Endicott led by five points at the half, 30-25, and held a three point advantage with three minutes gone in the second half. The Gulls then went on a 15-2 run over the next four minutes to take control of the game for good. Endicott built the lead to as many as 25 points before settling for the 72-49 victory.
The Gulls dominated play at both ends of the court as they hit 63% (15-for-24) of their shots in the second half and 56% (37-for-48) for the game, while the Bears managed just 36% (21-for-58) shooting. The Gulls also out-rebounded the Bears 42-20, as they did not allow many second chance opportunities.
Endicott placed four players in double figures led by sophomore guard Nicole Duchesne (Plaistow, NH) and junior forward Sara Doherty (Somerville, MA) who each netted 15 points. Doherty also added 10 assists to record her first double-double of the season. Sophomore forward Nicole Young (Rockland, MA) added 12 points and led all players with 8 rebounds, while fellow sophomore Hayle Janelle (Madbury, NH) chipped in with 10 points, 7 boards and 3 steals.
Senior forward Catie Furtado (Taunton, MA) paced Bridgewater State, scoring a game high 16 points while adding 2 blocks, and 2 steals. As a team, the Bears recorded 20 steals and forced 25 turnovers. Junior guard Melissa Murphy (Rockland, MA), who last season posted a school record 106 steals, finished with 6 steals to go along with 8 points and 4 assists.
The Bears will look to rebound when they take the court on Tuesday at 7 o’clock at Mitchell College. Endicott will host Emmanuel this Saturday at 1 PM.