The St. Lawrence University women's basketball team came from behind to tie the game in the third quarter, but ultimately fell to the Bowdoin Polar Bears 58-47 on Saturday afternoon at the LeFrance Hospitality Invitational hosted by UMass Dartmouth.

The Saints struggled from the field early, but first-year Mason Baker-Schlenderling connected from the paint, and first-year Jackie Malley hit from deep to lead 5-4 after four minutes. Bowdoin would finish the quarter out-scoring St. Lawrence 13-5.

The Polar Bears hit a three to start the second quarter and lead 20-10, but Malley hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead to four. Bowdoin stopped any run by scoring two-straight baskets, and it never got closer than six the rest of the half, and the score at half was 28-20 Polar Bears.

Bowdoin opened the second half with a pair of free throws to lead by 10, but the Saints went on a 12-2 run, with Olivia Middleton and Malley each scoring five and Sierra Sanson making a fastbreak layup to draw even at 32. Bowdoin responded with an eight-point run to reestablish their lead, and eventually went into the final quarter leading 43-36.

That seven-point deficit would be as close at the Saints would come. A midrange jumper and a three-pointer from the Polar Bears quickly made it a double-digit lead, and St. Lawrence never got close than nine in the final quarter. The final buzzer sounded with a 58-47 score line.

Malley led all scorers with 16 points. Middleton and Sanson each finished with nine. Olivia Barringer came down with nine boards.

Three Polar bears finished in double digits, led by Megan Tan's 15. Callie Godfrey finished with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Bowdoin shot 39-percent from the floor, versus the Saints' 29-percent.

Head coach Dan Roiger
"We had opportunities tonight but couldn't capitalize on them with consistency. We shot the ball extremely poorly for the quality of shots we took, and in the first half we turned the ball over frequently and such loud turnovers that resulted in free layups. That just doesn't work against an athletic team like Bowdoin, and they made enough plays to handle us. We are inexperienced and played like it tonight, but games like this provide us with experience to improve."

Records: St. Lawrence (0-1), Bowdoin (1-0)
Up Next: Husson (1-0) on Sunday at noon