Women's Hoops Runs Streak to 11 with 67-59 Win Over Conn. College

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's basketball team concluded its non-conference schedule with an 11th straight victory.

The Bears defeated Connecticut College, 67-59, in the first meeting between the two programs on Monday night at the Tinsley Center.

BSU (12-9) has not lost since Jan. 3 when it fell to nationally ranked Smith College.

The Bears took the lead for good against the Camels (13-10), a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, at 7-5 with 5:46 remaining in the first quarter.

BSU led by 18 points in the fourth quarter, but Connecticut College closed within five points in the final minute before sophomore Chloe Azoff (Sandwich, Mass.) made five foul shots to seal the win.

Senior captain Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, N.Y.) scored 26 points to match a career-high, making 10 of 12 shots, to lead the Bears.

The last time Burchhardt scored 26 points was in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship game last year.

Burchhardt added five rebounds and four assists for BSU, which shot 43 percent from the floor and made 8 of 19 shots from 3-point range.

Junior Sophie Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) added 12 points, going 4-for-9 on 3-pointers, and had four assists and three rebounds.

Azoff, in 17 minutes off the bench, scored 11 points to go with five rebounds.

Freshman center Emilie von der Linden (Sanbornville, N.H.) grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots while sophomore Reese Bartlett (Norwood, Mass.) had eight rebounds.

The Camels were led by junior Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.), who had 21 points with five 3-pointers plus three rebounds and two assists.

Junior Hayle Thompson (Maynard, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Connecticut College was up, 5-3, after a 3-pointer by senior Catherine Cole (Lebanon, N.H.) 2:42 into the game. But the Bears moved in front, 14-8, with an 11-3 run that included two baskets by Burchhardt and was capped by a Bartlett 3-pointer.

After the Camels were within 15-13, BSU ended the opening quarter by scoring five straight points, including a 3-pointer from Burchhardt, for a 20-13 lead.

Bradbury hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter for a 28-20 lead, and after the Camels cut the lead to 28-24, BSU scored the last five points -- a layup by junior Ashleigh Johnson (Carver, Mass.) and another Bradbury 3-pointer -- for a 33-24 edge at the break.

Xerras hit a 3-pointer four minutes into the second half to get the Camels within 38-32, but BSU received layups from senior Mairead Gallagher (Bridgewater, Mass.) and sophomore Bridgitt O'Sullivan-Van Etten (Cumberland, R.I.) to make it 42-32.

Azoff contributed a 3-pointer to make it 45-34 with 2:17 left in the third quarter and BSU was up, 52-40, going into the final 10 minutes after a Burchhardt jumper just before the buzzer.

The largest lead of the game was 58-40 with 7:07 left as the Bears scored the first six points of the last quarter, all by Burchhardt on two layups and two foul shots.

But Connecticut College outscored BSU, 17-4, in just under six minutes to whittle the margin down to five at 62-47 with 57 seconds left after a 3-pointer by Xerras.

The Bears managed just two Burchhardt foul shots and a von der Linden basket in that stretch, missing seven field goals in a row.

Azoff hit two foul shots with 43 seconds to go, one with 32 seconds remaining, and two more with 20 seconds to go to hold off Connecticut College.

BSU had played every NESCAC school except for Connecticut College prior to Monday.

The Bears, who are 10-0 in the MASCAC, play three of its final four games on the road.

BSU travels to North Adams, Mass., Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game against the Mass. College of Liberal Arts.

Connecticut College hosts Bates College on Friday at 7 p.m. to closes out the regular season.