By Jim Fenton

SALEM, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's basketball team won a first-place showdown on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears took over sole possession of the top spot in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 68-56 victory over Salem State University at Twohig Gymnasium.

BSU (13-6, 5-1 MASCAC) had entered the game even with the Vikings (10-10, 4-2 conference) in the standings. A 28-point fourth quarter enabled the Bears to pull away and stay in first place.

BSU is on a six-game winning streak since losing to Salem State on Jan. 8 in the MASCAC opener. The Vikings had won three in a row before losing to BSU.

The game marked the start of the second half of the 10-game MASCAC schedule.

BSU owns a one-game lead over Salem State and defending champion Framingham State University with four games remaining.

Senior Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) was the top scorer for the Bears with 15 points, making 11 of 12 shots from the foul line.

Grassi, who had four rebounds, went 6-for-6 at the line in the final 1:29.

Graduate student Kylee Piche (Bridgewater, Mass.) made 6 of 9 shots and scored 12 points to go with five steals and five rebounds.

Sophomore Sophie Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had all 10 of her points in the decisive fourth quarter and also had five steals. She made a pair of 3-pointers in the final quarter.

Senior Jessica D'Amours (Feeding Hills, Mass.) chipped in with eight points and six rebounds.

Salem State was led by junior Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) with 14 points and 20 rebounds (seven offensive).

Also in double figures for the Vikings was graduate student Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) with 12 points and six rebounds.

The Bears scored 35 points off 29 Salem State turnovers and had 17 steals. BSU had a 28-4 edge in bench points, though it was outrebounded, 57-39.

The teams struggled from 3-point range, BSU going 3-for-20 and Salem State making 3 of 13 shots.

The Bears were down, 41-40, going into the final quarter and had scored no more than 16 points in any quarter.

The Vikings were up, 46-43, with 9:17 remaining after a 3-pointer by senior Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.). Their last lead was 49-47 with 7:34 left after two foul shots by Zaiter.

Senior Arielle Cleveland (Groveland, Mass.) set up three straight BSU baskets with her passing. Piche made two layups off Cleveland feeds and freshman Lexi Thompson (New Bedford, Mass.) hit a jumper.

That put BSU in front, 53-50, with 6:12 to go.

Bradbury made a pair of foul shots for a 55-50 lead, and after a layup by senior Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H.) cut the Salem State deficit to 55-52, Cleveland set up Piche for another layup and a 57-52 lead with 4:10 to go.

A Goncalves layup following an offensive rebounds pulled Salem State within 57-54, but that is as close as the Vikings would get.

Bradbury connected on a 3-pointer with 2:33 left and D'Amours hit a layup 43 seconds later for a 62-54 lead.

Grassi scored BSU's final six points in the last 1:29 from the foul line to seal the win.

The Bears got off to a slow start and trailed, 14-5, with 4:07 to go in the first quarter.

After a three-point play by Cleveland 50 seconds into the game, BSU missed its next six shots and had three turnovers.

The Bears closed within 15-12 before Salem State took a 19-12 lead at the end of the quarter.

BSU took its first lead at 26-24 on a Piche layup with 1:32 to go in the half. Salem State pulled even at 28-28 at the midway point.

Both teams struggled in the third quarter, BSU going 5-for-19 and Salem State going 6-for-17.

The Bears had a pair of four-point leads, but a 3-pointer by junior Jaylen Nieves (Chicopee, Mass.) with 21 seconds to go sent Salem State into the final quarter with the 41-40 lead.

BSU will be home Wednesday night to face Framingham State at 7:30 p.m. in the Play4K game.

Salem State has a non-conference game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Lesley before traveling to Framingham State next Saturday.