BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior guard Elisha Homich (Ludlow, Mass.) scored a season-high 23 points and freshman forward Jennie Lindland (Edgartown, Mass.) notched a career-high 19 points to lead the Bridgewater State University women's basketball team to a 79-62 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) win over visiting Worcester State University on Tuesday evening at the Tinsley Center.
The host Bears improve to 14-9 on the season with their sixth straight win, and remain atop the MASCAC standings with an 8-2 conference mark. The Lancers fall to 8-14 overall and 4-5 in MASCAC play.
Homich connected on 5 of 9 three-point field goals and added three rebounds, two assists and four steals. Lindland finished 7 for 11 from the floor and 5 of 6 at the charity stripe. She also contributed four rebounds, a pair of assists and three steals. Senior guard Colleen Hanscom (Melrose, Mass.) pitched in with 16 points, six boards, seven assists and two steals, while classmate Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.) added eight points, six rebounds and seven assists.
Senior guard Meaghan Burns (West Brookfield, Mass.) paced the visitors with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Julie Frankian (Millbury, Mass.) chipped in with 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting to go along with four caroms and a pair of assists.
Bridgewater State jumped out to a 15-4 lead five minutes into the game while the Bears connected on six of their first nine attempts from the floor - including a trio of three pointers from Hanscom, Homich and Williamson.
The hot shooting for the hosts turned cold the rest of the stanza as BSU made just five of 24 field goal bids over the final 15 minutes.
Bridgewater State used a stifling defense in the opening period to force 13 Lancer miscues with 12 swipes. They also cushioned their margin with a 14-0 edge in points off turnovers for the 32-22 advantage at the intermission.
With the Bears nursing the 46-38 margin with 13:17 remaining in regulation, a pair of Homich trey's sparked a 12-4 spurt before she finished off the run with a lay-up for the 58-42 edge at the midway point. Bridgewater State maintained double-digits and led by as many as 19 in the closing minutes of the contest.
After a tough-shooting first half, the Bears bounced back by connecting on 55% (18-33) of their field goal attempts in the final stanza. All told, Bridgewater forced 21 turnovers in the game thanks in large part to 17 steals. The Bears held a 22-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Blue and Gold held the 15-11 edge in offensive boards, the 32-30 margin with points in the key and doubled up the hosts in second-chance points (14-7). WSU connected for a modest 41 percent from the game for the field (24-for-59).
The Bears's senior quartet of Hanscom, Homich, Williamson and Tatyana Belizaire(Cambridge, Mass.) were honored prior to the start of the game as they were playing in their final regular season home game.
The MASCAC schedule resumes for both teams on Saturday afternoon at one. The Bears travel to Fitchburg State University to take on the Falcons, while the Lancers entertain the Owls of Westfield State University.
Notes: With her 23 points, Homich increased her career total to 1,032 as she moved into 13th place on the Bears all-time scoring list. Homich surpassed Kim Mooney (1,013 pts) and BSU Hall of Famer JoAnn Runge (1,023 points).