Bates teams sitting pretty at break time

Heading into the long holiday break, the women’s teams at Bates College in Lewiston are sitting pretty.

Coach Marsha Graef’s basketball team is 4-1; Coach Dana Mulholland’s swim team is 5-1; and Coach Herb Bunker’s squash team is 1-1.

Last year was a history-making one for the women’s basketball team in which three women surpassed the 1,000-point career mark, doubling the number of players to reach that plateau prior to the 1990-91 season. Bates finished at 14-9.

The 1991-92 season is off to a good start for Graef and crew, who won’t be back in action until January 6 when they host Fontbonne College of Missouri at 7:30 p.m.

A first-year player and a senior are the scoring leaders, with rookie Suzanne Patterson, a forward from Ridgewood, N.J., averaging 17 points per game. Right behind her is senior guard Cindy Ordway of Newport, who’s averaging 14 points per game.

Tied for the rebounding lead are the two centers: Leigh Ann Smith of Woolwich, and sophomore Karin Tanona, who are each averaging nine rebounds per game.

Ordway is tops in assists as well, tied with another former Maine high school player, Antoinette Kenmuir-Evans of Kittery, for the top spot in that category. Ordway and Kenmuir-Evans are each averaging 5.3 assists per game.

The swim team hit the water strong after winning its opening meet with Clark, dropping a meet to Bowdoin, and then taking a 5-team Invitational Meet at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

The season highlights to date include two new college records, set by first-year students.

Laura Rowley of South Portland now holds the Bates record for the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:09.93; and rookie Tama Miyake holds the school record for the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 105.98.

Bates has had a couple of good seasons, finishing 8-2 last year and qualifying several swimmers for the New Englands and one for the nationals.

The Bobcats will next be in action Jan. 11 when they host Wesleyan at 3 p.m.

Women’s squash is barely into its season, with the remainder of the schedule coming after the holiday break.

The women will be quite busy when they return, hosting Middlebury on Jan. 9 at 3 p.m.; Colby on Jan. 10 at 4 p.m.; Haverford on Jan. 13 at 4 p.m. and Mount Holyoke on Jan. 14 at 3 p.m.

The Bobcats have participated in just the Wesleyan Invitational in early December for the 1-1 record, but two seniors have been performing well with both Jennifer Burwell of Dixmont, and Andrea Corradini winning their matches.