LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates women's basketball team turned in an outstanding defensive performance in a 64-30 victory over Thomas College Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym.
The Bobcats (2-2) held the Terriers (0-5) to 23.5% shooting and Bates recorded 18 steals in the win.
Sunday's 30 points for Thomas College were the fewest points Bates has allowed in a game since holding Maine-Machias to 27 points in December of 2013, and the fewest points the Bobcats have allowed to an NCAA Division III opponent since holding Newbury to 26 points in December of 2006.
Senior captain Melanie Binkhorst (West Hartford, Conn.) scored a game-high 18 points on 6-11 shooting. She also grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists and recorded a game-high five steals. Binkhorst finished just one point shy of her career-high for points in one game. Sophomore Ariana Dalia (Brick, N.J.) tallied 13 points on 5-9 shooting, a game-high seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and a blocked shot. Sophomore Meghan Graff (South Portland, Maine) added 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
Karli Stubbs led the Terriers on offense with nine points and five rebounds. Addie Brinkman added eight points and six rebounds. And Kaylee Ravagli scored four points and grabbed six rebounds.
Binkhorst hit a pair of free throws with 9:05 left in the first quarter, putting Bates up 4-2. That started an 11-0 run and the Bobcats never trailed on their way to victory.
Up 21-9, Bates went on another 11-0 run, capped off by a Graff layup with 7:26 left in the second quarter.
The Bobcats led 39-19 at halftime.
Both teams struggled offensively in the third quarter. The Bobcats and the Terriers put up six points each over 10 minutes, making the score 45-25 at the end of three quarters.
The Bobcat offense got back on track offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 points while holding Thomas to just five points over the last 10 minutes of action.
Thomas turned the ball over 26 times and Bates only turned it over nine times. The Bobcats scored 23 points off turnovers while the Terriers only tallied two points off turnovers. Eight different players recorded steals for Bates.
The Bobcats return to action Tuesday when they visit the University of Southern Maine for a 5:30pm tip.