FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – Riley Corcoran registered a career-high 31 points as she tallied her 1000th career point as the Bridgewater College women’s basketball team fell at Mary Washington 63-56
The Basics
Score: Mary Washington 63, (RV) Bridgewater 56
Records: (RV) Bridgewater 7-2, Mary Washington 3-10
How It Happened
• Corcoran got the Eagles on the board first with a bucket in the paint, but Mary Washington had a response to the other end to even the score. UMW scored after an empty second-chance BC possession, but another score by Corcoran tied the contest back up. The home team had an answer, but a free throw by Jay Garcia and a Corcoran jumper on a dish from Autumn Gentry put Bridgewater ahead 7-6 with three minutes on the clock in the opening frame. Corcoran wasn’t done there as she drained a three-pointer to stretch the gap. Mary Washington had a reply as it strung together a 5-0 run in response to take an 11-10 lead after the first quarter.
• The senior from Chapel Hill got the scoring started in the second frame as she drained a two-point jumper to give Bridgewater the lead back. Five points in succession by UMW swelled the lead to four points, but a make by Abbie Baker at the free throw line cut the lead down to jist a single possession. Neither side scored for over two minutes before Mary Washington drained a three-pointer. Aylin Humpheries scored in response for BC, but another three-point bucket by the home team sparked a 9-0 run to make it 28-15 for UMW. A Polston score ended the scoring drought for BC, but a layup on the other end for the home team stretched the lead back to 13. An offensive rebound for BC led to a Corcoran three-pointer to cut the lead to 10. UMW responded with 21 seconds to go in the half, but a buzzer-beating score by Asia Williams made it 32-22 at the half.
• Humphreys got the scoring started in the third quarter for BC, and Bridgewater went to work as scores by her, Garcia and Corcoran cut the lead down to four after a Garcia bucket on a dish from Corcoran. Mary Washington stretched the lead back out to six points, but a pair of free throws by Corcoran cut the deficit back to four. The sides traded scores as BC had the gap cut to four with 1:39 to go after a Corcoran score in transition, but a 9-0 scoring run for Mary Washington to end the frame made it 50-37 heading to the fourth.
• Garcia got the Eagles on the board with a make at the charity stripe to open the period, but a UMW score stretched the gap to 14 points. Five-straight points from Corcoran cut the lead back down to single digits, but a 7-2 run for the home team made it a 14-point game once again with 4:06 to go. Three points from Garcia got BC back going, but a bucket by Mary Washington made it a 13-point game with 2:21 to play. A pair of makes at the charity stripe by Corcoran and a Polston bucket cut the lead to single digits with under two minutes to play. Mary Washington’s defense went to work and limited BC, while key makes at the charity stripe made it an 11-point game once again with under a minute to play. A jumper by Corcoran and a Garcia bucket gave BC life with less than 30 seconds to play, but the damage was done.
Match Notes,
• Corcoran tallied a career-high 31 points to cross the 1,000 career point mark. Wednesday marked her second-consecutive 30-point game and just her second such game of her career. Garcia added 12 to the cause offensively, while the senior duo led BC on the glass with six rebounds each.
• Weaver led UMW with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Steadman added 13 points as well.
• Mary Washington shot 49.1% from the floor compared to 39.6% for BC. UMW also dominated the glass 35-29 and stifled the BC bench as Corcoran and Garcia combined for 43 of Bridgewater’s points.
Up Next
Bridgewater takes a break for the Holiday before returning back to action on Dec. 31 at Methodist.
— BC Athletics —
