NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- MCLA sophomore Lucy Tremblay's layup with one second on the clock was the difference as MCLA completed its best regular season in school history with an 80-78 victory over Bridgewater State.
With the win, the Trailblazers are now 16-8 (8-4 MASCAC) while the Bears fall to 17-7 (8-4 MASCAC).
Despite the loss, Bridgewater is the number two seed in next week's MASCAC Tournament and also owns a first round bye. The Bears will host a semifinal game next Thursday night at 7:00 PM. MCLA, the number three seed, will entertain sixth-seeded Framingham State on Tuesday night.
The contest became a showdown between the Bears' Brittney Chappron and MCLA's Jen Wehner. Chappron torched the MCLA defense for 31 points, including a school-record nine three-pointers. Wehner continued her dominant play collecting her third 20-20 game of the season, finishing with 20 points and 28 rebounds. She also added five blocks.
Chappron broke her own school mark of seven trifectas set last season (1/23/10) in a 83-69 home win over Salem State.
After Bridgewater rallied from a six point halftime deficit to knot the game at 44 apiece on a Chappron trey with 16:35 remaining, MCLA used a 10-0 run to take a 54-44 lead. The Bears once again battled back, this time knotting the score at 62 all, as Elisha Homich connected from deep. The Bears actually took their first lead since the opening basket when Megan Boutilette converted a layup making the score 66-64 with 8:16 left.
The teams would battle over the next seven minutes until Bridgewater's Jenna Williamson hit the Bears 14th three pointer of the afternoon to tie the game at 78 with 1:18 to play. Each team would come up empty on their next possession setting up Tremblay's drive to the basket.
Following a held ball that gave MCLA possession, Tremblay drove the lane from the top of the key converted an acrobatic layup with only a tick on the clock. Chappron would get off a three at the buzzer, but it was off target giving MCLA the victory.
MCLA got off to a flying start, hitting eight of their first nine attempts from the floor to take an 18-10 lead just four and half minutes into the game. The Trailblazers continued their torrid pace using an 8-2 spurt to build their largest lead of the half at 26-12 with 12:21 remaining until halftime.
The Bears began chipping away at the lead, using a 12-4 run fueled by a pair of Chappron jumpers from beyond the arc trimming the margin to 30-24. The Trailblazers would answer though, again pushing the lead to double digits at 40-27 at the three minute mark of the half. The visiting Bears would answer though outscoring MCLA 9-2 in the final minutes, including another three from Chappron at the buzzer pulling Bridgewater to within six at 42-36.
Chappron carried the Bears in the opening half collecting 17 points including a perfect six of six from the field (5 of 5 beyond the arc). Wehner finished the half with a double double, notching 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Alie Dobrovolc added 11 first half points.
Aside from Wehner's performance, Dobrovolc added a team high 21 points. Senior Hilary Perks added 16 points, while Tremblay and Kaitlyn Chenevert finished with 10 points each.
For the Bears, Homich joined Chappron in double figures with 11 points to go along with four assists. Williamson finished with nine points, a game-high five assists and a pair of steals.
MCLA owned a commanding 57-30 rebounding edge to offset 21 turnovers. The Trailblazers outscored the Bears, 30-14, in the paint and in second chance points, 28-10.