PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The #5 ranked Rhode Island College women's basketball team posted a 71-58 win over visiting Bridgewater State University on Tuesday evening at The Murray Center.
The Anchorwomen remain unbeaten on the season as they improve to 4-0 while the Bears slip to 1-3. RIC has won each of the last six meetings of the two teams and holds a 19-15 edge in the all-time series.
Senior forward Izabelle Booth (Newport, R.I.) posted a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to pace the Anchorwomen. Graduate guard Sophia Guerrier (Waltham, Mass.) checked in with 14 points, six boards, two blocked shots and four steals for the Anchorwomen while junior guard Madison Medbury (Scituate, R.I.) notched 11 points four rebounds, six assists and three steals, and senior center Neleesha Meunier (Leominster, Mass.) added ten points and five caroms.
Junior guard Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) poured in a game-best 25 points on 9 for 14 shooting, including 3-for-4 from behind the arc, to go along with six rebounds to lead the way for Bridgewater State.
The game was knotted at 23-23 following a Jordan Peebles (Jr., Middleboro, Mass.) offensive rebound and layup with 5:49 remaining in the second quarter. The Anchorwomen, however, outscored the Bears 16-2 over the next 5 ½ minutes to take a 39-25 lead. Medbury, senior guard Olivia Middleton (Barrington, R.I.), and junior guard Jayda Bing (Hamilton, N.J.) each connected for three-pointers during the run. BSU senior guard Caroline Tripp (Plymouth, Mass.) knocked down a trifecta with time winding down to make it an 11-point game (39-28) at the break.
Grassi led all players with 15 points in the first half. Tripp scored seven of her nine points over the first 20 minutes for the Bears.
Medbury led RIC with nine first-half points while Guerrier and Booth tallied eight apiece. The Anchorwomen went 8-for-18 from behind the arc in the first half with Medbury, Guerrier and Booth connecting for two trifectas apiece.
The Anchorwomen turned nine BSU turnovers in 14 points and held a 14-5 edge in points off turnovers in the first half.
A Booth free throw and an Angelina Nardolillo (Jr., Hinsdale, N.H.) bucket to open the second half put the hosts back up by 14 (42-38). The Bears then held the Anchorwomen to just a layup and free throw over the next seven minute and climbed back into the game with an impressive 14-3 run highlighted by three-pointers from junior forward Arielle Cleveland (Groveland, Mass.) and senior forward Sophia Gaucher (Lakeville, Mass.) as well as Gaucher traditional three-point play. Gaucher capped off the run with a trifecta to close the gap to 45-42. RIC would ultimately take a 49-44 lead into the final period.
A layup by Grassi pulled Bridgewater to within three (49-46) early in the fourth quarter. After a Booth three-pointer and Meunier layup pushed the RIC advantage up to eight, BSU junior center Jessica D'Amours (Feeding Hills, Mass.) converted a traditional three-point play to make it a five-point game (54-49) with 7:49 left to play. The Bears, however, scored just four points over the next seven minutes. A 12-0 run, highlighted by three layups from Guerrier, gave the Anchorwomen their biggest lead of the game at 18 points (71-53). Bridgewater missed six shots and turned the ball over five times during the decisive spurt.
RIC shot 38.2% (26-68) for the game and went 10-for 23 (43.5%) from three-point range and 9-for-17 (52.9%) at the free throw line. Bridgewater shot 41.5% (22-53) from the floor, 37.5% (6-16) from behind the arc and 66.7 (8-12) at the stripe.
The Anchorwomen held the edge in points off turnovers (23-15), second chance points (14-4) and points in the paint (28-18).
The Bears travel to UMass Dartmouth next Tuesday evening to take on the Corsairs at 5:30. The Anchorwomen travel to Babson College on Sunday afternoon for a one o'clock game with the Beavers.