Hamilton College's Ajani Santos '16 poured in a career-high 25 points and the Continentals posted an 86-71 NESCAC win against the Bowdoin College Polar Bears at Hamilton's Margaret Bundy Scott Field House on Saturday afternoon.

Santos was one of five Continentals who scored in double figures on Senior Day. The other member of the Class of 2016, Jack Donnelly '16, made three 3-pointers and finished with 10 points.

Jack Dwyer '18 chipped in 12 points and eight assists for Hamilton (11-10, 2-5 NESCAC). Dwyer leads the conference with 5.3 assists per game. Michael Grassey '19 drilled three shots from beyond the arc and ended up with 11 points off the bench.

Andrew Groll '19 recorded his sixth double-double this season for the Continentals with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and he added three blocked shots and three steals. Wes Wilbur '17 was credited with a career-best five steals and Peter Hoffmann '19 blocked three shots. Hamilton finished with eight blocked shots and just nine turnovers. The Continentals shot 88 percent (22-25) at the free-throw line.

Lucas Hausman paced Bowdoin (9-9, 2-5) with 18 points. Hausman leads the NESCAC in scoring with 25.2 points per game. Jack Simonds scored 14 points, Jake Donnelly had 11 and Matt Palecki added 10. Neil Fuller grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. The Polar Bears had won the last four meetings with Hamilton.

Bowdoin led 2-0 and 5-2 early in the first half. Hamilton countered with a 9-0 run for an 11-5 advantage and the Polar Bears didn't lead again. The two seniors accounted for all the points during the Continentals' spurt as Santos had six and Donnelly nailed a 3-pointer.

Hamilton didn't trail again the rest of the afternoon but there were three ties later in the first half at 18-18, 22-22 and 24-24. Jack Donnelly put the Continentals ahead to stay with another trifecta with 5:34 left in the half. After Jake Donnelly (no relation) pulled Bowdoin within one with a layup, Santos gave Hamilton a little cushion with two baskets for a 31-26 advantage with 3:05 remaining.

Hausman, who was in foul trouble for most of the first half, cut the Polar Bears' deficit to 31-29 with an old-fashioned 3-point play. Santos and Palecki traded jumpers before Wilbur scored in the paint and Hoffmann made two free throws for the Continentals' largest lead of the half at 39-31 with 31 seconds to go. Bowdoin's Liam Farley beat the halftime buzzer with a 17-foot jumper on an inbounds pass from Hugh O'Neil, and Hamilton led 39-33 at the break.

The Continentals scored the first five points of the second half on a 3-pointer by Jack Donnelly and a jumper by Santos for a 44-33 advantage. The Polar Bears missed their first three shots from the floor and two more at the line before Simonds' basket ended the short cold streak with 17:12 left.
Simonds and Hausman made 3-pointers on consecutive Bowdoin possessions that pulled the Polar Bears within 46-41 with 15:01 remaining, but they didn't get any closer. Santos answered with a jumper and Hoffmann added two free throws, and Hamilton was back up by nine at 50-41 with 13:43 to go.

The Continentals' lead fluctuated between seven and 17 points the rest of the way. A jumper by Joe Pucci '18 provided Hamilton with an 86-69 cushion with 12 seconds left.

The Continentals host Colby College for another NESCAC game on Sunday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. Bowdoin travels to Middlebury College for more conference action on Sunday at 1.