Two first-place teams lose in the final minute, and an old conference powerhouse rises again. There was no shortage of storylines in another topsy-turvy weekend in NESCAC women's basketball. Here's a look back:
Amherst falls from the ranks of the unbeaten: One of three undefeated teams in the nation heading into this weekend, a young Amherst squad finally met its match Friday night in veteran-laden Bowdoin, which upset the nationally ranked No. 4 Lord Jeffs 63-61 on a buzzer-beating lay-up by junior forward Leah Rubega. Amherst was pushed to the limit again the next day when the Colby team that beat Tufts a week earlier nearly took down another NESCAC heavyweight. The Jeffs survived 65-64, but weekend sweeps by the Jumbos and the Bowdoin Polar Bears this weekend dropped Amherst into a second-place tie with the Polar Bears.
In a matter of seconds, Bates loses its grip on first place: In a thrilling contest that featured 13 ties, Wesleyan topped Bates 75-74 on Saturday, courtesy of a game-winning jumper by senior co-captain Meredith Lowe with four seconds remaining. With the loss, the Bobcats failed to keep pace with the Jumbos, with whom they were tied atop the NESCAC standings, instead dropping all the way to fourth place.
Bowdoin eyes top spot after 2-0 weekend: Following an impressive road sweep of Amherst and Trinity this weekend, Bowdoin climbed to second place and now finds itself right in the thick of contention for a NESCAC regular-season title. If Tufts loses its showdown against Amherst next weekend and Bowdoin takes care of Middlebury and Williams, who have a combined record of 15-24, the Polar Bears will take over the top spot in the conference with just one weekend of NESCAC play to go. One year after failing to win the conference tournament for the first time ever, Bowdoin might be on its way to reasserting its place atop the NESCAC.
