BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman guard Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.) came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists to lead the unbeaten Bridgewater State University women's basketball team to a 77-72 win over Endicott College on Saturday afternoon in Bridgewater.
Senior guard Brittney Chappron (Braintree, Mass.) added 20 points for host Bridgewater who improve to 8-0 on the season. It marks the best start for the Bears since the 1983-1984 squad won their first 17 games en route to a 22-5 record. Endicott falls to 5-4 with the loss.
Senior center Ashley Vitale (Wilmington, Mass.) and senior forward Brittany Kelleher (Wakefield, Mass.) both posted double-doubles for visiting Endicott. Vitale finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists and a pair of steals. Kelleher notched 16 points and 11 boards as well as four assists and four steals. Senior guard Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.) led all Gull scorers with 19 points while also contributing five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Bridgewater shot very well in the first half connecting on 18 of 31 field goal attempts (58%) as the Bears took a 45-35 advantage into the intermission. Williamson scored 12 of her 21 points in the opening stanza.
After sophomore guard Elisha Homich (Ludlow, Mass.) opened the second half with a three-pointer to give BSU their biggest lead of the game at 13 points (48-35), Endicott responded with a 10-1 run to cut the deficit to four . Chappron connected on a three and hit one of two at the free throw line to give Bridgewater the 53-45 advantage with 15:08 left to play.
Bridgewater maintained a comfortable lead between 12 and eight points until the clock ticked under ten minutes remaining. Trailing 61-51, Wright drove in for a layup and junior guard Nicole Heffernan (Londonderry, N.H.) followed with a pair of free throws to pull the Gulls to within six. After BSU junior forward Monica-Sabina Bharoocha (North Smithfield, R.I.) converted one of two at the line, Wright knocked down a jumper and Kelleher made one of two at the charity stripe make it a four-point game, 62-58, at the 8:24 mark.
The ensuing possession was perhaps the most critical of the game. The Bears missed a layup but then forced a turnover immediately after the rebound. Williamson then missed a three-pointer but Endicott couldn't handle the rebound, knocking the ball out of bounds. Given another opportunity, the Bears capitalized as Williamson drained a three to put BSU up by seven, 65-58. Kelleher knocked down a short-range jumper for the Gulls, but Chappron responded with a big three at the other end of the floor to increase the Bears' advantage to 68-60.
After Wright converted on a pair of free throw attempts, Endicott had three opportunities to make it a four-point game but missed three straight shots. A Williamson layup followed by a Corey Cuddihy (Scituate, Mass.) three-pointer upped the Bridgewater lead to 73-62 and all but sealed the victory for the Bears.
For the game, Bridgewater shot 42% (27-for-65) from the floor, including 10 of 24 (42%) from behind the arc. Endicott connected on 29 of 71 (41%) field goal attempts but missed their first 13 three-point tries before finally making a pair of trifectas in the final 46 seconds.
Cuddihy added nine points and seven rebounds for Bridgewater as she was 3-for-7 from three-point range. Junior forward Shelly DePina (New Bedford, Mass.) chipped in with nine points and eight boards.
The Bears now off until January 2nd when they take on Wheaton College in the semifinals of the Williams College Winter Classic. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 PM. Endicott returns to the hardwood on January 6th when the Gulls travel to Salem State University for a seven o'clock game with the Lady Vikings.