SALEM, Mass. -- Rachael Carter (Merrimack, N.H.) scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds, four assists, and five steals to lead the Salem State University Vikings to a 71-57 MASCAC women's basketball victory over the visiting Bears of Bridgewater State University on Tuesday evening.
With the win Salem State improves to 11-13 on the season and 6-5 in MASCAC competition. The Vikings swept the season series from the Bears. Despite the loss, Bridgewater State has clinched a share of the conference regular season crown and the top seed in next week's MASCAC Tournament. The Bears wrapped up regular season play with an overall mark of 14-11 (8-4 MASCAC).
Ginny Fleming (Peabody, Mass.) finished with 20 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings, while Ashley White (Salem, Mass.) contributed ten points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Lara Bruni (Gloucester, Mass.) added 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds.
Elisha Homich (Ludlow, Mass.) paced the Bears with 17 points and five steals. Vanesa Conceicao (New Bedford, Mass.) added 12 points, eight boards and three assists.
Salem jumped out to an early 17-5 lead roughly five minutes into the game. The Bears would answer by outscoring the Vikings 19-9 over the next eight minutes and pulled to within two (26-24) on a Homich three-pointer. Later in the stanza, the Bears would take their only lead of the first half, 31-29, on a Colleen Hanscom (Melrose, Mass.) layup with 5:12 remaining. A 9-0 run over the next four minutes put the hosts back on top. Salem would take a 38-34 advantage into the intermission.
The Vikings increased their lead to nine (46-37) with just over 14 minutes remaining in the second half. Bridgewater responded with a 10-0 run on the strength of a pair of three-pointers from Conceicao. Chanelle Melton (Brockton, Mass.) capped off the run with a layup to give the Bears a 47-46 lead with 10:40 left to play.
After an 8-2 Viking scoring spurt, a pair of Homich layups sandwiched around a Jennie Lindland (Edgartown, Mass.) free throw knotted the score at 54-54 with 5:20 remaining. A quick 6-0 spurt reclaimed the lead for the Vikings before Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.) drained a three-pointer to make it a three-point game (60-57) with 3:51 remaining.
After stopping the Vikings on the ensuing possession, the Bears had a chance to pull to within one but could not convert at the other end. Bridgewater would not score again. The visitors went 0-for-6 from the floor, turned the ball over twice and committed six fouls in the final three-plus minutes. The Vikings went 11-for-12 from the line in that span to pull away for the 71-57 victory.
Salem picked up the win despite shooting just 38% (21-56) from the floor. The Vikings, however, made 38 trips to the free throw line and outscored the Bears, 27-6, at the charity stripe. Bridgewater shot 30% (21-69) from the floor and went 9-for-29 (31%) from behind the arc.
Williamson tied the BSU program record for games played in a career. She equaled Caitlin Feeney's (2004-2008) mark of 106.