Bowdoin women crack "Elite Eight"

The Bowdoin College women's basketball team inched its way into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament with a hard-fought win Friday night over the University of Mary Washington of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Polar Bear women came out on top 62-54 in a back-and-forth battle; the Polar Bears started slow and trailed by as many as eleven points before going into the half tied at 26-26. The game was played on the campus of the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, and even though Bowdoin is in its Spring Break, a vocal contingency of fans--students, parents and friends--made the trek to Gorham. The host USM Huskies, ranked #1 in Division III, overcame Bridgewater College of Bridgewater, Virginia, 68-55 in the second sectional Friday night to set up a rematch between USM and Bowdoin for Saturday night on the USM campus; when these two rivals played earlier in the season, the Huskies dealt the Polar Bears a 64-55 blow, one of only two Bowdoin losses this season.On a night when many of the Polar Bears struggled to make shots, Bowdoin Junior Eileen Flaherty (below right) turned in a stellar performance, leading all scorers with 29 points.For more photos from this game, click here.