Bates and Bowdoin advanced through to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

NCAA Second Round Games - Saturday, March 7

Smith	Bates	7:15 P.M.	Lewiston, ME / NCAA Second Round	Stats Video
Southern Maine	Bowdoin	7:45 P.M.	Brunswick, ME / NCAA Second Round	Stats Video

Bates def. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, 71-57 | Box Score
Sarah Hughes scored 23 points and Sophie Spolter added 20 as Bates built a 26-point lead in the third quarter and held off a late Merchant Marine rally to win 71-57 at Alumni Gym.
 
Bates (25-3) dominated from the opening tip, racing out to a 24-9 first-quarter advantage behind Hughes' efficient 8-of-11 shooting performance. The Bobcats pushed their lead to as many as 26 points midway through the third quarter before Merchant Marine (23-5) mounted a furious fourth-quarter charge.
 
The Mariners, who were outscored 37-19 over the first two periods, outscored Bates 22-18 in the final quarter. Hannah Ramsden keyed the rally with 14 of her game-high 18 points coming in the second half, including a fast-break 3-pointer that pulled Merchant Marine within 13 with three minutes remaining. Back-to-back buckets from Emily Grasseler trimmed the deficit to eight with just over a minute to play.
 
But Spolter sealed the victory at the free-throw line, converting six of her final eight attempts in the closing minute to push the lead back to double digits. Spolter, who went 8-of-10 from the line for the game, netted 10 points in the final frame.
 
Carolae Barton led Merchant Marine with 12 rebounds to go with 12 points, while Grasseler finished with 12 points and seven boards. Breanna Sommers added 13 points for the Mariners, who shot just 35 percent for the game.
 
Bowdoin def. Emmanuel, 51-42 | Box Score
Grace Kinum scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Bowdoin used a dominant second quarter to pull away from Emmanuel for a 51-42 victory at Morrell Gymnasium.
 
Bowdoin (25-2) outscored Emmanuel 19-11 in the second quarter to break open a game that was tied at 10 after one period. Carly Davey scored nine points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting, while Melissa Leone and Payton Collins each hit 3-pointers during the surge that pushed the lead to eight at halftime.
 
The Polar Bears extended their advantage to 14 points midway through the third quarter before Emmanuel (22-7) began to chip away. Abbie Quinn finished with 10 points and four steals for Bowdoin, while Maria Belardi added 10 points and three steals.
 
Emmanuel mounted a persistent fourth-quarter challenge, led by Lia Krumian, who led the Saints with 11 points, drained a 3-pointer with just over five minutes remaining to cut the deficit to four at 38-42, but Bowdoin's free-throw shooting sealed the outcome.
 
Bowdoin dominated in the paint, outscoring Emmanuel 26-8 on interior baskets despite the Saints holding a 44-33 edge on the boards.