Bowdoin Falls to Brandeis in NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information
WALTHAM, Mass. - The best season in Bowdoin College men's basketball history ended in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on Saturday evening as the Polar Bears fell to Brandeis, 68-53. The Polar Bears close their campaign with a record of 22-7, setting the program record for wins in a season.
Fifth-ranked Brandeis (22-5) advances to play Plattsburgh State next weekend.
After the teams traded buckets to start the game, Andrew Hippert's three-pointer cut the Brandeis lead to 6-5 just five minutes into the game. The Judges rolled off an 11-2 run over the next four minutes, as a three-pointer from Florian Rexhepi keyed the surge and gave the hosts a 17-7 lead the 11:00 minute mark.
The teams settled into a back-and-forth contest over the remainder of the half before a Joe Coppens trifecta increased the Brandeis lead to 35-22 at the half.
Keyed by the efforts of their three senior captains, Bowdoin made a defensive stand in the opening moments of the second half, holding the Judges without a field goal for the opening eight minutes. Offensively, the Polar Bears used a 16-2 surge to take a brief lead with 13 minutes to play. Jordan Fliegel scored six points in the run and when sophomore Mark Phillips netted consecutive baskets to cap the run, Bowdoin held a 38-37 edge with 13:10 remaining.
The score remained the same for the next minute as a lengthy Brandeis possession finally ended with a pair of Rexhepi free-throws to restore the Judges' lead, 39-38, with 11:58 to go.
Rich Magee, with a pair of steals and lay-ins, sparked a huge Brandeis run that put the Polar Bears away. When Kevin Olson nailed a three-pointer at the six minute mark, the Judges' lead had ballooned to 11 points, 53-42. The hosts connected on 12-of-14 free-throws down the stretch to seal the win.
In all, Brandeis outscored Bowdoin 31-16 over the final 12 minutes of the game. Olson led the Judges with 15 points, while Coppens had 14.
Bowdoin was led by Fliegel, who closed out his career with a 15-point, six-rebound and four-assist performance. Hippert scored 10 points for the Polar Bears, who were out-rebounded 33-28.
