Hot First Quarter Sends Bridgewater Past Women's Basketball

BOSTON, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's basketball team used a 20-6 run in the first quarter to power past the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards, 75-43, in non-conference action Wednesday evening inside Tansey Gymnasium.

The Leopards hung with the visiting Bears midway through the first quarter, as sophomore Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.) and senior Michelle McCloskey (Madison, Conn.)) put up two points each for the 4-4 score. Bridgewater then exploded with an 11-0 run, using seven points from senior Kailyn Aguiar (Acushnet, Mass.), to lead 15-4 with 2:30 left in the quarter. Sophomore Molley Duclos (Greenfield, Mass.) broke the drought for Wentworth to give the Leopards six points, their last of the quarter while Bridgewater added five buckets of its own for a 20-6 advantage.

The Bears shot 58.8% (10-17) in the second frame, limiting the Leopards to 4-of-16 shooting to build on their comfortable lead. Aguiar and Senior Olivia DelGrosso (Ledyard, Conn.) scored four points each in the ten-minute window, and held a slight 8-5 advantage on the boards as a team for the 41-17 advantage at halftime.

After two opening free throws from BSU, junior Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.) sunk back-to-back three pointers with a layup from sophomore Erin Morton (Norway, Maine) for a quick 8-0 run. Wentworth saw its best shooting in the third frame, scoring 18 points led by Mini's eight, but the Bears countered with 24 points of their own. With 1:58 left in the contest, Freshman Hannah Dziakyk (Wakefield, Mass.) made a basket from behind the arc, giving Bridgewater its largest lead of the game. 

Mini led the Leopard offense with 15 points, while McCloskey tallied eight points and a team-leading eight rebounds.

Two Bears reached double figures on the scoreboard, led by a game-high 18 points from Carter on 6-for-10 shooting from the floor, and a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line. Aguiar followed with 16 points and added 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.

Wentworth wraps up the first semester with a 2:30 p.m. non-conference game on Saturday at Mitchell College.

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