LEWISTON, Maine -- New personal single-game scoring highs for both Elsa Daulerio and Ava James highlighted a crucial conference win for Bates women's hoops Friday night as the Bobcats outlasted visiting Williams, 80-74, in Alumni Gym.

Coming out of the first quarter of play trailing by one (20-19), the Bobcats outscored the Ephs by nine (24-15) in the second period to coast into intermission with a seemingly healthy 43-35 cushion.

Alexandra Long dropped home a layup 11 seconds into the third to push the Bates surplus to double-digits at 45-35. Williams needed only the next 2:18 of clock to erase every point of their deficit as an Arianna Gerig free throw at 7:04 concluded a ferocious 10-0 surge by the Ephs to knot the game at 45-all.

The visitors were not finished as Tatum Leuenberger's successful free throws at the 3:01 mark of the frame put Williams ahead by six (57-51), closing out another hearty spurt of 12-6. Bates hacked away with a 5-0 answer to climb to within one (57-56) going into the final 10:00 of regulation.

Ellie Tounkara's three-pointer 19 seconds into the final period provided a four-point buffer for Williams at 60-56. Bates bounced back to tie the score at 60-60, courtesy of a James jumper and Mya Hicks lay-in, which would mark the first of five stalemates over the next 7:10.

With 1:19 left to play and the score tied at 72, Leuenberger's fifth personal foul on the night came with a hefty price tag as James's subsequent free throws proved to be the game-winning points as the Bobcats would not relinquish their lead the rest of the way. In fact, Bates launched a 9-0 surge to take a commanding 81-72 advantage with just 17 seconds left.

Courtesy of a 10-for-17 shooting performance from the field, along with sinking 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, Daulerio closed out the affair with 28 points in 38 minutes. The junior's previous single-game high of 22 took place against this very same opponent a year ago (1/27/24) at Williams.

James, with her 17 points on the night, establishes a new career-high for the second time this month as the junior previously poured in 15 in a 70-65 home win vs. Babson back on Jan. 7. Sarah Hughes fell just short of her second-career double-double with the sophomore contributing 10 boards and nine points in the win. Lily Brown supplied seven points and dished a game-best five assists.

Gerig finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, and four helpers in 37 minutes for the Ephs. Leuenberger and Micah Walton added 17 apiece for Williams (11-8, 2-4 NESCAC).

Bates (11-8, 1-4 NESCAC) will return to the Alumni Gym hardwood this Sunday afternoon for a 1:00 p.m. showdown vs. Middlebury (14-5, 4-1 NESCAC).