BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior forward Jennie Lindland (Edgartown, Mass.) scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Bridgewater State University women's basketball team to a convincing 74-37 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting MCLA on Wednesday evening at the Tinsley Center.
The Bears improve to 8-9 on the season and 5-1 in the MASCAC with their fifth straight win, while the Trailblazers fall to 10-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Lindland connected on 8 of 12 field goal attempts and registered five rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. Junior forward Chanelle Melton (Brockton, Mass.) added 15 points and four rebounds for the Bears while senior guard Vanesa Conceicao (New Bedford, Mass.) chipped in 12 points, three assists and three steals.
Bridgewater came out strong, shooting 69% (9-13) from the floor in the first quarter as the Bears opened up a 19-13 lead at the end of one. The Trailblazers pulled to within five points on two occasions in the second quarter, but the Bears closed out the period with a 14-4 run, capped off by a Conceicao three-pointer in the final seconds, to take a 40-24 lead into the break.
Conceicao led all player with 12 first half points, while Lindland added 11. The Bears shot 52% (15-29) over the first 20 minutes including 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
The Trailblazers connected on just 29% (10-35) of their field goal attempts over the first two quarters and went 1-for-10 (10%) from three-point range.
Six straight points from Melton to open the third quarter followed by a Lindland layup extended the BSU advantage to 48-24. The Bears would go on to outscore the Trailblazers 22-7 in the period and held a 62-31 lead heading into the final session.
Bridgewater maintained a 30-plus point advantage throughout the fourth quarter with the final tally of 74-37 also accounting for the largest lead of the game.
The Bears shot 50% (30-60) for the game and recorded 16 steals which helped lead to 22 MCLA turnovers. The Trailblazers made just 23% (14-61) of their field goal attempts and finished just 1-for-17 (6%) from behind the arc.
Sophomore guard Emily Moulton (North Adams, Mass.) paced the visitors with nine points and five rebounds, while junior guard Courtney Durivage (Wynantskill, N.Y.) tallied seven points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
Both teams are back in action of Saturday afternoon. The Bears entertain non-conference foe Williams College at two, while the Trailblazers host MASCAC rival Worcester State University at one.