Brunswick, Maine - The Colby College Mules entered the NESCAC tournament as the 11th and final seed, but one cannot look at seeding and records to completely evaluate the development and progression of this team.  Bowdoin had the history heading into this matchup too, winning 23 straight games against Colby dating back to the 2009-10 season.  In fact, in 2010 the Mules beat the Polar Bears twice, including a semifinal win that launched Colby into the 2010 NESCAC Championship.  Friday night, Colby erased recent memory to the tune of a 67-58 road victory in Brunswick, and will visit Amherst Sunday for a quarterfinal matchup.  

"Teams either come together or fall apart in February," said head coach Chenel Harris-Smith.  "I am so proud of how our team rallied tonight and came together to upset 6th-seed Bowdoin."  

Colby took the lead from the get go, jumping out to a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter, and holding a 31-30 lead at the half.  Caroline Smith, Keagan Dunbar, Carly Christofori, and Carter McGloon played almost every minute in the do-or-die matchup, and the foursome accounted for 57 of the 67 points for the Mules. Chiamaka Ubani was yet again relentless all over the court, collecting a career-high 13 rebounds and netting 10 points, good for her second double-double of the season.    

The second half saw the Mules extend their lead to two at the end of the third, and down the stretch Colby answered every big play from their hosts with a big play of their own.  In the waning minutes, Colby collected its defensive rebounds, converted on the offensive end, and hit their free throws (14-16 from the line for the game) to outpace the Polar Bears and advance in the postseason.  Smith paced the field with 24 points, her second-highest tally of the year, and she quickly approaches 300 points in her first full season of collegiate play.  Christofori was clutch down the stretch, and converted for 16 points, a career-high, helping Colby to its first NESCAC playoff win since defeating Middlebury in the first round of the 2017 tournament.  

"Caroline Smith has truly emerged as a scorer for us this season," Harris-Smith continued.  "She was extremely efficient shooting 9-16 from the field and made big plays for us all game.  Chiamaka Ubani was, and is, a game changer for us.  She dominated the boards all night."  

Next up, Colby will visit third-seed Amherst on Sunday for the next round of competition.  Game time is set for 2:00pm.