Women's Basketball Post 67-55 MASCAC Win Over Fitchburg State

FITCHBURG, Mass. – Behind double-double efforts from senior forward Megan Boutilette (Charlton, Mass.) and sophomore forward Chanelle Melton (Brockton, Mass.), the visiting Bridgewater State University women's basketball team defeated Fitchburg State University, 67-55, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tilt on Tuesday night at the Recreation Center.

The Bears improve to 10-7 on the season and 4-1 in the MASCAC, while the host Falcons fall to 9-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

Boutilette tallied a game-high 17 points and tied her career-high with 17 rebounds, while Melton notched 15 points and a career-high 11 boards.  Boutilette, who moved into 13th place on the Bears' all-time scoring list (1,060 pts.), also filled the stat sheet with three assists, a blocked shot and five steals.

Bridgewater opened up a 20-point advantage (46-26) with 5:44 gone in the second half.  The Bears' defensive pressure limited the Falcons to just 12 field goals while forcing 12 turnovers over the first 26 minutes of the contest.

Fitchburg, however, would rally as the Falcons held the Bears scoreless for more than five minutes and used an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 46-37.

BSU responded with a 12-2 run to extend the lead back to 19 points (58-39) with 5:08 remaining.  Senior guard Rachel Kusz (Worcester, Mass.) jump-started the surge with a three-pointer, while Boutilette capped it off with a layup.

The Falcons answered with a 14-2 run to bring the score to within seven points, 60-53, as the clocked ticked down to 1:24 remaining.

The Bears would sink seven free throws (while also missing seven) and force a pair of turnovers in the final 1:17 to come away with the 67-55 victory.

Senior forward Tara Ingram (Palmer, Mass.) had a career-high 15 points for FSU, going 7-8 from the field, while senior guard Laura Cote (Ashby, Mass.) and classmate Rebecca Fluet (Fitchburg, Mass.) both chipped in with nine points in the losing effort. Senior guard Britney Payne (Franklin, Ky.) had a team-high nine boards to go along with eight points.

Kusz and junior guard Vanesa Conceicao (New Bedford, Mass.) added 11 and 13 points, respectively, in the win for the Bears. Kusz went 3-for-4 from behind the arc and also recorded four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Overall, the Falcons shot 41.1% (23-56) from the floor, while their counterparts went 21-for-49 (42.9%). The Bears held a 42-29 edge in rebounds and an 18-10 advantage in second chance points. Bridgewater also finished 5-for-12 (42%) from three-point range and attempted 23 more free throws.

The Falcons will be on the road in their next contest as they travel to non-conference foe Becker on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 pm. Bridgewater State resumes MASCAC play on Saturday with a trip to Salem State at 1:00 pm.