BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Junior center Danielle Jenkins (Marlborough, MA) posted a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Salem State College Lady Vikings to a 69-60 win over host Bridgewater State in a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women's basketball contest action this evening at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater.
Salem improves to 9-15 on the season and 4-7 in the MASCAC. The Lady Vikings also clinch a spot in the MASCAC Tournament with the win. Bridgewater falls to 13-10 overall and 6-5 in conference play. The Bears, who have dropped four of the last five games, remain in third place in the MASCAC standings.
Jenkins connected on 7 of 9 field goal attempts and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. She also recorded five steals, blocked three shots and 12 of her game-high 14 boards came in the second half.
Salem used an 18-3 run to erase a five-point first half deficit as the Lady Vikings led 28-18 with 4:21 remaining in the opening stanza. Bridgewater however responded by scoring eight of the final ten points of the half to pull to within four points (30-26) at the intermission. Junior guard Brittney Chappron (Braintree, MA) scored six of the Bears' last eight points.
Bridgewater opened the second half with a 9-2 run and led 38-34 with 14:16 left to play. The Lady Vikings, however, reclaimed the lead with a 9-2 run over the next 2 ½ minutes. Salem would never trail again. BSC was able to get to within a point at 50-49, but the Lady Vikings would score 12 of the next 14 points to put the game out of reach.
Freshman forward Shelly DePina (New Bedford, MA) paced the Bears with 15 points and nine rebounds. Six of her team-high nine boards came off the offensive glass. Freshman guard Stephanie Houtman (New Bedford, MA) added 16 points with all 16 coming in the second half. Junior guard Brittney Chappron (Braintree, MA) chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Along with Jenkins 19-points effort, the Lady Vikings had three others place in double-figure scoring. Junior forward Katie Bielonko (Chicopee, MA) tallied 15 points and six rebounds, freshman guard Amy Barry (Manchester, NH) added 13 points and five board, while junior guard Jakoya Wilkins (Dorchester, MA) finished with ten points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Prior to the game, Bridgewater honored senior Ashley Coucci (New Bedford, MA) who was playing in her final regular season home game. Coucci, a four-year member of the team, finished with six points, seven rebounds and three steals.
The teams wore pink t-shirts as their warm-up jerseys, while the coaching and administrative staffs were also decked out in pink shirts as part of the Women's Basketball Coaching Associations (WBCA) Think Pink initiative to raise breast cancer awareness.
Both teams close out the MASCAC schedule on Saturday afternoon. Bridgewater travels to MCLA to take on the Trailblazers at 2 PM, while Salem hosts Worcester State College at 4.