Matia Kostakis '08 led Bates with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

BOX SCORE

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- The Bates College women's basketball rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half and held off Wesleyan University down the stretch for a 69-58 NESCAC victory Saturday, dealing the Cardinals their first conference loss of the season.

The win gives the Bobcats (14-6, 5-1 NESCAC) a share of the conference lead with the Cardinals (13-5, 5-1).

Sophomore forward Matia Kostakis (Andover, Mass.) led Bates with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Sarah Barton (Portsmouth, N.H.) added 13 points and eight assists. First-year Jackie Powers (Andover, Mass.) scored 11 points and junior Meg Coffin (Westford, Mass.) had nine points and eight rebounds.

Bates trailed 20-10 with 13:18 left in the first period, but began to charge back and overtook the lead 2:31 before halftime, 32-31, on a 3-pointer by junior forward Katie Franklin (New Preston, Conn.).

The Bobcats opened up a 48-36 lead 4:30 into the second half. Wesleyan cut the Bates lead to one, 55-54, on a pair of Ali Fourney free throws, but failed to score on seven straight possessions as Bates re-established an eight-point edge at 64-56.

Hannah Stubbs had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Cardinals. Fourney added 13 points, and Meghan Robinson had eight points and 11 rebounds.

Bates plays at Bowdoin College Tuesday at 7 p.m., in a bid to sweep the Polar Bears (15-2, 4-1) in the regular season and end their 64-game home winning streak, the longest in the nation.

BATES COLLEGE 69, WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 58

BATES COLLEGE (14-6, 5-1 NESCAC)
Matia Kostakis 5-12 5-6 16; Sarah Barton 5-10 2-3 13; Jackie Powers 3-10 3-4 11; Meg Coffin 2-6 5-7 9; Annie Whiting 4-10 1-2 9; Val Beckwith 3-6 0-2 6; Katie Franklin 1-3 0-0 3; Kyla Decato 0-3 2-2 2; Maggie Fitzgerald 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 18-26 69.

WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (13-5, 5-1 NESCAC)
Hannah Stubbs 6-9 4-6 16; Ali Fourney 4-11 2-4 13; Sarah Milburn 3-7 1-2 9; Meghan Robinson 4-6 0-0 8; Nikki Maletta 1-6 2-2 4; Ashley Mastrangelo 0-6 4-4 4; Meredith Lowe 1-4 0-0 2; Kelly Bowman 1-4 0-0 2; Ginny Hermann 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-54 13-18 58.

Bates College.................   35   34  -   69

Wesleyan University...........   34   24  -   58

3-point goals-Bates College 5-13 (Jackie Powers 2-4; Katie Franklin 1-2; Sarah Barton 1-3; Matia Kostakis 1-3; Kyla Decato 0-1), Wesleyan University 5-17 (Ali Fourney 3-8; Sarah Milburn 2-4; Nikki Maletta 0-3; Ginny Hermann 0-1; Meghan Robinson 0-1). Fouled out--Bates College-None, Wesleyan University-None. Rebounds-Bates College 43 (Matia Kostakis 11), Wesleyan University 32 (Meghan Robinson 11). Assists-Bates College 14 (Sarah Barton 8), Wesleyan University 13 (Ashley Mastrangelo 3). Total fouls-Bates College 16, Wesleyan University 19. A-350.