BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Freshman forward Michaela Cosby (Walpole, MA) scored a career-high 21 points and added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead the Bridgewater State College women's basketball team to a 73-68 victory over non-conference foe Wesleyan University this evening at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater.
Cosby connected on 9 of 11 field goal attempts for the Bears who improve to 3-2 on the season. Six of her eight boards also came off the offensive glass.
Junior guard Corey Cuddihy (Scituate, MA) added 16 points to go along with five assists and two steals. She scored all 16 of her points in the second half. Junior guard Brittney Chappron (Braintree, MA) chipped in with 15 points, four assists and two steals.
Sophomore forward Sam LaCroce (Prospect, CT) paced the visiting Cardinals (2-2) with a double-double as she posted team-highs of 18 points and 15 boards. Seven of her 15 rebounds were of the offensive variety. Sophomore forward Eilleen Gaffney (Manhasset, NY) also recorded a double-double as she finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Bridgewater State led from wire-to-wire but struggled to put the Cardinals away. Wesleyan used a strong performance on the offensive glass to stay in the game. The Cardinals out-rebounded the Bears, 49-30. They also pulled down 23 offensive boards which led to 14 second-chance points.
The host Bears used a relentless defense as the team recorded 20 steals which helped lead to 29 turnovers. Bridgewater struggled again with their long-range shooting as the Bears connected on just 3 of 22 three-point field goal attempts. Bridgewater is shooting 17% (16-for-93) from beyond the arc this season.
Bridgewater built an 18-point lead (33-15) with 8:04 remaining in the first half. Wesleyan would cut it down to single digits (38-29) before Bridgewater scored seven of the final 11 points of the half to take a 45-33 lead into the locker room.
Bridgewater scored the first seven points of the second half to take their biggest lead of the game at 52-33. The Bears maintained a double-digit lead until Gaffney scored five straight points to pull the Cardinals to within eight (69-61) with 2:30 left to play.
Two free throws by Cuddihy and an Elisa Homich (Ludlow, MA) lay-up sandwiched an Ali Newman (Titusville, NJ) lay-up as the Bears led 73-63 with 38 seconds remaining. Newman buried a three-pointer and then scored on a lay-up with under five second left to play, but the Cardinals would run out of time.
Homich, a freshman guard, finished with seven points four assists and six steals for Bridgewater State.
Newman, a sophomore guard, scored 15 points to go along with six rebounds and a pair of assists for Wesleyan.