Women's Basketball Drops 70-62 Decision to UMass Boston

BOSTON, Mass. -- Freshman guard Kendra Mosley (Indian Head, Md.) scored a game-high 20 points while grabbing eight rebounds to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston women's basketball team over Bridgewater State University, 70-62, this evening at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston.

The Beacons trailed by as many as 19 point in the first half before storming back to notch their 11th victory of the season, improving to 11-3 overall to match the program's best start since the 1982-83 season. The loss drops the Bears to 10-3 on the year.

Trailing by seven at the half, UMass Boston kept pace with the visitors throughout the first six minutes of play before going on a 7-0 run, capped by a layup by sophomore forward Elizabeth Dow (Marshfield, Mass.) to tie the game at 47-47 with 12:28 to play. On the next possession, senior forward Cammy Brown (Malden, Mass.) gave the Beacons their first lead of the contest when she converted a layup from Dow to put UMass Boston on top, 49-47.

With the score tied at 54-54, freshman forward Megan Boutilette (Charlton, Mass.) converted one of two free throws to put Bridgewater State back on top, 55-54, with 6:10 left in regulation, but the Beacons would respond with a 9-1 run, fueled by five points from sophomore forward Elisa Ogawa (Yamanashi, Japan) to give the home squad a 63-56 cushion with just over two minutes to play. UMass Boston would convert seven free throws down the stretch to hold on for the 70-62 come-from-behind victory.

Over the first 6:29 of play, Bridgewater State stormed out of the gates on a 21-2 run to take a commanding 19 point lead, fueled by nine points from junior forward Monica-Sabina Bharoocha (North Smithfield, R.I.) before a pair of free throw by UMass Boston freshman guard Colleen Hooper (Mansfield, Mass.) ended the spurt and made it a 21-4 contest with 13:12 to play.

A three-point basket by freshman guard Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.) increased the Bears lead back to 19 points at 35-16 with 8:57 left in the half before the Beacons responded with a 12-1 run of their own, capped by a layup by Ogawa to cut the lead to 36-31. A jumper by sophomore guard Michaela Cosby (Walpole, Mass.) capped the first half scoring for Bridgewater State, sending them into the locker room with the 38-31 halftime advantage before the Beacons completed the second half comeback.

For the Beacons, Ogawa finished the game with a season-high 15 points while also dishing out a game-high eight assists to go along with seven rebounds. Dow ended the contest with a career-high 15 points while also grabbing seven boards and collecting a game-high four steals.

Bharoocha led the Bears with 12 points, four rebounds and a pair of steals, while senior guard Brittney Chappron (Braintree, Mass.) also netted 12 points.  After shooting 56% from the floor in the first half, including 7-for-11 (64%) from three-point range, Bridgewater struggled shooting the ball in the final stanza.   The Bears connected on only 8 of 36 (22%) field goal attempts in the second half and 2 of 16 (13%) three-point tries.

Both teams return to action on Saturday afternoon when the Beacons travel to Danbury, Connecticut to face Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference match up while Bridgewater State hosts Fitchburg State at 2:00 p.m. in a MASCAC tilt.