By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's basketball team is turning up the defense heading down the stretch of the regular season.
In back-to-back wins, the Bears allowed a combined 63 points to defeat the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Worcester State University.
BSU moved into sole possession of first place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference on Wednesday night with a 77-40 victory over Worcester State at the Tinsley Center.
The Bears (13-10) are now 9-1 in the conference, one-half game ahead of idle Framingham State University (8-1) with two games remaining.
"Defense has been our focus point," said coach Bridgett Casey, whose team limited the Lancers to 21 percent shooting. "The last few games, even when we lost to Framingham State and allowed 59 points, it's been there.
"When we lock in defensively and we know our assignments and we know what we need to do, we're going to be pretty tough to beat."
Senior Sophia Gaucher (Lakeville, Mass.) led the BSU offense with 18 points and added four rebounds and three steals.
Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) scored 17 points and added four steals while Sydney Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) also scored 17 with three steals and Caroline Tripp (Plymouth, Masss.) dished out nine assists. Arielle Cleveland (Groveland, Mass.) pulled down six rebounds and added six points and three steals in 16 minutes off the bench.
Bradbury has 991 career points as she closes in on becoming the 21st player in program history to reach 1,000. Bradbury also moved into second place on the Bears' all-time list for made three-pointers with 181. She leapfrogged Corey Cuddihy who connected for 180 three-pointers from 2007 to 2011.
Worcester State (4-18, 3-6 in the MASCAC) was led by Katie Hurynowicz (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and Cameron Watkins (Dracut, Mass.) with 12 points each. Alana Smith (Chicopee, Mass.) grabbed 13 rebounds.
BSU trailed only twice in the opening quarter at 4-2 and 6-5 and opened a 21-13 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Bears then limited the Lancers to six points in the second quarter for a 35-19 lead at halftime.
BSU was in front, 23-18, with 8:10 to go in the half after a layup by Watkins, but the Bears outscored Worcester State, 12-1, the rest of the second quarter for the 16-point lead at the break.
Worcester State missed its final nine shots in the half and turned the ball over 11 times in less than eight minutes.
Bradbury (10), Grassi (nine) and Gaucher (eight) combined for 27 first-half points while Worcester State went 2-for-14 from the floor in the second quarter and shot 28 percent for the half.
The Bears scored the first 14 points of the second half for a 49-19 lead, holding the Lancers scoreless until two Nyah Thomas (Attleboro, Mass.) free throws with 5:24 left in the third quarter. Worcester State's first field goal of the second half came with 2:47 left in the quarter on a Hurynowicz 3-pointer.
The lead was 60-29 entering the final quarter and the Bears won by their second-largest margin of the season.
"If we continue to lock in defensively, it'll make things easier offensively," said Casey. "We still have work to do. Coaches are never satisfied. But we're in a good position.
"We scored a lot of points today, but there were still too many turnovers and not executing how we should. But everyone got into play today. I thought we played well. When we set the tone defensively, the offense kind of takes care of itself and that's what we've got to continue to do."
The final regular-season home game is Saturday at noon against Fitchburg State University.
Gaucher, Bradbury and Tripp will be honored before the game on Senior Day.
BSU then travels to Westfield State on Feb. 14 and will have a bye on Feb. 17, the final day of the regular season in the MASCAC.
Worcester State hosts Salem State on Saturday at noon.