Bowdoin to host D-III women's first, second rounds; local teams learn draws

Bowdoin College will stage NCAA Division III women's basketball first- and second-round games at Morrell Gymnasium in Brunswick after the NCAA selection show on March 2, marking the third straight year Bowdoin has hosted tournament play. The Polar Bears enter the field led this season by Bangor native Abbie Quinn, who averages 14.2 points per game.

Bates College also earned hosting rights and will play at home after winning the NESCAC championship. Bates, 24-3, clinched the conference automatic bid with a 61-56 victory over top-seed Bowdoin at Morrell Gymnasium; Sarah Hughes scored a game-high 24 points in the title game. Bates will open Friday with Merchant Marine, 23-4, scheduled for a 7:15 p.m. tipoff, while Smith, 26-1, meets Union, 22-5, at 4:45 p.m.

Bates’ surge to the NCAA field came amid recent rivalry drama. The NESCAC title game reversed two regular-season losses to Bowdoin and was the Bobcats' first NESCAC crown after several attempts. Elsa Daulerio of Mt. Ararat, a key contributor for Bates this year, reflected on the aftermath: “Emotions have been super high in the past 24 hours, with our win (over Bowdoin) yesterday in the (NESCAC) championship game. But just to see our names up there and an opportunity to host is just so special for us.”

Bowdoin’s performance in the NESCAC final highlighted strengths and weaknesses heading into the NCAA bracket. Grace Kinum led Bowdoin in the title game with 16 points and 10 rebounds; Abbie Quinn and Carly Davey scored 11 and 10 points respectively, and Jamie Yue added seven points and five steals. Bowdoin shot 32 percent for the game and made 7 of 24 from three, a stretch the program will aim to correct as it prepares to welcome opponents at Morrell Gymnasium.

Maine’s presence in regional draws is notable. Bowdoin coach Megan Phelps noted the state concentration on the selection show: “I am really excited at the prospect of having so much Maine connection in our bracket. As they said on the selection show, Maine has an awesome tradition of really talented Division III women’s basketball programs, so I think it will be a really fun environment for the state that loves basketball so much.” The University of Southern Maine, Little East Conference champions, is slated to travel north to play Johnson & Wales at Bowdoin in Brunswick, according to the selection-show coverage.

A Press Herald photo caption by Derek Davis that reads, “The Southern Maine women's basketball team watches the NCAA Division III selection show on Monday in Gorham. The Huskies won the Little East Conference title and will play Johnson and Wales on Friday at Bowdoin College in Bates,” contains a location error; Bowdoin College and Morrell Gymnasium are in Brunswick, not Bates. Press selection-show coverage and the NESCAC game report confirm Brunswick as Bowdoin’s host site.

Conference-wide metrics give context to at-large and hosting decisions: Division III NPI lists Bowdoin eighth, Bates 20th, Amherst 61st and Williams 120th. Bowdoin’s athletics page headline announcing its hosting appeared to carry a 3/3/2025 metadata timestamp that conflicts with the March 1–3, 2026 timeline around the selection show and NESCAC final; that discrepancy appears to be a metadata error and should be reconciled with the NCAA bracket release.

The NCAA’s official bracket release will finalize opponent lists and court assignments, including verification of names tentatively linked to the Bowdoin site such as Emmanuel College and the University of Southern Maine. With Friday first-round games scheduled for 4:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., Morrell Gymnasium in Brunswick and Bates are set to offer accessible NCAA Division III women’s tournament basketball for the region this weekend.