O’Connor Named MASCAC Player of the Year; Three Rams Chosen for All-Conference; Paschal Tabbed Coach of the Year

Framingham, Mass.- Framingham State sophomore forward Flannery O'Connor has been named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Basketball Player of the Year; Rams Head Coach Walter Paschal was chosen as the conference's Coach of the Year and sophomores Katty Haidul and Gwendolyn Carpenter were tabbed All-MASCAC selections. 

O'Connor, who was the MASCAC Rookie of the Year in 2020, earned MASCAC Player of the Week honors five times as she led the Rams in scoring and ranked second in the MASCAC averaging 18.9 point per game. O'Connor ranked second in the league in rebounding (11.2 rpg) and first in blocked shots (44). The sophomore was chosen as the NEWBA and USBWA Div. III National Player of the Week in January and to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week in mid February.  

Haidul who joins her classmate on the 1st Team led the league at 11.4 rebounds per game while ranking sixth in the league in scoring (15.0 ppg) and led the MASCAC in field goal percentage (54.6%). 

Carpenter who was chosen 2nd Team All-MASCAC led the conference and set the FSU single-season assists record with 177 this season. The sophomore point guard averaged 11 points per game, 113 rebounds and was second in the league with a 2.1 assist to turnover ratio. Carpenter was also named the MASCAC Tournament MVP as the Rams defeated Worcester State and Bridgewater State en route to their second consecutive MASCAC Title.  

Paschal was chosen by his colleagues as the MASCAC Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to another 12-0 MASCAC Regular Season and second consecutive MASCAC Championship.  

The Rams compete in the first round of the NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 4th against Smith College at 7pm.