BSC Women's Hoops Downs UMass Dartmouth, 77-56

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Senior forward Colleen Feeney (Providence, RI) tallied 19 points and 13 rebounds, and senior guard Melissa Murphy (Rockland, MA) added 19 points, to lead the Bridgewater State College women's basketball team to a 77-56 victory over UMass Dartmouth this evening from the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater.

The Bears have now won five straight games as they are 5-1 on the season.  BSC is 16-9 all-time versus UMass (3-4) since 1982 and have won 12 of the last 13 against their Southeastern Massachusetts rivals. 

For Feeney it was her sixth double-double of the season in as many games.  The reigning MASCAC Player of the Week connected on 7 of 12 field goal attempts and also blocked 4 shots.  Murphy scored 12 of her season-high 19 points in the first half as the Bears held a 38-32 halftime advantage.

Leading 43-38 less than four minutes into the second half, the Bears went on an 11-1 run over the next 4 ½ minutes to take a 15-point lead (54-39).  UMass pulled to within 10 points with 9:46 remaining but that would be as close as they would get.  BSC scored the last six points of the game as the final 21-point advantage would be their largest lead.

BSC shot 49% from the floor (29-for-59) and finished 8 of 15 from three-point range. Freshman Corey Cuddihy (Scituate, MA) scored a season-high 14 points to go along with 5 assists as she hit on 4 of 8 three-point attempts.  Murphy also connected on 3 of 5 shots from beyond the arc.

Junior forward Ashley Coucci (Dartmouth, MA) had another solid game off the bench for the Bears as she tallied 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds (3 offensive) and 3 steals in 16 minutes.

UMass shot 38% from the floor (23-for-61) and committed 26 turnovers, many of which were unforced. After hitting on 3 of 6 three-pointers in the first half, the Corsairs were 0-for-6 from three-point range in the final stanza.

The Corsairs were led by senior forward Lisa Satkevich (Quincy, MA) who finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Senior forward Lindsay Marsh (Bristol, CT) chipped in with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

BSC will look to make it six straight wins on Thursday night as the Bears travel to Endicott College for a 6 PM game with the Gulls. UMass ends a six-game road trip on Saturday as the Corsairs travel to the University of Southern Maine for a Little East Conference game against the Huskies.  Tip-Off is slated for 1 PM.