FERRUM, Va. – The Bridgewater College women's basketball team stayed unbeaten as it grinded out a 39-36 victory to reach the program's best start since 1997.

The Basics
Final Score: Bridgewater 39, Ferrum 36
Records: Bridgewater 9-0 (3-0 ODAC), Ferrum 4-2 (1-1 ODAC)
How It Happened

• Bridgewater got on the board early as India Dailey drained a three-pointer 53 seconds in, but then the two defenses took over. After Dailey's bucket, the two sides were 0-for-19 over the next 5:43 until Aisha Martin got the Panthers in the scoring column with 3:53 to go in the frame. FC followed that with a three-pointer to take the lead, but a Reagan Maynard score tied the game back up. Martin drained a three for the final score of the quarter to make it 8-5 for the home side t the break.
• Jaden Alsberry gave the Eagles the lead as she made four free throws on consecutive trips to open the scoring in the second stanza and make it 9-8 for BC. Ferrum replied with two scores of their own later in the frame to take the lead back at 12-9, but an old-school three-point play from Riley Corcoran and a Asia Williams jumper put the Eagles back in front. Martin responded instantly for the Panthers to tie the game up at 14-14, but a Jaiden Polston score gave BC the edge back. Ferrum had the last laugh in the frame as Keiauna Reddick drained a three-pointer just before the break to give the home team a 17-16 edge at the half.
• Dailey opened the second half the same way she opened the first as she drilled a long-range jumper to open the third frame. Ferrum replied with a deep make of its own but another bucket from Dailey gave the Eagles the lead back at 21-20. Dailey's second bucket of the half started the longest run for BC of the afternoon as a pair of free throws by Alsberry and Corcoran made it a 6-0 BC scoring spree to put the Eagles in front 25-20. Ferrum ended the run, but again Dailey answered the call with a layup off of a dish from Jay Garcia. The senior from Richmond added a make at the charity stripe to put BC up 28-22 before four-straight points from Martin to close out the half got Ferrum back to within two at 28-26.
• The Panthers made a free throw to cut the lead to just a point to start the fourth quarter, but an Alsberry bucket gave BC the momentum back for a moment. Ferrum responded with a pair of scores to take the lead back at 31-30 with 5:31 to go, but a Rosemary Pierson score in transition a minute late gave the Eagles the lead back. Alexis Edmonds made the back end of two shots to make it a 33-31 ballgame, but a pair of FC makes at the stripe tied things back up. BC looked to take the lead and got it on a second-chance effort as Reagan Maynard scored with 2:01 to play to make it 35-33. Martin missed a pair of free throws for the Panthers on the other end and Pierson found Maynard again for the score to make it 37-33 with 100 seconds remaining. BC got a stop thanks to an offensive foul and Ferrum sent Pierson to the line. The senior made the first, but missed the back end and FC capitalized as a Riddick three-pointer made it just a two-point game with 1:11 to go. BC turned the ball over and Ferrum got a look from Erin Harden to tie the game with 19 seconds left but Maynard swatted it away. Ferrum took possession out of bounds, but Martin forced a three-pointer from deep in the corner that missed everything. Garcia got the rebound and made one-of-two to seal the deal.

Match Notes

• Dailey led the Eagles offensively as the only BC player in double figures with 11 points. Nine different players scored for the Eagles and Garcia led the Eagles on the glass with 12 boards for her fifth game of the season with 10+ rebounds.  
• Martin led the Panthers with 13 points and Riddick added 12 including three makes from deep. Just four Panthers scored in the tight loss.
• Bridgewater was out-rebounded for the first time this season and shot less than 30% from the floor for the first time since Feb. 14 of last year, but still found a way as the BC defense held it's third-straight opponent to less than 50 points and under 30% shooting from the floor.

Up Next
The Eagles take some time off for exams before hitting the road and the air to travel to Puerto Rico for a pair of games before the Christmas Holiday.