Meg Coffin '07 matched her career high with 23 points.

BOX SCORE

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The Bates College women's basketball team shot 50 percent from the floor and 12 of 17 from behind the three-point arc on its way to a 73-60 win over Middlebury in NESCAC women's basketball action on Friday night in the Pepin Gym. It was the Bobcats' eighth win in a row.

Both teams return to action tomorrow as Bates travels to Williams and Middlebury hosts Tufts.

Junior Meg Coffin (Westford, Mass.) paced Bates (12-5, 3-0 NESCAC) with a game-high 23 points on 11 of 15 shooting to go along with 10 boards. Senior Annie Whiting (Contoocook, N.H.) added 18 points in the win, shooting 7 of 11, while first-year Val Beckwith (Woburn, Mass.) scored a dozen.

The first half was evenly played with both teams holding slim leads on several occasions. Bates went on a 9-2 run at the 6:13 mark to take a 28-24 lead with 2:18 left in the half.

Leading by a pair at the intermission, the Bobcats opened the second half on a 13-6 run to take a 47-37 lead at the 16:24 mark. The lead grew to as many as 17 before the Panthers closed the game on a 7-3 run to make it a 73-60 final.

Katie Fisher led the Panthers with 14 points, and Maryanne Verzosa and Alanna Young scored eight apiece, while Micaela McVary had seven points and 10 rebounds.

BATES 73, MIDDLEBURY 60

BATES (12-5, 3-0)
Meg Coffin 11-15 1-3 23; Annie Whiting 7-11 0-0 18; Val Beckwith 3-5 6-8 12; Jackie Powers 2-7 2-2 8; Matia Kostakis 2-5 3-4 7; Kyla Decato 2-5 0-0 5; Katie Franklin 0-1 0-0 0; Maggie Fitzgerald 0-2 0-0 0; Becca Buckler 0-1 0-0 0; Sarah Barton 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-54 12-17 73.

MIDDLEBURY (11-4, 1-2)
Katie Fisher 7-19 0-0 14; Alanna Young 3-9 2-2 8; Maryanne Verzosa 2-6 3-4 8; Lacey Hebert 3-6 0-0 7; Micaela McVary 3-5 1-4 7; Emily Johnson 2-8 0-0 6; Katie Fehsenfeld 1-3 2-2 4; Aylie Baker 2-2 0-0 4; Jennifer Kelleher 1-3 0-0 2; Ashley Barron 0-2 0-0 0; Erin Lackey 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 8-12 60.

Bates.........................   33   40  -   73

Middlebury....................   31   29  -   60

3-point goals-Bates 7-17 (Annie Whiting 4-6; Jackie Powers 2-5; Kyla Decato 1-3; Maggie Fitzgerald 0-1; Sarah Barton 0-2), Middlebury 4-12 (Emily Johnson 2-3; Maryanne Verzosa 1-2; Lacey Hebert 1-3; Katie Fehsenfeld 0-1;

Katie Fisher 0-3). Fouled out--Bates-None, Middlebury-None. Rebounds-Bates 37 (Meg Coffin 10), Middlebury 35 (Micaela McVary 10). Assists-Bates 14 (Sarah Barton 7), Middlebury 14 (Katie Fisher 3). Total fouls-Bates 14,

Middlebury 14. A-183