Men's Basketball Posts 52-43 Win over Framingham State in MASCAC Opener

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Sophomore guard Rocky DeAndrade (Mansfield, Mass.) scored a game-high 15 points, all coming in the second half, to lead the Bridgewater State University men's basketball team to a 52-43 victory over visiting Framingham State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.

The Bears, who were playing in their first conference game of the season, improve to 5-8 overall and 1-0 in the MASCAC. The Rams slip to 3-10 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

DeAndrade, who attempted just one shot in the first half, converted 5 of 9 field goals and went 4-for-4 from the line over the final 20 minutes. He also finished with three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.

Junior forward Michael Soares (Milford, Mass.) set career highs with ten points and eight rebounds, while classmate Greg Romanko (Mansfield, Mass.) added seven points and a game-high ten rebounds to go along with two blocked shots and two steals for the Bears.

Sophomore forward Tony Alexandre (Hyde Park, Mass.) notched 11 points and eight rebounds, while senior guard Tim McCarthy (Wilmington, Mass.) tallied 11 points, seven boards and two steals to lead the visiting Rams.

Trailing 7-6 early in the first half, Framingham went on a 10-0 run and held the Bears scoreless for just over nine minutes to take a 16-7 lead. A pair of Daniel Gould (Quincy, Mass.) three-pointers highlighted the spurt for the Rams.

Bridgewater, however, answered with a 15-2 run to close out the half as the Bears held a 22-18 advantage at the intermission. Junior guard Patrick McGuinness (New City, N.Y.) sparked the run with a pair of traditional three-point plays, while classmate Fawaz Mass (Taunton, Mass.) capped it off with a three-pointer in the final seconds.

Leading 35-32 with 9:31 remaining in the second half, the Bears used a 12-2 run to push ahead 47-34. DeAndrade started the spurt with a three-pointer and a layup, while Romanko also connected from long range.

The Rams got to within six points the rest of the way, but that would be as close as they would get. DeAndrade went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe over the final 79 seconds to help secure the 52-43 win for the Bears.

Bridgewater shot 41% (19-46) from the floor, including 50% (11-22) in the second half. The Bears forced 15 turnovers and held a 17-3 edge in points off turnovers.

Framingham struggled to shoot the ball throughout the contest. The Rams connected on just 17 of 56 (30%) field goal attempts, including 3-for-26 (12%) from behind the arc.

The conference schedule continues for both teams on Wednesday evening. The Bears travel to Fitchburg State University for a 7:30 game with the Falcons, while the Rams entertain the Owls of Westfield State University at eight.