Men's Basketball Rolls to 109-86 MASCAC Win over Framingham State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's basketball team posted a 109-86 victory over visiting Framingham State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.

The Bears improve to 6-8 on the season and 2-0 in the MASCAC while the Rams fall to 4-10 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Bridgewater holds a 79-39 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 1971.

Four players finished in double-figure scoring for the hosts.

Sophomore guard Dante Kikuba (Worcester, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with 18 points, eight rebounds (four offensive) and game-high totals of seven assists and five steals. Kikuba was 7-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

Senior guard Precious Okoh (Brockton, Mass.) scored a season-high 24 points in 28 minutes off the bench. Okoh went 4-for-11 from three-point and added six rebounds and pair of assists.

Freshman guard Zach Taylor (Quincy, Mass.) scored a career-high 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field and 4-for-4 at the free throw line, while freshman forward Josh Campbell (Plymouth, Mass.) tallied 18 points, five rebounds (four offensive) and two assists. Campbell knocked down 7 of 10 field goal attempts including 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

Leading 51-46 at the break, the Bears outscored the Rams 18-8 over the first six minutes of the second half to open up a 16-point lead (69-53). Taylor scored eight of his 20 points during the decisive six-minute stretch.

Trailing by 15 (71-56) later in the period, Framingham used an 8-2 spurt highlighted by a Kyle Philistin (Jr., North Plainfield, N.J.) trifecta to close the gap to nine (73-64) with 10 ½ minutes left to play. Bridgewater, however, answered with a 9-0 run to balloon the lead to 18 (82-64) with just under nine minutes remaining.

The Rams got no closer than 14 the rest of the way. The Bears would get up by as many as 30 points down the stretch before settling for the 109-86 victory.

Freshman forward Joshua Saint Jean (Lynn, Mass.) paced Framingham State with 22 points and nine rebounds. Saint Jean was 7-for-13 from the floor and 8-for-10 at the charity stripe.

Junior guard Adonis Vashon (Grand Rapids, Mich.) checked in with 18 points for the Rams while Philistin finished with 14 points and a pair of blocked shots.

Bridgewater shot 50% (42-84) for the game, including 10-for-28 (35.7%) from three-point range, and finished 15-for-21 (71.4%) at the free throw line. The Bears committed just six turnovers, turned 12 FSU miscues into 18 points, and held a decided 21-6 edge in offensive rebounds which led to a 29-8 advantage in second chance points. The BSU bench, led by Okoh's 24 points, outscored the Framingham reserves, 44-21.

The Rams shot 48.3% (28-58) on the afternoon and went 26-for-33 (78.8%) at the line.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Wednesday night at 7:30. The Bears host the Trailblazers of MCLA while the Rams entertain the Vikings of Salem State University.