Women's Basketball Earns Fifth Seed in MASCAC Tournament

Buzzards Bay, Mass. - Bridgewater State College has earned the top seed in the 2010 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships, which begin on Tuesday, February 23rd with quarterfinal round action and conclude with semi-final and championship round play on Friday and Saturday, February 26th and 27th.

Bridgewater State and second-seeded Salem State College earned byes into the semi-finals and will await the winners of Tuesday's quarterfinal round contests, which will feature third-seeded Worcester State College hosting sixth-seeded Westfield State College at 6:00 p.m. EST and fourth-seeded MCLA hosting fifth-seeded Framingham State College in a contest that tips-off at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The winner of the MCLA-Framingham State quarterfinal advances to take on Bridgewater State in Friday's first semi-final at 6:00 p.m. EST at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater, Mass., while the winner of the Worcester State-Westfield State match-up will take on Salem State in the second semi-final at 8:00 p.m. EST, also at Bridgewater State's Tinsley Center. The two semi-final winners will meet for the 2010 MASCAC Championship on Saturday, February 27th at Bridgewater State's Tinsley Center for the league crown as well as an automatic berth into the 2010 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championships, with the championship game starting time to be determined next Thursday evening.

Bridgewater State captured its second MASCAC regular season title in three seasons under Head Coach Bridgett Casey with an overall mark of 14-10, including a 10-2 conference slate, and the Bears are led by junior guard Brittney Chappron (Braintree, Mass), who averages 14.1 ppg. Salem State enters the post-season at 18-7 overall (9-3 in MASCAC action) under veteran Head Coach Tim Shea, as the Vikings are paced by senior forward Danielle Jenkins (Marlboro, Mass.), who leads the league in scoring at 18 points per game while chipping in with 7.3 rpg.

Worcester State posted 13 overall victories, including seven in conference play, under Head Coach Karen Tessmer, as the Lancers rank as the league's top defensive unit and are led by sophomore guard Kaleigh Charette's (Fairhaven, Mass.) 10.4 ppg, while MCLA posted a school-record 15 victories (four in MASCAC action) under Head Coach Holly McGovern and are paced by sophomore forward Jen Wehner (Cooperstown, N.Y.), who leads the conference in rebounding at 10.1 rpg and ranks third in scoring at an even 14 ppg.

Framingham State collected 10 regular season triumphs, including four in MASCAC play, under Head Coach Patricia O'Brien this winter, and the Rams are led by freshman forward Kia Minor (Oak Bluffs, Mass.), who averages 12.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Defending conference tournament champion Westfield State rounds out this year's field, as the Owls also posted 10 victories (four in league action) under Head Coach Andrea Bertini and are paced by junior forward Ashley Finnegan (Worcester, Mass.), who averages 12.7 ppg and 6.9 rpg.

Westfield State claimed the 2009 MASCAC Women's Basketball Championship with an 80-54 victory over Salem State at the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass. last February 28th.

Release courtesy of MASCAC Sports Information.