WORCESTER -- The WPI women's basketball team couldn't overcome an early deficit as Bowdoin topped the Engineers at home on Sunday, 56-44. The non-conference result drops WPI to 5-2 overall, while the Polar Bears improve to 5-1. 

Bowdoin opened the game on a 7-0 run and never trailed, out-shooting WPI 38.5% (20-52) to 32.7% (16-49). The Polar Bears held WPI to just 3-of-20 (15%) from long range while out-rebounding the Engineers 40-29. 

Bowdoin's Sydney Jones (Chestnut Hill, MA) led all scorers with 14 points, adding five rebounds. Megan Tan (Belmont, MA) added 11 points and four boards, while Sela Kay (Los Angeles, CA) scored nine. Annie Boasberg (Washington, DC) stuffed her stat line with seven rebounds and four steals, while Jess Giorgio (Belmont, MA) also added seven boards. 

Lisa Cristiano (Valhalla, NY) led WPI with 10 points, while Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, CT) and Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, NJ) each tallied eight points and four rebounds, with Kelly adding a pair of blocks. Emily Raynowska (Brentwood, NH) finished with seven points and five boards, while Victoria Mirecki (Washingtonville, NY) also added five rebounds. 

Bowdoin rattled off a 7-0 run to start the game before WPI cut the lead to three on a bucket from Kelly. The Polar Bears responded with eight unanswered to take a 15-4 lead, before WPI closed the gap with five straight, making it 15-9, at the end of one. 

The Engineers had the hot hand early in the second quarter, narrowing the lead to 16-13 on a lay-up from Scariati. Leading 20-17, Bowdoin closed the quarter on an 8-2 surge, taking a nine-point (28-19) advantage into halftime. 

Bowdoin shot 44% (11-25) from the field, connecting for five threes, while WPI was held without a make from long range. The Engineers shot just 33.3% (9-27) from the field and were edged in the rebound margin 22-12. 

The Polar Bears ballooned their lead to 14 points early in the third quarter, capitalizing on three straight points from Kay to make it 33-19. WPI chipped away, closing the gap to 38-30 on a Shannon Reno (Millbury, MA) jumper with 1:40 to play, but Bowdoin scored the final points of the frame, leading 40-30 after three. 

The Engineers cut the lead to eight on three the hard way from Cristiano with 6:42 to play, but Bowdoin scored seven unanswered points, capped by a Carly Davey (Westford, MA) three to lead by 15. WPI made one final push to close the gap, as back-to-back threes from Scariati and Melanie Presseau (Manchester, NH) got the deficit back down to nine, but Bowdoin finished out the victory. 

WPI has little rest, playing at Regis tomorrow night at 7pm. Bowman continues its season on Tuesday at home against the University of Maine Farmington at 6pm.