BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Freshman guard Stephanie Houtman (New Bedford, MA) came within an assist of a triple-double to lead the Bridgewater State College women's basketball team to a 75-58 non-conference win over Curry College this evening at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater.
Houtman finished the game with 14 points, 10 steals and nine assists as the Bears improved to 5-2 on the season. Bridgewater has won five of its' last six games. Curry falls to 1-7 overall with their fifth straight defeat.
After spotting the Colonels a 1-0 lead, BSC went on a 14-2 run over the next six minutes to go ahead 14-3. The Bears led 28-18 with 5:23 to play in the first half when Curry went on a 9-1 run to close the gap to 29-27. Bridgewater would eventually take a 34-30 lead into the intermission.
Bridgewater State put the game away with an impressive run to start the second half. Thanks to stifling defensive pressure and solid shooting, BSC scored the first 19 points of the half to take a commanding 53-30 lead. Curry would cut the deficit to 14 points later in the half but that would be as close as they would get.
The Bears finished with 22 steals in the game which helped lead to 32 Curry turnovers. The suffocating defense helped BSC overcome a 46-33 rebounding advantage in favor of the Colonels. Bridgewater shot a solid 47% (27-for-58) from the floor, while holding Curry to 34% (20-for-59) shooting.
All 14 players on the Bears' roster scored in the game with sophomore guard Corey Cuddihy (Scituate, MA) leading the way with 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting including 4-for-9 from three-point range. Freshman forward Shelly DePina (New Bedford, MA) added eight points and five rebounds, while senior forward Ashley Coucci (Dartmouth, MA) chipped in with six assists, four points and three blocked shots.
Curry was led by senior forward Emma Dickson (North Yarmouth, MA) who finished with 12 points and nine boards. Senior guard Sarah Walker (Colchester, VT) notched a team-high 15 points to go along with three steals. Junior guard Liz Forte (Rutland, VT) also scored in double figures with 11 points.
BSC is home again on Thursday night as the Bears host Endicott College at 6 PM. Curry does not play again until after the New Year when the Colonels take on MCLA on January 2nd at the Keene State Holiday Tournament.