BOX SCORE

Lewiston, Maine – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women’s basketball team saw its season come to a close on Friday evening with a 71-57 loss to Bates College in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at Alumni Gym.

Bates (25-3) built an early lead and carried a 24-9 advantage after the first quarter, extending the margin to 37-19 at halftime. The Mariners responded with a stronger second half, outscoring the Bobcats 38-34 over the final two quarters, but were unable to erase the early deficit.

Senior Hannah Ramsden led Merchant Marine (23-5) with 18 points, knocking down two three-pointers while adding four rebounds and three assists. Breanna Sommers finished with 13 points, while Emily Grasseler and Carolae Barton each added 12 points. Barton also pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds to record a double-double in the Mariners’ final contest of the season.

Bates was paced by Sarah Hughes, who scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Sophie Spolter added 20 points and five rebounds for the Bobcats.

Merchant Marine finished the game 25-for-71 (35.2%) from the field and 5-for-18 from three-point range, while Bates shot 40.6 percent and converted 13 of 16 free throws.

The Mariners conclude the season with a 23-5 overall record.