By Jim Fenton

PAXTON, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's basketball kept its winning ways going on Wednesday night against Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference newcomer Anna Maria College.

The Bears improved to 3-0 in the conference with a 76-44 victory over the AMCATS at the Fuller Activities Center.

BSU got off to a slow start against Anna Maria, turning the ball over seven times in the first 6 1/2 minutes and was behind, 17-9.

But the Bears closed the first quarter by scoring eight straight points and took the lead for good early in the second quarter.

BSU led, 39-29, at halftime and then limited Anna Maria to just 15 second-half points.

The Bears are now 4-9 after opening the season with nine losses in 10 games against non-conference opponents.

Anna Maria, which moved from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference to the MASCAC, is 4-8 and 0-2 in the conference.

Senior Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, N.Y.) had a season-high 20 points, making three 3-pointers, to go with six rebounds and three assists for BSU.

It is the second-highest points total for Burchhardt since transferring from Utica University prior to the 2024-25 season.

Freshman Emilie von der Linden (Sanbornville, N.H.) recorded her fourth double-double (and second in a row) with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Junior Ashleigh Johnson (Carver, Mass.) chipped in with eight points and three assists.

Junior Sophie Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and sophomore Bridgitt O'Sullivan-Van Etten (Cumberland, R.I.) each scored seven points with Bradbury getting three assists and O'Sullivan-Van Etten three rebounds.

Twelve players scored for BSU, which made 42 percent of its shots and scored 29 points off 27 Anna Maria turnovers.

The AMCATS were limited to 25 percent shooting (15-for-50) and the Bears had 17 steals plus a 36-10 edge in points in the paint.

Junior Tiffany Salazar (Webster, Mass.) was the lone Anna Maria player in double figures with 11 points plus six rebounds and three assists.

Anna Maria held an 11-3 lead just 3:18 into the game as BSU made just one of four shots and missed a pair of free throws.

A 3-pointer by Bradbury pulled the Bears within 11-6 and a 3-pointer by Burchhardt made it 13-9.

After the AMCATS took a 17-9 lead on a 3-pointer by Salazar with 4:20 to play, BSU did not allow Anna Maria to score the rest of the quarter.

The Bears' 8-0 run included five points from Burchhardt and a three-point play by Linden.

The Bears' first lead was 19-17 when junior Emily Quinn (Lancaster, Mass.) scored 16 seconds into the second quarter.

The AMCATS were up, 20-19, when BSU went on an 11-2 run for a 30-22 lead, getting four points from sophomore Reese Bartlett (Norwood, Mass.), a 3-pointer from Burchhardt and two foul shots from Johnson.

The Bears, who finished the quarter on a 20-9 run, held a 39-29 halftime lead after Burchhardt made two free throws.

BSU opened the second half outscoring Anna Maria, 12-4, to take a 51-33 lead with 3:29 to go in the third quarter. von der Linden had a layup and a three-point play.

The Bears had a 20-point edge (55-35) going into the fourth quarter thanks to a layup by O'Sullivan-Van Etten.

The closest the AMCATS got in the fourth quarter was 19, but BSU went on a 10-0 run over 2:45 after that as Anna Maria missed eight shots with seven turnovers in that time.

BSU returns home Saturday for a noon game against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at the Tinsley Center.

Anna Maria is on the road Saturday for a noon tipoff with Westfield State.