By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Here's a look at the week ahead (Feb. 10-16) for the Bridgewater State University athletics teams:
WEDNESDAY
MEN'S BASKETBALL, at Worcester State, 5:30 PM: The Bears seek a third consecutive victory as they travel to face the Lancers.
BSU (9-13) has moved into fourth place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference at 4-5 following a 0-4 start.
Worcester State (9-12) is 6-2 in the conference, tied for second place and one-half game behind first-place Westfield State.
The Bears lost at home to the Lancers, 92-86, on Jan. 18.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, at Worcester State, 7:30 PM: The Bears (14-6) are on a seven-game winning streak, their second of the season.
BSU is in first place in the MASCAC at 6-1, leading second-place Framingham State by a game and a half with three to play.
The Lancers (8-13) are 2-5 in the conference and lost at Bridgewater on Jan. 18, 69-65.
THURSDAY
MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Babson College, 6:00 PM: The four-day Little East Conference Championships begin with the 3-meter diving event.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Babson College, 6:00 PM: The Bears start the Little East Conference Championships, which conclude on Sunday, with the 3-meter diving event, won the past two years by BSU's Cailey Simard (Haverhill, Mass.).
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, at the Boston Sports Institute: The Bears look to win a fourth straight conference championship at the Little East meet.
The preliminary events start at 10:00 AM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the finals at 6:30 PM on Friday and Saturday and 5:30 PM on Sunday.
The final three days of the championship meet are in Wellesley.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, at the Boston Sports Institute: The Bears are in Wellesley for the final three days of the Little East Championships.
The preliminary events start at 10:00 AM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the finals at 6:30 PM on Friday and Saturday and 5:30 PM on Sunday.
BSU placed second with 786 points last year behind Eastern Connecticut State University.
FRIDAY
WRESTLING, at home vs. Rhode Island College, American International College and Trinity: The Bears conclude the Kelly Gym and dual meet portion of their schedule with three matches.
They will face RIC at 6 p.m., AIC at 7:30 p.m. and Trinity at 9 p.m.
The Bears went 0-3 against those teams at a quad meet in Connecticut last year.
SATURDAY
MEN'S BASKETBALL, at Fitchburg State, Noon: The Bears play their final regular-season road game, facing the Falcons.
BSU defeated Fitchburg State at home on Jan. 22, 74-70.
The Falcons are 5-16 and 2-6 in the MASCAC.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, at Fitchburg State, 2:00 PM: The Bears defeated the Falcons at home on Jan. 22, 92-52.
Fitchburg State enters the week 3-18 with 12 straight losses and is 0-6 in the conference.
SUNDAY
MEN'S TRACK & FIELD, at Wheaton College, MASCAC Championships: 3:30 PM: The Bears are the host team for the conference meet.
BSU has won five straight MASCAC championships and seven of the last 11.
The Bears won 11 individual titles and two relay races in the conference meet in Northampton a year ago.
WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD, at Wheaton College, MASCAC Championships, 3:30 PM: The Bears placed second a year ago to Westfield State in a meet hosted by Smith College.
The Bears won the MASCAC title in 2022 and Westfield State has won five of the last six championships.
Graduate students Jailene Escalera (Rockland, Mass.) and Ali McDonough (Halifax, Mass.), and senior Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) each won a pair of individual conference crowns last season. All told, rhe Bears won ten events at the 2024 MASCAC Indoor Championships.