By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- For the third straight game, the Bridgewater State University women's basketball team was involved in a matchup that had first-place implications.

After winning showdowns against Westfield State and Salem State to take sole possession of the top spot in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Bears faced another test on Wednesday night.

They owned a one-game lead over second-place Framingham State University before facing the Rams at the Tinsley Center, needing a victory to stay in first place alone.

With senior captain Arielle Cleveland (Groveland, Mass.) having a game to remember, BSU survived another challenge, stopping Framingham State, 72-53.

The Bears (14-6) are on their second seven-game winning streak of the season with three games left before the MASCAC tournament.

BSU is 6-1 in the conference with idle Salem State (4-2) second and Framingham State (4-3) now in third place.

Cleveland scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to key the Bears as they improved to 10-3 at home. The double-double marked the seventh of her career and second of the season.

Cleveland made 8 of 15 shots from 3-point range, falling one shy of the school record of nine held by Brittney Chappron (2011), Sara DaSilva (2017) and Nicole Bostick (2020).

"Ari Cleveland just had it going tonight," said coach Bridgett Casey. "She had the green light anywhere she was.

"At the end of last season, she started to turn it on with 3-pointers and continued this season. She really had a great game.''

Cleveland had 14 of her points with four 3-pointers in the first half when BSU opened leads of 13-6 and 34-19 at the end of the opening two quarters.

The Bears never trailed Framingham State (11-7), the defending MASCAC champion. BSU swept the Rams for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Senior captain Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) was the only other BSU player in double figures with 13 points to go with nine rebounds and two blocks.

Graduate student Kylee Piche (Bridgewater, Mass.) contributed eight points, seven assists, five rebounds and three blocks plus two steals while junior Mairead Gallagher (Bridgewater, Mass.) had six points and five assists.

Framingham State was led by freshman Faith Greene (Worcester, Mass.) and junior Kiara Cerruti (Canton, Mass.) with 12 points each while freshman Jacquline Schels (Hamburg, N.J.) had 10 rebounds and eight points.

BSU limited Framingham State to three first-quarter field goals, then Cleveland scored 11 of her points in the second quarter, getting four 3-pointers.

The lead increased to 53-33 entering the fourth quarter and the Bears were never threatened in the last 10 minutes.

Framingham State made just 30 percent of its shots and was 3-for-13 on 3-pointers.

"We take pride in our defense," said Casey. "Even in the games we lost, we had stretches of really good defense. Hopefully, we're turning it on even to the next level at the right time. To hold them the way we did is very solid. I'm super proud of the defense."

BSU turned the ball over just 12 times and had 23 assists on its 29 baskets.

The Bears opened the season with a loss to Division I Bryant, then won seven in a row before dropping five straight. Now they are riding a seven-game winning streak again with three games to go.

"Hopefully we can keep this one going," said Casey. "Every game we win, we get closer to hosting the whole (tournament). We can't have a letdown in the next couple of games."

The game was the annual Play4Kay Game in honor of the late North Carolina State coach Kay Yow, who died of cancer.

BSU will have Senior Day on Saturday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Massasoit Community College in a scrimmage.