BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Junior captain Stephon Baxter scored a game-high 25 points and the Bobcat defense recorded 13 steals in an 83-77 NESCAC win Sunday afternoon for the Bates men's basketball team over Bowdoin. 

The Bobcats (7-8, 1-5 NESCAC) led by double figures for most of the second half, holding off a late rally from Bowdoin (10-10, 1-6 NESCAC) to earn their first conference win of the season. 

Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) only shot 6-21 from the field but more than made up for it at the free throw line, sinking 11-12 from the stripe. First-year Jahmir Primer (Hempstead, N.Y.) matched his career-high with 21 points on 8-16 shooting, adding four steals on defense. Sophomore Simon McCormick (Whitefield, Maine) set a new career-high with 19 points of his own, knocking down five of 13 three-pointers and recording eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals, all career-highs as well. Senior Raheem Spence (Nantucket, Mass.) recorded a career-high 12 points on 4-10 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Bates connected on eight three-pointers in the opening half to build a 42-30 lead at intermission. The Polar Bears committed eight first-half turnovers and only hit a pair of three-pointers. 

Bowdoin was able to claw back into the contest with a 10-2 run early in the second half, trimming the Bates lead to 50-45 following a pair of Jack Shea free throws with 12:15 to play.

But the Bobcats rolled off an 11-0 run to push the lead back into double figures. 

Bates led by as many as 17 with 6:30 to play but the Polar Bears wouldn't go away, using a 13-2 run to close within six points (66-60) on a Manav Randhawa three-pointer with 3:02 remaining.

The Bobcats connected on 21-29 free throws in the second half to seal the win. 

Bowdoin finished at 41% shooting for the game while Bates shot 38%. The Bobcats hit 10 three pointers to Bowdoin's seven and cashed in for 20 points off 19 Polar Bear turnovers.

James McGowan led Bowdoin with 17 points while Randhawa had 14. Xander Werkman and Shea had 12 points each while Taiga Kagitomi led the Polar Bears with 10 rebounds.

The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday when they host Thomas College at 7pm.