BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior guards Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.) and Elisha Homich (Ludlow, Mass.) combined for 41 points and each reached scoring milestones to lead the Bridgewater State University women's basketball team to a 77-67 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting Framingham State University on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.
Winners of five straight games, the Bears improve to 13-9 on the season and remain in first place in the MASCAC with a 7-2 conference mark. The Rams slip to 11-10 overall and 5-4 MASCAC play.
Williamson finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with five rebounds and five steals as she became the all-time leading scorer in BSU women's basketball history. Williamson, who now has 1,267 points in her career, surpassed former Bear Laurie Berryman's previous all-time mark of 1,265 points.
Homich notched 20 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals as she became the 17th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
Bridgewater led by just four (28-24) at the break despite forcing 17 first-half turnovers and holding Framingham to 31% (8-26) shooting. The Bears, however, shot just 24% (9-38) from the floor including 4-for-16 (25%) from behind the arc over the first twenty minutes.
Homich scored 11 of her 20 points in the opening stanza including her milestone basket on a three-pointer with 7:13 remaining.
The game stayed tightly contested for most of the second half as neither team led by more than four points until the two-minute mark. The final stanza featured eight ties and ten lead changes.
Trailing by one (65-64) with four minutes remaining, the Bears ran off seven straight points on layups from Homich, Williamson and senior guard Colleen Hanscom (Melrose, Mass.) as well as a free throw by classmate Tatyana Belizaire (Cambridge, Mass.), to take a 71-65 lead. The Rams turned the ball on four straight possessions during the run.
A Katelyn Iafolla (Franklin, Mass.) layup with 1:43 left to play cut the deficit to 71-67. Framingham, however, would not score again.
Four free throws in the final minute as well as a Belizaire layup accounted for the rest of the scoring as the Bears pulled away for the 77-67 victory. Two of the four free throws came from Williamson including her record-setting tally with 52 seconds left in the game.
Bridgewater rebounded from a tough-shooting first half as the Bears connected on 53% (17-32) of their field goal attempts in the final stanza. Williamson scored 15 of her 21 points over the final twenty minutes.
Framingham turned the ball over 30 times in the game thanks in large part to 19 BSU steals. The Rams shot 49% (26-58) from the floor.
Senior guard Kristen Hoffman (Foxboro, Mass.) led four Rams in double-figure scoring as she notched 16 points in addition to seven rebounds and five assists. Freshman forward Sarah Pallace (Auburn, Mass.) chipped in with 15 points, six boards, five assists and three steals, while freshman center Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Halls, Mass.) added 13 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six blocked shots. Freshman guard Carlee Putnam (Naintic, Conn.) came off the bench to score ten points and grab four rebounds.
Hanscom added 13 points for the Bears, while Belizaire notched seven points, seven rebounds and four steals. Freshman forward Jennie Lindland (Edgartown, Mass.) scored nine points off the bench.
In a pregame ceremony, the Bears unveiled the BSU Women's Basketball 1,000-Point Banner and honored the 16 (now 17) members of the 1,000-Point Club. Former leading scorer Berryman as well as four BSU Hall of Famers, Cathy Baker '85, Carolyn Parsle '86,, JoAnn Runge '88 and Lynn Malkasian DeVore '90, were among the 15 players in attendance. Also honored were Tracy Howard '02 and current assistant coach Colleen Feeney '09 who each tallied 1,000 points while splitting time between Bridgewater State and Wheaton (Howard) and Rhode Island College (Feeney).
The MASCAC schedule resumes for both teams on Tuesday evening. Bridgewater hosts Worcester State University at 5:30, while Framingham entertains MCLA at six. The Bears game against the Lancers on Tuesday also marks Senior Night as well Play-4-Kay (Breast Cancer Awareness) Night.