The Polar Bears were hard to slow down, shooting 50 percent from the field.

BOX SCORE

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The Bowdoin College women's basketball team set the New England Division III record for consecutive home victories with a 76-59 non-league victory over Bates on Tuesday night.

The Polar Bears (16-2, 4-1 NESCAC), ranked sixth in the latest national poll, avenged a loss earlier in the month to the Bobcats (14-7, 5-1 NESCAC) to win their 65th consecutive home game, breaking the Williams College men's team's mark of 64 straight wins.

Following a quick basket by first-year Jackie Powers off the tip-off for Bates, Bowdoin went on a 12-4 run to open up a cushion they would hold for the remainder of the half. Marisa Berne started and ended the run with three-pointers as Bowdoin would lead by as many as 11 points in the opening stanza. Bates cut into the advantage late in the period, and a jumper from the wing by Val Beckwith cut the Polar Bear lead to five points, 39-34 at intermission. Meg Coffin kept the Bobcats in the game in the first half, scoring 14 points on six-of-nine shooting.

After Coffin hit a spinning lay-in to start the second half, Bowdoin went on a 7-0 spurt to open up a double-digit lead. Julia Loonin and Eileen Flaherty connected from long-distance to give the Polar Bears a 49-39 edge with 15 minutes remaining. Bates hung in, but turned cold from the field as Bowdoin continued to pressure defensively, finishing with 17 points off Bates turnovers. When Loonin hit another trifecta with five minutes on the clock, the Polar Bears held a 15-point lead, 65-50.

Following a first-half where the Bobcats hit on 46 percent of their shots, Bowdoin held the visitors to just 25 percent from the field in the second period. After hitting just two of 17 three-pointers and being out-rebounded at Bates on January 13, the Polar Bears hit seven on Tuesday night and held a 42-33 edge on the boards. Bowdoin was nearly automatic from the charity stripe as well, hitting 23-of-27 free-throws.

Flaherty led four Bowdoin players in double figures with 22 points and five rebounds, while Berne and Jill Anelauskas added 15 apiece. Justine Pouravelis had 13 points to go with three blocks and five steals.

Coffin (Westford, Mass.) ended with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds, while Powers (Andover, Mass.) added nine points. Sophomore Sarah Barton (Portsmouth, N.H.) had nine assists on the night.

Bowdoin's 65 straight wins date back to February of 2001 and is the longest home-court winning streak in NCAA basketball. The Polar Bears will return to action on Friday against Wesleyan University.

Bates will host Tufts on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

BOWDOIN COLLEGE 76, BATES COLLEGE 59

BATES COLLEGE (14-7)
Meg Coffin 8-15 8-9 24; Jackie Powers 3-10 3-6 9; Matia Kostakis 3-5 0-0 8; Katie Franklin 2-3 0-0 5; Val Beckwith 2-8 0-0 4; Annie Whiting 2-3 0-0 4; Maggie Fitzgerald 1-1 0-0 3; Kyla Decato 1-6 0-0 2; Sarah Barton 0-10 0-0 0. Totals 22-61 11-15 59.

BOWDOIN COLLEGE (16-2)
Eileen Flaherty 8-15 4-4 22; Jill Anelauskas 4-6 7-7 15; Marisa Berne 4-11 4-4 15; Justine Pouravelis 4-6 5-8 13; Julia Loonin 2-9 0-0 6; Katie Cummings 0-4 3-4 3; Vanessa Russell 1-1 0-0 2; Alexa Kaubris 0-3 0-0 0; Maria Noucas 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-56 23-27 76.

Bates College.................   34   25  -   59

Bowdoin College...............   39   37  -   76

3-point goals-Bates College 4-20 (Matia Kostakis 2-4; Katie Franklin 1-1; Maggie Fitzgerald 1-1; Annie Whiting 0-1; Kyla Decato 0-3; Sarah Barton 0-3; Val Beckwith 0-2; Jackie Powers 0-5), Bowdoin College 7-22 (Marisa Berne 3-9; Julia Loonin 2-8; Eileen Flaherty 2-2; Katie Cummings 0-2; Maria Noucas 0-1). Fouled out--Bates College-None, Bowdoin College-None. Rebounds-Bates College 33 (Meg Coffin 10), Bowdoin College 42 (Eileen Flaherty 6; Alexa Kaubris 6; Julia Loonin 6). Assists-Bates College 18 (Sarah Barton 9), Bowdoin College 18 (Katie Cummings 4; Marisa Berne 4; Julia Loonin 4). Total fouls-Bates College 19, Bowdoin College 15. A-1030