Box Score BOX SCORE

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (November 30, 2011) - Sophomore guard Ivettlis Castro (Carteret, N.J.) netted a team-high 17 points Wednesday night, as Bloomfield's women's basketball team picked up their first victory of the 2011-2012 season in a 70-62 home victory over the University of Bridgeport.  Bloomfield improves to 1-2 overall with the win, while visiting Bridgeport falls to 1-5 overall.

Each side came out firing in the early stages of the contest, with the Purple Knights mounting an early 17-10 advantage through the first seven minutes of the game.  But the Lady Deacons would quickly erase the deficit, executing a 9-3 run to take a 22-20 lead midway through the frame.  Eight ties and five lead changes would mark the remainder the first half, the nip-and-tuck battle yielding a slim 41-40 advantage for Bloomfield heading into the intermission.

The one-point deficit would prove to be the closest Bridgeport would come to picking up their second victory of the season, as the Lady Deacons put forth a dominant defensive effort over the final 20 minutes of play to ensure their first victory of the young campaign.  Bloomfield limited the Purple Knights to just 6-24 shooting from the field, forcing 16 turnovers and swiping eight steals to stifle the Bridgeport attack.  An 8-0 run midway through the half put the game out of reach for the Purple Knights at 58-47, the Lady Deacons able to cruz the rest of the way to pick up a solid home triumph.

"It was good for us to get our first victory tonight," Bloomfield head coach Jerry Wimberly said.  "We were able to make some adjustments defensively in the second half, and that's the type of defense we want to play.  We got our first win out of the way, so hopefully this gives us some confidence heading Saturday."

Castro added three rebounds, two assists and four steals in the contest, and was one of five Bloomfield players to score at least eight points.  Sophomore forward Lauren Deverin (Sewaren, N.J.) finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Vanessa Lamison (Laurel, Md.) contributed nine points and five rebounds.  Freshman center Tierra Scott (Bear, De.) tallied eight points and six rebounds in a solid effort off the bench.

Bloomfield returns to action Saturday, December 3 when they open their CACC schedule against nearby North Division rival Caldwell College.  Tip-off for the road contest is set for 1:00 PM.