Women’s Basketball Falls to Westfield in MASCAC Title Game

Westfield, Mass.. –Top-seeded Westfield State University women's basketball defeated Framingham State 90-75 behind 15 points and seven rebounds from Tournament MVP Kierra McCarthy in the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball championship game at the Woodward Center on Saturday afternoon. 

Westfield State receives the MASCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  Framingham ends their season with a 16-10 record and third straight MASCAC Championship Game appearance.

Junior Lucy Barrett (Williamstown, Mass) scored 15 points and added four steals. Junior Allison Hester (Sutton, Mass) contributed 10 points and Keri Paton (Russell, Mass, Westfield High) also ended up in double figures with 13 points and four rebounds. Melissa Gray scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds to help push the Owls past the Rams. 

Framingham State University relied heavily on their starters who scored 74 of their 75 points led by sophomore Mary Kate O'Day's (Berlin, Mass.) 20 points. Senior Raegan Mulherin (Baldwinville, Mass) added 19 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Emily Velozo (Tewksbury, Mass) also contributed with 19 points and seven rebounds. 

After a tight game for the first six and a half minutes, Framingham took a 15-14 lead. A layup from the Owls' Lucy Barrett, and back to back three-pointers from McCarthy and Barrett stretched the Westfield lead out to seven points

After an intense first half the Owls took a 47-39 lead into the locker room at halftime. 

Westfield began to stretch their lead late at the end of the third quarter when they went on a 16-6 run started by a three pointer from freshman Taina Slaughter (Springfield, Mass./Chicopee High) and was finished by a three pointer from freshman Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass) to take a 70-52 lead into the fourth quarter. 

 *Portions of release courtesy of Westfield sports info