Bridgewater’s Jenna Williamson gets inside position on Westfield’s Tayler Travis. (Photo courtesy of Bridgewater State University)
BRIDGEWATER – Senior guard Elisha Homich (Ludlow, Mass.) poured in a game-high 24 points to lead the Bridgewater State University women’s basketball team to a 63-47 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over Westfield State University on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 12, at the Tinsley Center.
Winners of six straight, the Bears improve to 12-2 on the season and remain unbeaten in conference play with a perfect 3-0 mark. The Owls slip to 9-7 overall and 1-2 in the MASCAC.
Homich, who knocked down four three-pointers and added five rebounds and a pair of steals, scored 18 of her 24 points in the first as she hit the 20-point plateau for the third straight game.
Junior guard Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.) chipped in with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Sophomore center Gabby Felix (Springfield, Mass.) paced the visitors with a double-double as she notched 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Playing without injured All-MASCAC guard Michaela Cosby (Walpole, Mass.), the Bears scored the final seven points of the first half, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Homich, to take a 30-20 lead into the intermission.
Bridgewater held a 43-32 advantage with 13:10 remaining in the second half, but the Owls used an 8-2 run to pull to within five points, 45-40, as the clock ticked down under 10 minutes. Williamson, however, responded with a three-pointer and a layup to regain the momentum for the hosts who would pull away for the 16-point victory.
Junior guard Colleen Hanscom (Melrose, Mass.) added six points, eight rebounds and two steals for the Bears, while classmate Megan Boutilette (Charlton, Mass.) finished with five points, eight boards, four blocked shots and three steals. Sophomore guard Rachel Kusz (Worcester, Mass.) and freshman guard Vanesa Conceicao (New Bedford, Mass.) chipped in with five points apiece off the bench.
Bridgewater shot 39.7% (23-for-58) for the game including 10-for-20 (50%) from three-point range. The Bears also held a 42-34 rebounding advantage including an 11-6 edge on the offensive glass.
Sophomore guard Jen Ashton (Beverly, Mass.) added nine points and three steals for Westfield, while freshman forward Tayler Travis (Somerset, Mass.) registered eight points and five rebounds. The Owls shot 33.3% (18-for-54) from the floor and went 0-for-9 from behind the arc.
In upcoming action, the Bears host MASCAC rival Worcester State University next Thursday night at 5:30, while the Owls entertain conference foe MCLA on Tuesday evening also at 5:30.
