Bridgewater State junior David Rukstalis (Norwood, MA) hit the coveted 1,000 point plateau four minutes into the game, and finished with 11 points for the Bears. Rukstalis became the 22nd player in BSC men’s basketball history to
reach the milestone.
Salem State senior center Ifesinachi Anosike (Staten Island, NY) led all scorers with 18 points on perfect 8-for-8 shooting. He also finished with a double-double as he pulled down 13 rebounds, including 7 off the offensive glass. Anosike added 6 blocks to his game resume as well. Reid finished with 15 points and 7 boards, while sophomore Tyler Lang (Franklin, MA) and junior Shawn Bloom (Springfield, MA) chipped in with 14 and 13 points respectively.
Bridgewater, down by as many as 12 points in the second half, saw senior center Mike Rondeau (South Easton, MA) orchestrate a late charge that pulled the Bears even with the Vikings in the final minute. Rondeau, who finished with a season-high 14 points, had six crucial points down the stretch, including the game-tying layup with 36 seconds left on the clock. After Salem reclaimed the lead on Reid’s runner, the Bears were never able to get a good shot off in the final
seconds.
Senior Matt Badiali (Raynham, MA) led Bridgewater with 16 points, on 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. Senior Peter Santos (Fairhaven, MA) finished with 11 points, while senior Brian Adamczyk (Chicopee, MA) dished
out a game-high 10 assists.
The Bears (13-11, 6-5 MASCAC) will be back in action in a rare Saturday evening tilt, as they host Fitchburg State in the MASCAC regular season finale. BSC needs a win over Fitchburg, coupled with a Worcester State loss at Salem on Saturday afternoon, to ensure a spot in next week’s MASCAC Tournament.
Newspaper Box Score Salem State vs Bridgewater State 02/17/05 8:00 PM at Bridgewater, MA SALEM STATE 73, BRIDGEWATER STATE 71 SALEM STATE (21-3, 10-1) Ifesinachi Anosike 8-8 2-2 18; Allen Reid 7-16 1-2 15; Tyler Lang 7-12 0-0 14; Shawn Bloom 5-12 3-3 13; Wilkins Victor 2-4 0-0 6; Isaiah Bradshaw 2-5 0-0 4; Willie Phillips 1-2 0-0 3; Alex Finn 0-1 0-0 0; Kris Gentilotti 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-60 6-7 73. BRIDGEWATER STATE (13-11, 6-5) Matt Badiali 5-12 2-2 16; Mike Rondeau 6-8 2-4 14; Peter Santos 5-11 0-0 11; David Rukstalis 5-9 0-0 11; Tom Cuddihy 3-9 0-0 7; Cliff Furtado 2-2 0-0 5; Chris Hayes 1-4 1-2 3; Matt Schnider 1-2 0-0 2; Brian Adamczyk 1-4 0-0 2; Dwayne Wilkerson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-62 5-8 71. Salem State............. 39 34 - 73 Bridgewater State..... 37 34 - 71 3-point goals- Salem State 3-15 (Wilkins Victor 2-4; Willie Phillips 1-2; Shawn Bloom 0-4; Isaiah Bradshaw 0-1; Allen Reid 0-4), Bridgewater State 8-21 (Matt Badiali 4-9; Cliff Furtado 1-1; David Rukstalis 1-2; Tom Cuddihy 1-6; Peter Santos 1-3). Fouled out-- Salem State-None, Bridgewater State-None. Rebounds- Salem State 37 (Ifesinachi Anosike 13), Bridgewater State 26 (Peter Santos 5; David Rukstalis 5; Mike Rondeau 5). Assists- Salem State 15 (Shawn Bloom 4), Bridgewater State 21 (Brian Adamczyk 10). Total fouls- Salem State 11, Bridgewater State 14. A-550