-69 on an Alisha Aube layup with 1:34 remaining. Sophomore Mia Roy (Bedford, N.H.) split a pair of free throws with 1:23 left, cutting the lead to three. Bates got a big stop on defense and Graff came through again, draining a three from the left wing and knotting the score at 73 with 31 seconds to go in overtime.
Graff got fouled on the play but missed the free throw. First-year Jenna Berens (Durham, Conn.) got the offensive rebound to keep the possession alive. But Graff's layup attempt just rolled off the rim. Aube got the rebound and the Mules pushed the ball up the court. Bates caught a break when Burns got called for traveling with just 4.7 seconds left and the game still tied. Dalia inbounded the ball and Graff drove toward the hoop again. The Mules fouled Graff at half court, giving her two free throws with 0.7 seconds left.
Graff missed the first free throw but made the second, putting Bates up 74-73. Colby called timeout to advance the ball and the Mules were able to get the ball in to Paige Russell. Russell's shot rolled off the rim at the buzzer, clinching the thrilling victory for Bates.
Graff played 42 of 45 possible minutes. Her game-high 24 points on 10-19 shooting all came in the second half and in overtime. She dished out three assists and recorded two steals.
She followed that performance up with a team-high 19 points against No. 4 nationally ranked Bowdoin. Then Graff made 9-of-16 shots, including 2-of-4 from three-point territory against the Monks, and made 6-of-8 free throws in her highest scoring output to date. Graff has scored in double figures in all eight games this season and averages 18.6 points per game, including 23.0 in three games this week. She added a season-high six assists against Saint Joseph's.
