CLINTON, N.Y. -- Bates College women's hoops experienced a weekend to forget as the Bobcats suffered its second-consecutive NESCAC road loss Sunday, this time an 83-65 setback at Hamilton College, as the garnet and white open conference action with an 0-2 mark (9-4 overall).
The Bobcats kicked off conference play inauspiciously Friday night with a 71-60 defeat at Amherst.
Things looked promising for Bates vs. the Continentals as the Bobcats took an early 17-8 lead after an
Alexandra Long lay-up with 4:34 to go in the first quarter. Hamilton promptly composed a 14-3 run, capped by Kendall Harris' fast-break three-pointer with 32 seconds left in the period, to go ahead by a score of 22-20.
Aside from a brief stalemate (24-24) at the 7:24 mark of the second quarter, the Continentals would not trail again the rest of the way. Coming out of intermission up by four (38-34), the home team opened the second half with a 6-0 spurt to increase its surplus to 44-34 (8:56) after an old-fashioned three-point play by Taylor Lambo.
Refusing to quit, the Bobcats mounted a furious 11-2 comeback to slice their deficit to just one (46-45) with 4:56 to go in the third. Hamilton (12-3, 1-0 NESCAC) answered with a 13-4 push to go back up by double-digits (59-39) with 1:43 left in the frame.
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Mya Hicks jumper at 8:42 in the fourth cut the Hamilton lead in half at 61-56 before the Continentals rolled the rest of the way with a 22-9 run to cruise to the conference triumph.
Erica Hills posted a double-double performance consisting of 21 points and a game-high 14 boards for the victors. Harris tied her teammate with 21 points of her own while snagging nine rebounds in the win. Lambo finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and a team-best six assists.
Elsa Delaurio paced the Bobcats with 20 points, the junior's third effort of 20+ this season. She also added five assists and a pair of blocks over her 38 minutes. Long never left the floor for Bates, recording 12 points and seven helpers in 40 minutes of action.
Sophie Spolter contributed 10 points and a team-leading six rebounds in the effort.
The Bobcats now return to campus to host undefeated Bowdoin College in a huge NESCAC clash Friday night (7:00 p.m.) in Alumni Gym. The #5 Polar Bears defeated Bates, 76-71, back on Dec. 5 in the non-conference portion of the rivals' annual home-and-home series.
