Middlebury was even with 20th-ranked Bowdoin at the half, but the Polar Bears (20-2, 8-0) forced 14 second-half turnovers on their way to a 53-43 win over the Panthers in Pepin Gym. While Middlebury (11-11, 3-5) capped its regular home schedule, the Panthers will travel to Trinity on Friday evening and finish the regular season at Amherst one week from today.

In the opening minutes of the contest, Middlebury jumped out to a 7-2 lead, capped by a three-pointer from Elizabeth Knox at 16:38. Bowdoin's Kate Kerrigan sandwiched a three between another Knox long-ball before Marie Curle sank a triple for Bowdoin at 15:42, sparking a 9-0 run.

Trailing 14-10, the Panthers battled back, tying the game at 16-16 on a jumper by Krystina Reynolds at 6:38. The teams exchanged the lead six times down the stretch before Alexis Coolidge knotted the game at 24 apiece on a runner with time running out in the half. At the break, Knox led all scorers with 11, while Kerrigan paced Bowdoin with nine points.

The Polar Bears opened the second half on a 10-2 run as four different players scored, including a pair of baskets by Shannon Brady. Bowdoin forced four Panther turnovers during the span, as Middlebury connected on just 1-5 from the field.

Trailing 34-26 with 14:35 left, the Panthers made it a two-possession deficit three times over the next six minutes, as a bucket by Knox at 8:24, set the score at 40-34 in favor of the visitors. Over the next five minutes of action, Bowdoin held the Panthers to 0-2 shooting from the floor and forced five turnovers as the Polar Bears went on a decisive 12-0 run. Brady chipped in six more points during the spurt, as Bowdoin built a commanding 52-34 lead with 3:20 left in the game.

Middlebury did put together a 9-1 run to close out the contest, as Rachel Crews and Siobhan O'Sullivan each netted three-pointers.

Bowdoin scored 27 points off 27 Panther turnovers in the game, while holding a 28-12 advantage in points in the paint. The Panthers held the visitors to 2-16 from behind the arc, while scoring 10 points off 17 Polar Bear turnovers.

Knox led Middlebury with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Coolidge finished with seven points, three assists, a block and two steals. Sabrina Weeks had eight points and seven rebounds, while Nora Kelly scored her first points of the season, transitioning from student-assistant coach to player after recovering from injuries earlier in her career.

Brady finished with a game high 14 points on 7-10 shooting for Bowdoin, while collecting a team-best seven rebounds. Kerrigan finished with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and a career-high nine steals in the contest. Ally Silfen chipped in with 10 points off the bench on 5-10 shooting, while collecting four rebounds.