Women’s Basketball Falls in MASCAC Title Game; Close Season with Program Record 21 Victories
Westfield, Mass. – The Framingham State University women's basketball team saw their season come to a close at 21-5 after falling in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Championship Game to Westfield State by a score of 83-74 Saturday afternoon at the Woodward Center. With the win the Owls (19-8) capture the 2017 MASCAC Tournament Championship and the conference's automatic qualifier in the NCAA Div. III Tournament next week.
Tournament MVP Jill Valley (Orange, Mass.) led the Owls scoring a game-high 21 points with seven boards and 5 steals. Lucy Barrett (Williamstown, Mass.) added 14 points while Kierra McCarthy (Ludlow, Mass.) and Kirsy Segarra (Holyoke, Mass.) contributed twelve points a piece for Westfield.
Senior Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.) led all Rams with 20 points and 11 rebounds and a game-high 6 blocked shots. Rackliffe finishes her career fourth on the Rams all-time scoring list with 1,215 points. Raegan Mulherin (Baldwinsville, Mass.) scored 10 points with 6 boards for the Rams while Sarah Palace (Auburn, Mass.) added 10 points of her own shooting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
Per usual, the two squads traded blows early in the contest until the Owls took control with an 11-3 run capped by a Valley fast break layup in the final minute of the first half to extend the Owls advantage to 42-33. The Rams closed the half with a huge triple by Palace to send the two teams into the break 42-36.
The Owls came out of the break in control jumping out to a ten point lead a little over halfway through the third period but the Rams answered with a 14-2 run including six points from Mary Kate O'Day (Berlin, Mass.) to take a 62-60 lead. Valley answered for the Owls with a triple to retake the lead, 63-62 into the 4th quarter.
After some back and forth play to open up the 4th a Rackliffe basket cut the deficit to 71-69the Owls scored the next three baskets capped by a Valley triple with 3:48 to play to put the Owls up 78-69. The Rams could not cut the deficit any closer that seven.
The Owls shot 39% from the floor and 18% from beyond the arc. The Rams were 38% from the field and 29% from long range.
The fast paced style of play created 44 turnovers on the day, 23 against the Owls and 21 by the Rams. The Owls however, were able to capitalize with 22 points off turnovers to the Rams 15.