By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The first step in the quest for a sixth straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title has been taken.
The third-seeded Bridgewater State University women's basketball team, thanks to a strong fourth quarter, fought off sixth-seeded Worcester State University, 55-45, Tuesday night at the Tinsley Center.
That earned the Bears (13-12) a trip to second-seeded Framingham State University (18-6) for a semifinal-round matchup Thursday at 6 p.m.
Two of BSU's three MASCAC losses came to the Rams by 17 and 10 points.
"They've gotten us twice so far,'' said Bears coach Bridgett Casey. "The first one here wasn't even a game. It was them the whole way. Up there, we had a 32-18 lead in the second quarter and couldn't hold it. It's going to be a battle.''
BSU, playing its first quarterfinal-round game since 2009, struggled with its offense for a majority of the night against the Lancers (7-19), but the Bears forced 27 turnovers to make up for their 36 percent shooting.
Chanelle Melton of Brockton led the way with 21 points and five rebounds. Vanesa Conceicao added 16 points, four assists and four rebounds and Jennie Lindland had 13 points and six rebounds.
Conceicao became just the fifth player in program history to record 300 assists and now has 303.
The Bears and the Lancers were tied, 36-36, entering the fourth quarter. BSU limited Worcester State to just nine points in the last 10 minutes to pull away.
"We struggled offensively, but we played defense so that we could get easy buckets,'' said Melton, who made 9 of 15 shots. "We're hungry. We've been here before and we know we have to be focused.''
BSU missed 19 of its first 25 shots to open the game and trailed, 14-10, after one quarter before taking a 22-20 lead at the half. Worcester State scored just six second-quarter points.
The Lancers, who got 22 points and 15 rebounds from Britt Herring, created the game's 10th tie at the end of the third quarter, but the BSU pressure defense was too much down the stretch.
The Bears' 13-2 run in less than six minutes down the stretch opened a 49-40 lead with 3:29 remaining as the offense had its best quarter.
"This is it,'' said Casey. "You've got to reach deep in the bag of tricks and be ready for any kind of (defense).
"I thought our kids did a good job, although we were struggling offensively, at staying with it defensively not to let them score.
"We turned them over 27 times and I felt like we finally started to convert on some of those turnovers. When we box out and run, I don't think there's too many teams that can stay with us.''
Melton had 10 first-half points and 11 more in the second half to lead the offense.
"This is the playoffs, so I need to step it up offensively and defensively for my team,'' said the junior. "These are really important games and I want to do what I have to so I can help my team win.''
The BSU-Framingham State winner plays in the final round Saturday against either Westfield State or the Mass. College of Liberal Arts.