Val Beckwith '09 netted a career-high 28 points.

WATERVILLE, Maine -- Senior Val Beckwith (Woburn, Mass.) had a game- and career-high 28 points, including an 11-for-12 effort from the foul line, as Bates College pulled away for a 71-52 victory over Colby College in New England Small College Athletic Conference women's basketball Saturday at Wadsworth Gymnasium.

Bates improves to 14-5 overall and 3-1 in league play, while Colby is 9-7 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

Beckwith, who added eight rebounds, had 14 points in the opening half to help the Bobcats to a 43-33 lead at intermission. Bates darted out to a 13-4 lead in the opening 3:30 of the half, but Colby settled down and went ahead for the first and only time in the game when Alison Cappelloni hit a free throw for a 21-20 lead. With the Bobcats up 25-23, Beckwith scored 12 points in a span of about four minutes to give Bates a 39-28 lead.

The Bobcats went on a 6-1 run to start the second half. Colby got as close as 53-48 when Aarika Ritchie hit one of two free throws with 6:11 to play. However, Beckwith scored the next five points and Bates closed out the game with an 18-4 run.

Junior Lauren Yanofsky (Belmont, Mass.) had 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Bobcats. First-year Kelsey Flaherty (South Portland, Maine) and sophomore Jessie Igoe (Lexington, Mass.) each had eight ponts.

Mack led Colby with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Sam Allen finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Julianne Kowalski scored nine points, had six rebounds, and three steals.

STATS: Bates 71, Colby 52