HADLEY, Mass. – The Bowdoin Polar Bears are the top seed in the 2024 NESCAC Women’s Basketball Championship. Quarterfinal games will be played on February 17 at the higher seed while the semifinals and final will be held at the highest remaining seed on February 24 and 25.
2023 NESCAC Championship Recap
Top-seeded Tufts won its fourth NESCAC title with a 57-38 win over No. 3-seeded Trinity at Cousens Gymnasium. The Jumbos used a strong defensive effort to limit the Bantams to 38 points and 28.8 percent shooting from the floor for the game. Maggie Russell led all players with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Sofia Gonzalez chipped in 15 points behind a 3-for-5 effort from 3-point range. Hannah Marzo paced the Bantams with 11 points and five rebounds.
#1 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2023-24 Record: 22-2, 9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 12 (last: 2020)
NESCAC Titles Won: 9 (last: 2020)
Notes: Bowdoin has earned the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Championship for the eighth time in program history … The Polar Bears have qualified for every NESCAC Championship since the tournament’s inception in 2000-01 … Bowdoin will host No. 8 Tufts in a rematch of the 2023 quarterfinal, but with roles reversed … Last season the top-seeded Jumbos defeated No. 8 Bowdoin, 75-61, to take a 6-5 edge in the NESCAC Tournament series … In the 2023-24 regular season matchup, the Polar Bears handed Tufts a 77-63 loss on February 3 … The Polar Bears’ last semifinal appearance came in 2020, the same year the team won its ninth conference title, the most of any NESCAC school.
Tiebreaker: Trinity and Bates finished with identical conference records of 8-2. In head-to-head competition, Trinity defeated Bates to earn the No. 2 seed.
#2 Trinity Bantams
2023-24 Record: 18-6, 8-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Trinity is making its sixth straight appearance in the NESCAC Championship and 16th overall … The Bantams are the No. 2 seed for the first time in program history and will host a quarterfinal contest for the fourth time in five years when they face No. 7 Colby … Trinity, which enters the tournament riding a five-game win streak, is looking to make its third consecutive trip to the semifinals … The Bantams defeated the Mules, 61-50, on January 21 … Colby and Trinity have met only once in the NESCAC Tournament with the Mules posting a 67-64 win over Trinity in the 2011 quarterfinals.
#3 Bates Bobcats
2023-24 Record: 20-4, 8-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 5 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2022)
Notes: Bates is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NESCAC Championship and is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2007 … The Bobcats will host a quarterfinal game for the first time since 2009 when they face No. 6 Hamilton … Bates handed the Continentals an 82-66 loss on January 12 … The quarterfinal matchup marks the first time the two teams will square off in the NESCAC Tournament … Bates is looking to return to the semifinals for the second time in three years and won their only NESCAC title in 2022.
#4 Middlebury Panthers
2023-24 Record: 16-8, 7-3 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2002)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Middlebury is competing in the NESCAC Championship for the eighth time in 10 years …The Panthers are the No. 4 seed for the third straight year, which matches the highest seed in program history … Middlebury will host No. 5 Amherst in the quarterfinal round, marking the first meeting between the teams in the NESCAC Tournament … On the opening weekend of conference play, the Panthers defeated Amherst, 76-67 … Middlebury, which closed out the regular season winning four of its last five games, is looking to make back-to-back trips to the semifinals for the first time in program history.
#5 Amherst Mammoths
2023-24 Record: 19-5, 6-4 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 12 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 8 (last: 2018)
Notes: Amherst is the No. 5 for the first time since 2019 and will travel to No. 4 Middlebury for the quarterfinals … The Mammoths fell to the Panthers, 76-67 on January 6 on the opening weekend of NESCAC action … Amherst closed out the regular season winning six of its final seven games … Middlebury and Amherst have never played each other in the NESCAC Championship … The Mammoths own eight NESCAC titles and have appeared in 12 championship games.
#6 Hamilton Continentals
2023-24 Record: 17-7, 5-5 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Hamilton is in the tournament field for the fourth straight year and sixth time overall since joining the NESCAC in 2012 … The Continentals are the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2020 and looking for their first conference postseason win when they travel to No. 3 Bates … Hamilton dropped an 82-66 decision to the Bobcats on January 12 … The Continentals and Bobcats have never met in the NESCAC Tournament.
#7 Colby Mules
2023-24 Record: 12-11, 4-6 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2010)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Colby is the No. 7 seed in the NESCAC Championship and making its second appearance in three years … The Mules will travel to No. 2 Trinity for the quarterfinals … The Bantams defeated Colby, 61-50, on January 21 … Colby and Trinity have only met one other time in the NESCAC Championship, the 2011 quarterfinals, where the Mules earned a 67-64 win over the Bantams … The Mules' last semifinal appearance was in 2017.
#8 Tufts Jumbos
2023-24 Record: 11-12, 3-7 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 11 (last: 2023)
NESCAC Titles Won: 4 (last: 2023)
Notes: 2023 NESCAC Champion … Tufts is the No. 8 seed for the first time in program history … The Jumbos are making their 21st consecutive appearance in the NESCAC Championship and have made nine straight trips to the semifinals … The Jumbos will travel to top-seeded Bowdoin for a rematch of the 2023 quarterfinals, but with roles reversed … In 2023, the Jumbos were the No. 1 seed and defeated No. 8 Bowdoin 75-61 … Tufts dropped a 77-63 decision to Bowdoin on February 3, but does hold a 6-5 edge in the all-time NESCAC Tournament series following last year’s quarterfinal victory … The Jumbos have played in 11 championship games and won their fourth NESCAC crown last season.
