BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Salisbury University women's basketball team won its fifth straight game by racing out in front and holding off a late charge to defeat the Brooklyn College Bulldogs, 55-50, on Monday night at West Quad Gymnasium.

BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After the teams stared down two scoreless minutes to open the first quarter, Lauren Fortescue's layup at the 7:40 mark put the Sea Gulls in business. Kaylee Otlowski followed with two straight jumpers, then after Nancy Pham got the Bulldogs on the board Kylie Webb knocked down a three-pointer to make it 9-2 Salisbury at the 5:48 mark.
• Otlowski's jumper with 2:32 to go in the first broke up another dry spell. Ericka James answered for Brooklyn with a layup, but Abby Wilkinson hit two free throws and Ashlynn Burrows sank a jumper in the final minute to give the Sea Gulls a 15-4 edge after one.
• Emily Dilger opened the second quarter with a layup, then Jada Welbon and Webb sank two threes in quick succession as part of an SU run that built the lead to 23-6. Chanel Jemmott's layup allowed the Bulldogs to inch closer, but a Fortescue layup and Webb's third triple of the night made it a 13-4 run and 28-8 Sea Gull advantage with 6:23 until halftime.
• Jemmott hit a layup at the 5:37 mark to begin Brooklyn's comeback in earnest. Sarah Labiner capped a 9-3 Bulldog run with a layup with 1:08 to go to make it 31-17. Welbon's jumper at the buzzer gave SU a 16-point margin at 33-17 headed into the break.
• Brooklyn came out swinging to begin the third quarter. Gianna Gotti opened proceedings with a three-pointer, then Jemmott sank consecutive layups to make it a quick 7-0 run and cut it to 33-24. With Salisbury up 38-27 at the 3:54 mark, James sank a trey that sparked an 8-0 Bulldog rally, with Jemmott's triple getting the Bulldogs within one possession at 38-35.
• Dilger gave the Sea Gulls some breathing room with a jumper at the 2:21 mark that opened a 9-2 push, capped by a Welbon three, to refortify the lead at 47-37. Jemmott then sank two free throws to make it a single-digit game at 47-39 by the end of the third.
• Webb drained a three to boost the Sea Gull lead to 50-39 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. From there the Bulldogs locked in and held SU off the scoreboard for nearly six minutes. Jemmott's jumper began a 9-0 Brooklyn run, capped off by a Labiner free throw that cut the Salisbury lead to 50-48 with 4:15 to go.
• Needing a bucket in the worst way, Welbon sank a triple at the 4:01 mark to inch SU further ahead at 53-48. Salisbury forced turnovers on each of Brooklyn's next two possessions but came up empty each time on offense, and Gotti's jumper got the Bulldogs within one possession again at 53-50 with 2:34 to go.
• Both sides missed key shots on three consecutive possessions, with Gotti whiffing on a would-be game-tying three with 11 seconds left. Otlowski hauled in the rebound for Salisbury, and Fortescue iced the game with a pair of free throws, giving the Sea Gulls their victory margin of 55-50.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Lauren Fortescue and Kylie Webb shared the Sea Gull lead with 12 points apiece. Fortescue (4-11) contributed four rebounds plus an assist and a steal. Webb (4-12 3PT) hauled in two boards.
• Jada Welbon finished with 11 points (4-8), hitting on three of her five three-point attempts, plus four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
• Kaylee Otlowski chipped in seven points and pulled down 10 boards, plus five assists and two steals.
• The Sea Gulls shot 29.4 percent (20-of-68) for the game, tying a season high with nine three-pointers on 31 attempts (29 percent). SU assisted on 16 of its 20 made field goals.
• Salisbury was outrebounded 41-36 but won the margin on the offensive glass, 16-13.
• The Sea Gulls forced 22 Brooklyn turnovers, including 10 in the first quarter, winning the giveaway battle by nine.
• The victory gives Salisbury its second winning streak of at least five games this season. SU rattled off 10 straight wins from Nov. 20 through Jan. 8.

BROOKLYN GAME NOTES

• Channel Jemmott accounted for half of the Bulldogs' 50 points, netting 25 on 10-of-20 shooting. Jemmott also hauled in eight rebounds and swiped six steals.
• Gianna Gotti, Ericka James and Sarah Labiner contributed seven points apiece.
• The Bulldogs made 36.5 percent (19-of-52) of their baskets and went just 3-of-23 (13 percent) from distance.
• The loss snaps a nine-game winning streak for Brooklyn that dated back to Jan. 10.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls stay on the road for a Saturday matchup at Cabrini.
• Tipoff from Nerney Field House in Radnor, Pa., is slated for 1 p.m.

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 186 conference championships and 41 Academic All-Americans.

To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.