WATERVILLE, Maine -- With very different personnel from its last game more than 13 months ago, the Bates women's basketball team masked up and played admirably well in a 77-70 loss at Colby on Saturday.

First-year guard Morgan Kennedy (Oklahoma City, Okla.) made her collegiate debut with a game-high-tying 21 points, hitting 4-of-9 three-point attempts and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Kennedy started and led the team with 33 minutes played. She and twin sister Alyson Kennedy were the only Bobcats who attempted a three.

Junior guard Amaari Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.), fully healthy for the first time since her rookie season, made the start and submitted a strong all-around game, including 11 points, her highest total since Dec. 8, 2018. (Williams' career high of 15 points came against Colby four days earlier.) Williams got to the free-throw line for eight attempts, making 5-8. She grabbed five rebounds and led the Bobcats with a career-high four assists.

Junior Ariana Dalia (Brick, N.J.) added 15 points on 6-11 shooting from the field, to go with a team-high six rebounds. First-year Delaney Nwachukwu (Avon, Conn.) chipped in nine points and two blocked shots in 13 minutes of action.

The Bobcats (0-1) shot a respectable .466 from the field and .364 from long distance. But the Mules (3-2) were more efficient, making 56.3% of their 3-pointers and shooting .470 from the field, including .586 in the first half.

Mycala Carney led Colby with 21 points, including a perfect 5-5 shooting from long range. Carney made three threes in the third quarter as the Mules held off comeback-minded Bates by a 23-20 score in the period. Carly Christofori and Chiamaka Ubani scored 11 points apiece while Keagan Dunbar and Alisha Aube added 10 apiece.

Trailing 65-50 after three quarters, Bates cut the deficit into single digits with a fourth-quarter run, with seven points from Morgan Kennedy.

The Bobcats not only graduated Melanie Binkhorst from the 2019-20 squad, but three other starters from that team are also not practicing with the team in this academic term: forward Taylor McVeigh, guard Mia Roy and All-NESCAC point guard Meghan Graff. 

"We're approaching it like a great opportunity for our players to put a uniform on, particularly the first-years," sixth-year head coach Alison Montgomery said on Friday. "Obviously missing some kids is a bummer, in that you wish you had everybody here who's part of the program. But they're doing what's best for them, and we as a group totally support that -- we don't question that or worry about that."

The Bobcats will face the rival Mules again on Sunday at 1pm in Alumni Gym. No fans will be allowed -- watch live at https://www.nsnsports.net/colleges/bates/