MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Junior guard Nicky Johnson '25 poured in a season-high 27 points, hitting five three-pointers, while adding seven assists and a career-high six steals, leading the Wesleyan men's basketball team past Bowdoin, 88-67, on Friday night in the NESCAC opener for both teams. Wesleyan (9-4, 1-0 NESCAC) snaps a two-game losing streak while Bowdoin (6-8, 0-1 NESCAC) falls to the Cardinals for the seventh straight meeting.
 
Wesleyan broke free of their recent shooting woes, hitting 54 percent (34-63 FG) from the floor and 45 percent (9-20 3FG) from three, rebounding from consecutive sub-30 percent showings from behind the arc. In what was a 50-point second half, Wesleyan went 20-for-32 (62.5 percent) from the floor. The Cardinals also blocked a season-high nine shots and went nearly perfect from the free throw line, going 11-for-12 (91.7 percent).
 
Scoring in transition played a big role in the outcome as the Cardinals outscored the Polar Bears 29-4 in fast break points and took advantage of 20 Bowdoin turnovers, scoring 32 points off those miscues.
 
Even with the 21-point win, Wesleyan did not get off to a good start as Bowdoin found their offense early, scoring seven unanswered while holding the Cardinals scoreless for the opening 2:50 of play. The first Cardinal bucket was a three-pointer from Shane Regan '25, but Bowdoin continued to find good looks, building a 17-11 lead with 13:17 left in the first half.
 
The Cardinals took their first lead of the game as Johnson drove the length of the court before finishing at the rim to make it 20-18 Wesleyan. The Cardinals then went on a 10-2 run in a span of just over a minute, with Johnson scoring or assisting on eight of the 10 Cardinal points in the spurt. Bowdoin answered back, cutting the deficit to one, but the Polar Bears went scoreless over the final 1:49 of the first half, allowing Wesleyan to take a 38-33 lead into halftime.
 
The game continued to seesaw early in the second half, with the Cardinals taking an 11-point lead before the Polar Bears cut the deficit to five a few minutes later. Perhaps the defining play of the game occurred with 10:22 remaining as Kevin Reeves slipped a pick and received a pass at the top of the key, taking just one dribble, Reeves rose for an uncontested dunk but hit the rim. The ensuing rebound caromed out to Sam Pohlman '26 who quickly drove upcourt, dishing to Johnson who nailed a three-pointer in transition, giving Wesleyan a 59-50 lead on what was a crucial five-point swing.
 
That play was the start of a 10-0 run that put the game away as Wesleyan led 66-50 with 8:15 remaining. Wesleyan's lead eventually swelled to 20 late before the game ended in a 88-67 Cardinal win.
 
Johnson finished 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from three on his way to the season-high 27 points. Regan finished with 19 points (8-15 FG), five assists, four rebounds, and two steals in 33 minutes as the Cardinal backcourt combined for 46 points on 17-of-28 shooting. Jackson Cormier '26 added 11 points (5-9 FG), five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks while Hauser had nine points, five rebounds, and four assists. Pohlman played well off the bench with nine points, three rebounds, three assists, and a career-high three blocks.
 
Reeves led the Polar Bears with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting. James McGowan scored nine points and dished out a career-high 11 assists. Ben Chilson scored 11 with three three-pointers off the bench.
 
Wesleyan is back in action against Colby on Saturday at 3 PM from Silloway Gymnasium. This is the first meeting since the Mules defeated the Cardinals, 82-80, in overtime in Silloway in the 2023 NESCAC Quarterfinal round.