Worcester, MA --- Bridgewater State senior Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, MA) matched her season-high with 29 points to lead the visiting Bridgewater State to a 63-48 triumph over Worcester State in MASCAC women's basketball this afternoon at the Laska Gym.
The Bears even their overall record at 8-8 with the win and improve to 3-1 in the MASCAC. The Lancers slip to 6-7 on the season and 2-1 in league action.
Williamson connected on 10 of 17 field goal attempts including 2-for-5 from the three-point range. She was also finished 7-for-8 from the free throw line and added eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Junior Rachel Kusz (Worcester, MA) added 11 points for the Bears on 3 of 6 shooting from behind the arc. Senior Elisha Homich (Worcester, MA/St. Peter-Marian) led all players with six assists while also grabbing seven rebounds.
Worcester State was paced by senior Meaghan Burns (W. Brookfield, MA) who tallied with 14 points and four rebounds as sophomore Julie Frankian (Millbury, MA) added eight points and five boards.
Trailing by one with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half (19-18), the Bears used a 10-0 run highlighted by six points from Williamson to jump ahead 28-19. The visitors took a 36-28 lead into the break.
A Burns jumper early in the second half pulled Worcester to within four (38-34), but that was as close as the Lancers managed to get within the rest of the way. A 10-2 surge by the Bears midway through the stanza put the game out of reach as the Bears built a double-digit advantage that they did not relinquish.
BSU sophomore Vanesa Conceicao (New Bedford, MA) drained a three-pointer with 5:36 remaining to give the Bears their largest margin of the game (63-45) to help the hosts cruise ahead for the win.
Both teams struggled with their shooting as the Bears shot 34 percent (20-for-59) from the floor, including 7-for-29 (24 percent) from three-point range. The Lancers connected on just 30 percent (16-for-53) of their field goal attempts.
Bridgewater State converted 16 of their 20 bids from the free throw line and held 33-16 advantage in points off turnovers and a 24-14 edge in points in the paint.
The hosts, who entered the contest 11th in New England (63rd in NCAA Division III) in free throw percentage, finished 14-for-18 (78 percent) from the charity stripe
The MASCAC schedule resumes for both teams on Tuesday evening at 5:30. Worcester State takes the trek out to Westfield State while the Bears host Fitchburg State.
Major Portions Of Release Courtesy of Bridgewater State Sports Information
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