By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- With the regular season ending next week, this is a perfect time for the Bridgewater State University men's basketball team to be building momentum.
The Bears are doing exactly that, winning five of their past six games and earning perhaps their most impressive victory of the season Wednesday night at the Tinsley Center.
Bridgewater State University stopped first-place Salem State University, 72-61, to move a game-and-a-half behind the Vikings in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with three games left.
"We pride ourselves on as the season goes along, we've always been one of those programs that develops because we play such a good non-league schedule,'' said coach Joe Farroba, whose team is 13-9. "I just hope (this win) builds confidence. It shows what they have to do.
"We have to maintain it. It's going to be interesting to see how we handle success. Let's see if we can make this move.''
Salem State (14-9, 8-2 in the conference), which had won 10-of-12 games before losing to BSU, is one-half game ahead of Fitchburg State (7-2) with the Bears next at 6-3. The top two teams earn a bye in the MASCAC tournament, which starts Feb. 21.
BSU went on a 16-4 run over a span of 2:56 late after trailing, 54-53, to take over against the Vikings, who defeated the Bears by a point in Salem last month.
Fawaz Mass of Taunton had 23 points, including a four-point play with 2:26 left to make it 61-55, and Joseph Carty added 18 points and 10 rebounds. He had eight points in that key run late in the game.
Rocky DeAndrade added 16 points and six rebounds while Patrick McGuinness contributed 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double.
BSU held a 35-26 halftime lead, but Salem State opened the second half on a 19-4 run in less than six minutes to go in front. But the Bears bounced right back and trailed only once in the final 10:14.
"We maintained our composure,'' said Farroba. "We subbed in, subbed in. We kind of righted ourselves and got comfortable again.''
BSU, which led by as many as 12 in the first half, has split the season series with both Salem State (which was just 5 for 14 at the foul line) and Fitchburg State. The Vikings were held well below their season average of 78.5 points.
"I think we kept down the fast-break baskets this time,'' said Farroba, whose team is at Worcester State Saturday afternoon. "Up there the first time we played them they had a lot of breakouts, coast-to-coast. Today, we negated that.''