The Emory University women's basketball program fought a tough battle against the No. 6 ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears on Monday afternoon in the final game of the St. Petersburg Classic, 65-49.
 
The Eagles fall to 6-3 on the season and go 1-1 in neutral games this year. Senior Morgan Laudick led the team offensively posting 16 points in the matchup and eight defensive rebounds. Laudick was perfect on the day going 6-6 at the line and has only missed one free throw this season. Sophomore Alexandra Loucopoulos followed with 12 points while shooting 5-11 from the field and making both free throw attempts.
 
The Polar Bears jumped to an early 8-0 start in the first quarter after taking the jumpball and held the Eagles scoreless for two and a half minutes. Graduate student Hanna Malik and Laudick answered with five points to cut into Bowdoin's lead followed by a later three pointer from Malik to bring the score to 10-8 with 5:23 on the clock. The next few points went back and forth between the two programs before the Eagles went on a 6-2 run in the final two minutes only trailing by six after the first quarter.
 
The second quarter opened with a battle on both sides of the court with the Polar Bears unable to broaden their lead past six. Loucopoulos scored six points in the opening five minutes of the second followed by a three pointer from senior Daniella Aronsky at the 4:22 mark to cut further into Bowdoin's lead, 34-28. The final few minutes of the half were quiet with the Polar Bears going on a 4-2 run to take a 38-30 lead into the locker room.
 
Loucopoulos marked the beginning of the second half with a driving layup before the  Eagles were held scoreless for the next three minutes. Bowdoin was able to take their biggest lead of the night thus far at 49-34 following a three pointer from the offense with 6:32 remaining in the quarter. Loucopoulos and teammates continued the scoring into the final few minutes of the quarter to cut into the Polar Bears' lead, 53-41 at the end of the third.
 
Bowdoin's offense exploded in the fourth quarter holding the Eagles scoreless while taking a 22-point, 63-41 lead at the 6:16 mark. Laudick landed a jump shot almost a minute later for Emory's first points of the quarter. Both teams would go scoreless in the next two minutes before Laudick and sophomore Mary Mullinax scored four points off a layup and free throws. The Polar Bears did not score in the last five minutes of the game but held a big enough lead to clinch the win, 65-49.
 
The Eagles will return to Atlanta on Thursday, January 2 to face the Piedmont Lions at 4:00 PM in a rescheduled matchup.