Bears Hold Off Late Surge By Vikings

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications 

SALEM, Mass.-   Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) and Sydney Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) combined for 43 points, giving Bridgewater State a 77-69 victory in their Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opener on Wednesday evening at Twohig Gymnasium. The Bears boost their overall record to 5-8, 1-0 while the Vikings drop to 6-7,0-1.  

Grassi played well, leading Bridgewater State with 29 points. Grassi and Sophia Gaucher (Lakeville, Mass.) – 11 points also topped the Bears in rebounding with seven apiece while Gaucher added a team-high five assists,

Salem State's Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) had an outstanding performance, achieving a double-double with 29 points and 18 rebounds. Guard Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) also played a significant role in the game, as she picked up a total of 10 assists to go with 18 points. 

In the first few minutes of the game, both the teams struggled to score. However, Gaucher broke the deadlock with a layup, which proved to be the catalyst for a 7-0 run. The Vikings responded with a two-pointer from Goncalves, but they were unable to gain any momentum as they struggled with turnovers and steals and the score stood at 11-2 in favor of the Bears. 

As the game progressed, the Salem State Vikings found themselves trailing 13-4. Gates gave her team a spark by connecting with a three-pointer, which allowed the Vikings to go on a 5-0 run. However, the Bears continued to dominate and ended the first quarter with a significant 19-11 lead. 

The Vikings were looking to make a comeback in the second quarter, but both teams started slowly. The Bears used a three-pointer from Sydney Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) to increase their lead to 29-16. As the game progressed, the Bears went on an impressive 10-2 run, with Gaucher scoring five points, which gave the visitors a commanding 43-23 lead at halftime.

Goncalves led the Vikings with nine points and seven rebounds at the break, while Gates had five assists and eight points while going 3 of 4 from the field. For the Bears, Grassi scored 16 points, shooting 6-10 from the floor. Grassi and Caroline Tripp each notched three assists, and Tripp and Bradbury combined for eight rebounds. Salem State had 16 turnovers during the game while Bridgewater State had only five. 

In the third period, the Vikings were looking to erase the 20-point deficit, and Goncalves led the charge by completing a three-point play. The Vikings found themselves down by 20 again with five minutes remaining in the period, by a score of 54-34. Late into the third period, the Vikings went on a 12-4 run, with Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H.) scoring seven of those points. 

Salem State started the fourth quarter with a 5-0 run, which reduced the deficit to nine points. However, the Bears quickly regained control and increased their lead back to 14. The Vikings tried to stage a late rally, as Goncalves had 11 points in the quarter. Leading by five with :18 seconds to play, Grassi, who went 9-for-9 from the line, converted a pair to ice the game for Bridgewater State which held on for a 77-69 victory.