WATERVILLE, Maine -- The host Colby College Mules got hot from the field in the second quarter, tallying 23 points on their way to beating the Bates women's basketball team by a score of 58-55 Sunday afternoon in NESCAC action.
The Bobcats (9-7, 0-4 NESCAC) led by as many as 10 points to start the game, and had a 23-14 advantage with 7:15 remaining until halftime. But Colby (8-7, 3-0 NESCAC) got on a roll, hitting shots from everywhere as they went 8-12 from the floor, 2-3 from three, and 5-6 from the line. Kate Olenik and Ana Von Rumohr combined to score 14 of Colby's 23 points in the quarter.
Colby ended the second quarter on a 5-0 run, turning a 30-29 Bates lead into a 34-30 halftime deficit for the Bobcats. Bates did rally early in the third quarter, going up 38-36 on a layup from junior
Elsa Daulerio (Harpswell, Maine) with 7:57 left.
The teams traded buckets for the rest of the quarter, with an Olenik layup giving Colby a 46-44 edge at the end of three.
Bates kept the game close throughout the fourth quarter, but could never tie the game nor take the lead down the stretch. A Daulerio layup with 2:06 left in regulation cut the Colby lead to 57-55. The Bobcats had numerous scoring chances over the final two minutes of the game, but failed to convert on any of them, and the Mules held on to win by three. Turnovers and missed shots in the waning minutes doomed Bates to their fourth straight loss.
Daulerio recorded a double-double with a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. But no other Bobcat finished in double figures as Bates finished the game shooting 34.9% from the floor.
Meanwhile, three Mules finished in double figures, with Olenik scoring a game-high 22 points on 8-15 shooting. She also finished with a double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds. Von Rumohr finished with 12 points and Amelia Hanscom finished with 10 points on 5-9 shooting. Colby finished the game shooting 43.1% from the field.
Bates will attempt to right the ship Wednesday when they visit the University of Maine at Farmington for a 7 p.m. tip.
