Graham Safford scored 22 points, including three-pointers that nearly closed out both halves in Bates' stunning 74-71 loss at Bowdoin on Dec. 6, 2013. File photo by Sarah Crosby/Bates College.

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- A wilder than wild finish saw Graham Safford make a game-tying three-pointer with five seconds left, but Matt Mathias hit a running 30-footer just before the buzzer to give Bowdoin a shocking 74-71 win over the Bates men's basketball team Friday evening at Morrell Gymnasium.

The shot capped a wild final 12 seconds of regulation, as the teams combined for 10 points in a frantic finish. With the win, the Polar Bears improve to 6-0 for the first time in program history while the Bobcats drop to 6-2 overall.

Bowdoin carried a slim 37-36 lead into halftime and the game was tied at 52 apiece as it entered the final 10 minutes. The Bobcats used a quick spurt, sparked by a dunk from first-year Malcolm Delpeche (Wilmington, Del.), to roll off a 11-2 surge that gave the visitors a commanding 65-56 lead with 4:10 to play. 

The Polar Bears replied with a 11-1 run of their own, drawing to within a bucket following a running lay-in by Lucas Hausman with 1:50 remaining. Following a Bates turnover, Grant White buried a three-pointer from the baseline to give Bowdoin a 67-66 lead with 1:08 to go. 
Bates immediately answered with a lay-in from Safford (Hampden, Maine), who banked in a go-ahead bucket to give the Bobcats a 68-67 edge with 32 ticks on the clock. 

Bowdoin returned downcourt and, with time running down, Mathias found Hausman in the corner for a three-pointer to give Bowdoin a 70-68 edge. Hausman, who was fouled on the play, netted the free-throw to give the Polar Bears a 71-68 edge with just 12.7 seconds remaining. 

Safford again answered for the Bobcats, launching a long 3-pointer from the left wing to tie the game, 71-71, with under five seconds to play as the game seemed destined for overtime. But Mathias took the inbound pass, scampered down the center of the floor as the clock ticked down, and launched a shot from 30 feet that splashed through the net to give Bowdoin the unlikely win.

Mathias finished with four 3-pointers in the contest and ended with 14 points for the game to go with five assists. John Swords led Bowdoin with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Hausman and White also finished with 14 points each for the Polar Bears. Bowdoin made 11 threes in 22 attempts on the night, while Bates shot 6-for-21 from behind the arc.

Bates was led by the 1-2 combo of sophomore Mike Boornazian (Portland, Conn.) and Safford, who eached logged 40 minutes, less than 24 hours after leading Bates to an 88-76 win at Colby. Boornazian ended with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Safford had 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. Prior to his late-game heroics, Safford also showed a flair for the dramatic when he beat a defender one-on-one and nailed a three to close out the first half, slashing the deficit to one point. 

The final stats were virtually dead-even, with Bowdoin holding a 32-30 edge in rebounding and connecting on 49% of their shots as opposed to 48% for the Bobcats.

The contest was the non-conference match-up between the teams, who will battle in Lewiston in the NESCAC conference game on February 14.

Bates will return to action at the Salem State Holiday Classic on December 29.