The Eagles give a group cheer following the victory over Bowdoin. UMW will face DePauw University in Springfield, Mass., next Friday. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

Eagles' second-half run puts them in Final Four DIVISION III TOURNAMENT SECTIONALS

UMW defeats Bowdoin in D-III National Tournament quarterfinals

Date published: 3/11/2007

By TODD JACOBSON

BY TODD JACOBSON

SCRANTON, Pa.

The team's leading scorer, Debbie Bruen, was sick with the flu.

And with the university's first trip to the Division III women's basketball Final Four on the line, the Eagles trailed top-ranked Bowdoin College by nearly a dozen points.

Worried? Not Eagles coach Deena Applebury.

"We have a very deep team and a talented team and these kids believe," Applebury said. "That's why we were able to pull through this, because they continued to believe we could win this game and that even though we were down 11 we could still come back from that."

So after Mary Washington had put the finishing touches on its 64-59 win over Bowdoin yesterday, completing a stunning second-half comeback with a 15-3 run, Applebury wasn't surprised.

She did, however, need a moment to compose herself as she sat next to three of her players in a makeshift press room at the John Long Center. The balled up remnants of the net trimmed from the court's basket sat in front of her, and the importance of what her team had accomplished seemed to hit Applebury at once.

"I need some time," she said, exhaling.

It was that kind of game and that kind of emotional finish for Mary Washington, which continues to make history in Applebury's fourth season.

The Eagles won their 26th straight game and set a school record with their 30th win yesterday, and after reaching the tournament quarterfinals for the first time with a win over Scranton Friday, they one-upped themselves with a trip to the Final Four.

Hickey led the Eagles with 16 points and James Monroe graduate Lisa Tracy added 11, including two game-sealing free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining. Bruen scored eight points in 19 minutes.

Eileen Flaherty scored 15 points for Bowdoin (29-2) and Jill Anelauskas had 18 before fouling out with 1:09 remaining in the game.

Mary Washington (30-2) will play DePauw University (29-3) Friday in Springfield, Mass.

"I don't even know what's going on," point guard Amanda Bates said. "I'm still in shock."

UMW 64 BOWDOIN 59

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Date published: 3/11/2007