BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Behind a 35-4 run over the game's first ten minutes, the Bridgewater Eagles (1-0)women's basketball team rolled to a 39-7 lead before cruising to a 79-45 victory over the visiting Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels (1-1) in the 2010-11 season opener.
Bridgewater scored the first four points of the game before a trey from the hands of Denise Johnson with 17:31 to play in the first half cut the Eagles lead to one, early on.
From that moment on, it was all Bridgewater as a stifling defense and quick strike offense rolled up a 35-4 run over the next eight minutes of play to push Bridgewater to a 39-7 lead with 9:16 to play in the first stanza.
Mary Baldwin traded buckets with the Eagles until the 15:58 mark when the Fighting Squirrels brought the contest to a 41-12 tally.
Bridgewater used a quick 5-0 spurt to bump itself to its biggest lead to that point at a 34 point differential when a Jenny Logan trey put the Eagles ahead 46-12 with two and change to play in the opening stanza.
Over the remaining 2:25 of the first half, Mary Baldwin used a 6-0 run to chip the Eagles lead to under 30 as the game headed to the intermission with Bridgewater ahead 46-18.
In the first half, Bridgewater used a 16-2 advantage in fast break points and a 28-6 gap in points off turnovers to establish a 28 point halftime lead.
Bridgewater went to the bench early in the second half and teetered around a 35-point advantage for the majority of the final 20 minutes before rolling to a 79-45 season opening victory over the Squirrels of Mary Baldwin in the 2010-11 season opener.
Senior Jordan Burkholder netted a game-high 22 points to lead the Eagles offense in just 19 minutes of action. Burkholder had eight steals to go along with seven assists as the senior neared a triple-double.
In a game that saw plenty of bench action from the Eagles, every player who stepped on the floor scored a point. Sophomore Jessica Mullen also pitched in 17 points for the Eagles in the victory.
Logan pulled down a game-high eight rebounds for the Eagles to go along with five assists in the win.
Sophomore Katelynn Hottinger was exceptional in the post, blocking five shots along the way.
Mary Baldwin was led by an 11 point outing from Jackson.
Bridgewater out-rebounded Mary Baldwin 52-45 and outshot the Fighting Squirrels by a 43%-to-24% tally from the field.
The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday night when they welcome Lynchburg to Nininger Hall for the 2010-11 ODAC season opener. Tip time from Nininger Hall is slated for 7:00 p.m.