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)

1^ST 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.

2^ND 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).

3^RD 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.

4^TH 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