FITCHBURG, Mass. – Five players scored in double figures as the visiting Bridgewater State University women's basketball team dominated the second half en route to a 91-58 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over Fitchburg State University on Saturday afternoon at Parkinson Gymnasium.

The Bears improve to 14-4 on the season and a perfect 5-0 in the MASCAC with their seventh consecutive win. The Falcons fall to 3-14 overall and 1-4 in conference play with their fourth straight setback.

Sophomore forward Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) tallied 18 points, eight rebounds (four offensive), three assists and a game-high five steals for the Bears. BSU sophomore forward Arielle Cleveland (Groveland, Mass.) notched her second straight double-double and fourth of her career with and a career-high 18 points and a game-best 12 rebounds (six offensive). Senior forward Sophia Gaucher (Lakeville, Mass.) recorded her first collegiate double-double for the visitors with 13 points and a career-best 11 rebounds (four offensive) to go along with three assists, three steals and a blocked shot. Gaucher was 5-for-7 from the floor including 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

The Bears also received 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals in 25 minutes off the bench from junior guard Caroline Tripp (Plymouth, Mass.), as well as 12 points in 14 minutes off the pine from sophomore guard Eryn Rice (Medway, Mass.). Tripp went 2-for-3 from behind the arc, while Rice connected on 4 of 8 three-point field goals.

Sophomore guard Rylie Harlow (Hanson, Mass.) paced Fitchburg State with 13 points and six rebounds.

The first half was tightly contested thanks in large part to impressive three-point shooting by the Falcons. Fitchburg went 8-for-10 from behind the arc over the first 20 minutes with Harlow tallying nine points on a trio of trifectas.

Strong defensive pressure and offensive rebounding helped the Bears overcome a subpar shooting performance in the first half. Bridgewater forced 12 turnovers and held a 13-3 edge on the offensive glass which led to a 11-0 advantage in points off turnovers and a 13-3 differential in second chance points.

Grassi paced the Bears with ten points over the first two periods, while Tripp, Gaucher and Cleveland notched eight apiece. Bridgewater scored the final six points of the second quarter, including a pair of layups from Cleveland, to take a 42-37 lead into the break. The Bears shot 31.3% (15-48) in the first half.

The second half was a different story as the Bears held the Falcons to just 21 points over final 20 minutes including seven in the fourth quarter.

The Bears used a 10-0 run, highlighted by six points from Cleveland, to open up a 55-41 lead in the third quarter. Bridgewater would maintain a double-digit advantage throughout the remainder of the session. A late 8-0 run, with Grassi scoring four of the eight points, helped the Bears take a 68-51 lead into the final period.

Suffocating BSU defense held the Falcons to just two points over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as the Bears used a 17-2 run to take a commanding 32-point advantage (85-53). The final scored of 91-58 also marked the Bears biggest lead of the game.

After connecting on 8 of 10 three-pointers in the first half, the Falcons went just 1-for-9 from three-points range over the final two periods.

The Bears' defensive effort resulted in 27 Fitchburg turnovers which translated into a 29-2 BSU edge in points off turnovers. Bridgewater outrebounded the Falcons, 51-36, with a 22-7 advantage on the offensive glass. The Bears also finished with decided edge in second chance points (22-5), points in the paint (36-18) and fastbreak points (14-0).

Bridgewater shot 48.5% (16-33) in the second half.

The Bears went 18-for-22 (81.8%) at the line for the game including 13-for-16 over the final 20 minutes. The Falcons made just nine trips (5-for-9) to the charity stripe.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Wednesday night at 7:30. The Bears entertain MCLA, while the Falcons travel to Westfield State University.