BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bears of Bridgewater State attained an early lead and held off the Lancers of Worcester State University for a 66-56 win in a Wednesday evening Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) outing.
THE BASICS
February 14, 2018
Tinsley Center
Score: Bridgewater State 66, Worcester State 56
Records: Bridgewater State (10-14, 6-5 MASCAC) | Worcester State (12-12, 6-5 MASCAC)
1ST QUARTER
The Bears of Bridgewater State took the first lead of the game when they saw back-to-back layups from Chanelle Melton (Brockton, Mass.) and Jennifer Whyte (Braintree, Mass.). The hosts kept pushing away from the Lancers and outscored the visitors 15-8 in the first frame.
2ND QUARTER
The Bears led 33-22 at the break as Melton led all players with ten first-half points, including a triple with four seconds to go to cap off a 7-2 run. Bridgewater shot 47% (15-32) from the floor over the first 20 minutes and forced ten turnovers, while Worcester shot 42% (10-24).
3RD QUARTER
In the opening minutes of the third quarter, back-to-back layups by Rhiana Page (Brookline, Mass.) and a Whyte jumper helped extend the Bridgewater State advantage to 15 (39-24). After Worcester scored six straight points to get the deficit back to single digits at 39-30, the Bears answered with an 8-0 run to take a 17-point lead (47-30) with 3 ½ minutes left to play in the period. Junior guard Sara DaSilva (Chelmsford, Mass.) scored four points during the spurt. Bridgewater would ultimately take a 49-35 advantage into fourth quarter.
4TH QUARTER
Worcester chipped away at the deficit in the fourth as the Lancer defense held the Bears to just five points over the first seven minutes of the period. A three-pointer by Brianna Hackett (Hollis, N.H.) pulled the visitors to within six, 56-50, with 2:46 left to play. Melton answered with a pair of free throws at the other end of the floor and, after a Worcester turnover, knocked down 1-of-2 at the line to push the Bridgewater lead back up to nine, 59-50 with 1:52 remaining. Following a stop, Page buried a pair of free throws to give the Bears a 61-50 advantage with just 48 seconds showing on the scoreboard. Bridgewater would go 4-for-5 at the charity strip over the final 35 seconds to secure the 66-55 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Melton connected on 5-of-12 field goals and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line as she became the 19th student-athlete in BSU women's basketball history to achieve the 1,000-point milestone. Melton also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds and added two blocked shots and a pair of steals.
- Page scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting for the Bears. Page also finished 4-for-5 at the free throw line and notched two rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
- DaSilva finished with nine points for Bridgewater State, while Whyte tallied seven points on 3 of 5 shooting.
- Junior center Britt Herring (West Brookfield, Mass.) posted a double-double with game-high totals of 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for Worcester State. Herring, who was 8-for-10 from the floor, also blocked three shots and recorded a pair of steals.
- Hackett checked in with 12 points for the visitors.
- The Bears shot 44% (24-55) for the game and finished 16-for-21 (76%) at the line. Bridgewater also turned the ball over just nine times. The Bears' defense forced 19 turnovers on the evening, which led to a 20-8 edge in points off turnovers.
- The Lancers, who shot 46% (25-54) on the evening, finished with a 39-27 rebounding advantage including a 13-8 edge on the offensive glass. Second chance points were 13-2 in Worcester's favor.
UP NEXT
Both teams wrap up regular season play on Saturday afternoon at one. The Bears travel to Fitchburg State University, while the Lancers entertain Westfield State University.
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Release Courtesy of Bridgewater State Sports Information