The Polar Bears won back-to-back games over the weekend after snapping a three-game losing skid, improving to 8-4 overall. The Panthers, which picked up a key Little East Conference win Saturday over UMass Dartmouth, fell to 9-3 with Sunday’s setback.
Petrie was one of three players to score in double figures for the winners, as sophomore Jordan Fliegel (Cambridge, Mass.) hit all six of his shots and finished with 14 points and nine rebounds and junior Kevin Bradley (Seekonk, Mass.) added 10 points.
Junior Mike Walcek (Dover, N.H.) led the Panthers with 18 points and nine boards, hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the three-point line. Seniors Kevin Boutilier (North Andover, Mass.) and Brandon Boggs (Strafford, N.H.) added 12 points apiece, and junior Devin Ruocco (Dover, N.H.) finished with 11 points, matching his season high.
Following a tight first-half that saw Bowdoin lead by a single point (30-29) at intermission, the Panthers grabbed a 36-34 lead early in the second frame on a three-pointer by Walcek. The Polar Bears responded with a 13-2 run, and extended their lead to as many as 12 points before PSU started to chip away at the lead.
Three consecutive three-pointers highlighted a 13-4 Panther run late in the stanza that trimmed the Bowdoin advantage to three points (67-64) with 3:15 remaining. After the teams traded baskets, Walcek missed a potential game-tying three-pointer and Bowdoin grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball downcourt for a layup and a 71-66 lead with 20 seconds remaining. Bowdoin hit a red-hot 72 percent of its shots in the second half to clinch the win, including 4-of-5 from beyond the three-point stripe.
The Polar Bears are back in action Friday and Saturday with New England Small College Athletic Conference games against Bates and Tufts, respectively. PSU returns home to host UMass Boston in a Little East Conference game Tuesday at Foley Gymnasium (7:30 p.m.)
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