Bridgewater’s zone defense held Hood College in check as the Eagles defeated the Blazers for the second time this season, 74-55, Friday at the Susan Dunagan Classic hosted by Roanoke College.
Jessica Lam and Briana Moore, both named to the all-tournament team, once again led the Bridgewater offense. Moore led the Eagles in scoring with 20 points and also added three rebounds, two assists and three steals. Lam, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, tallied 17 points and contributed six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The backcourt tandem had plenty of help as Rebecca Harvey, Kaitlyn Lehan and Allie Coburn each flirted with a double-double. The trio combined for 28 points and 27 rebounds, leading the Eagles to a dominating 51-26 edge on the boards. Harvey scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds while also dishing out a team-high four assists. Lehan scored eight points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds while Coburn added nine points and seven boards.
Hood entered Friday’s contest riding a three-game winning streak with all three wins coming against ODAC competition. During the three-game streak, the Blazers averaged 78 points per game, but Friday, Bridgewater limited Hood to just 20 points in the first half.
The Eagles trailed 5-4 early, but a 5-0 spurt gave them a five-point lead. Two buckets by Harvey and a layup by Jessalyn Monday put the Eagles on top 10-5 with 3:43 left in the first quarter.
Hood rallied to tie the score at 11-11, but two free throws by Lehan and two more by Lam, gave the Eagles a 15-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Bridgewater came out strong with a 12-2 run to open the second quarter.
Layups by Lam and Harvey and a free throw by Moore made the score 20-11. After a bucket by Hood’s Denisha Robinson, Bridgewater scored seven unanswered points to open up a 14-point lead. A layup by Lam and a free throw by Coburn pushed the margin to double digits, 23-13. Moore and Lehan added inside buckets for a 27-13 Eagles’ advantage with 2:29 left in the half.
The Blazers sliced the margin to nine but four straight points by Moore, including an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer, sent the Eagles to the break with a 33-20 cushion.
Bridgewater continued to dominate play early in the third period and stretched its lead to 20 points. The Eagles led 39-27 efore an 8-0 spurt made the score 47-27. Moore started the flurry with a 3-pointer and Coburn scored from down low, making the score 44-27. Lam capped the run with a three-point play to push the Eagles’ lead to 20 points.
Two free throws by Coburn gave the Eagles their biggest lead, 53-30, before the Blazers closed the quarter with an 8-2 run to trail by 17 points, 55-38, entering the final quarter.
The Blazers finally found the range in the fourth quarter, hitting four shots from 3-point range to pull within 11 points, 63-52, with 5:27 left to play.
Bridgewater then answered with a 9-0 run to put the game away. Two free throws by Moore and a three-point play by Harvey made the score 68-52. Coburn scored on a 17-footer before Monday capped the spurt with a layup, making the score 72-52, with just 1:11 left on the clock.
Bridgewater, now 7-4 and owners of a four-game winning streak, returns to action Tuesday evening when the Eagles host Randolph-Macon College in an ODAC matchup. Game time is 7:00 p.m.
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