BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – First year guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) scored a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers to lead the Wheaton College women's basketball team in a 81-75 loss to host Bridgewater State University this afternoon at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater, Mass. The Lyons four-game win streak comes to an end as they fall to 5-4, while the Bears improve to 7-3. 

Bridgewater State evened the all-time series at 6-6 with the teams meeting for the first time since 2011. 

Fernandes added six rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. First year forward Greta Minos (West Roxbury, Mass.) checked in with a personal-best 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a career-high four blocked shot for Wheaton, while senior guard Alexis Romer (Delray Beach, Fla.) tallied 14 points for a career-high and added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. 

Junior guard Sydney Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) scored 21 points and senior center Destiny Fitzgerald (Medford, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bears. Bradbury went 10-for-11 from the free throw line and added six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Fitzgerald came off the bench to grab seven of her game-high 11 boards off the offensive glass in 16 minutes of play. Fitzgerald also contributed two steals and a blocked shot. Senior guard Hannah Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) added ten points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Bears, while junior guard Kylee Piche (Bridgewater, Mass.) notched ten points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 29 minutes off the bench. 

Bridgewater State maintained a double-digit advantage until late in the fourth quarter when Romer capped a 9-2 Lyons' run with a layup to pull the visitors to within seven, 72-65, with 3:16 left to play. Later in the period, a Romer trifecta made it a five-point game (76-71) with 1:26 showing on the scoreboard. Senior guard Olivia Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) answered with a three-pointer for the Bears at the other end of the floor to push the lead back to eight at 79-71. Minos cut the deficit again to five with a deep three-pointer with just 38 seconds remaining. Bradbury, however, sealed the BSU win with a short baseline jumper off a nice feed from Piche with 17 seconds left to play and the Bears would hang on for the 81-75 victory.

Bridgewater State owned a 19-15 lead after one quarter of play and led by as many as 17 points in the second period, before taking a 38-21 advantage into the intersmission. The Bears forced 17 Wheaton turnovers in the first half and held the Lyons to just 28% (9-32) shooting. 

Bradbury tallied ten points over the first 20 minutes as she went 8-for-9 from the free throw line. As a team, the Bears made 17 trips to the charity stripe in the first half and knocked down 14 free throws (82%). Fernandes paced the Lyons with 12 first-half points. 

Bridgewater State shot 38% (31-81) for the game, 30% (3-10) from behind the arc and 76% (16-21) at the free throw line. The Bears held a 55-41 rebounding advantage including a decided 26-14 edge on the offensive board. 

Bridgewater State spelled the difference in the post, outscoring the Lyons 46-26 in the paint.

Wheaton bounced back after a tough first half to shoot 46% (31-68) for the game and 33% (6-18) from three-point range. 

The Lyons return to the hardwood with a trip to Bristol, R.I. to take on Roger Williams University on Thursday, December 9 at 5:30 p.m., while the Bears are back in action on December 7 when they host Clark University at 7:00 p.m.