BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior forward Joseph Carty (Natick, Mass.) posted a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Bridgewater State University men's basketball team to a 67-55 victory over visiting Framingham State University on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.
The Bears improve to 10-7 on the season and 3-1 in the MASCAC, while the Rams fall to 5-13 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
Carty connected on 7 of 12 field goals and seven of his game-high 15 boards came off the offensive glass. The double-double marked his team-leading tenth of the season.
Sophomore guard Ryan Carney (Easton, Mass.) added 12 points, three assists, a blocked shot and a steal for the Bears, while senior guard Rocky DeAndrade (Mansfield, Mass.) checked in with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals. DeAndrade now has 964 points in his career.
Freshman forward Cameren McCloud-Thomas (Springfield, Mass.) paced Framingham State with 17 points, six boards, three assists, two blocked and a steal, while freshman center James Purcell (Leominster, Mass.) contributed 12 points and four rebounds.
Bridgewater held a 28-24 lead after a low-scoring first half. Both teams struggled with their shooting over the first 20 minutes with the Bears connecting on just 38% (13-34) of their field goals attempts including 1-for-9 from behind the arc, while the Rams shot 39% (11-28) from the floor. Carney scored eight points in the opening stanza to lead BSU, while Purcell tallied eight points for Framingham.
The Bears trailed 37-36 with 15:20 remaining in the second half following a Purcell layup. A 7-0 run capped off by a Nick Crocker (East Falmouth, Mass.) three-pointer gave Bridgewater a 43-37 lead with 12 minutes left to play. Later in the period, back-to-back three-point plays by Carty and sophomore forward Rayshon Ward (Plymouth, Mass.) extended the BSU lead to 12 at 56-44 with 5:16 showing on the scoreboard. The Bears would maintain a double-digit advantage until the clock ticked under 25 seconds.
Ward finished with nine points and four boards. Sophomore forward Dimitri St. Louis (Brockton, Mass.) tallied eight boards, six boards and a game-best four blocked shots.
Bridgewater shot 42% (27-64) from the floor on the afternoon while the BSU defense forced 19 turnovers. The Bears finished with a 21-8 edge in points off turnovers. Framingham shot 46% (24-52) for the game.
In upcoming MASCAC action, the Bears travel to Worcester State University on Tuesday night for a 7:30 game with the Lancers, while the Rams entertain the Trailblazers of the MCLA on Thursday evening at eight.