Women’s Basketball Controls Paint in 63-45 Win Over Mount Ida

Framingham, Mass. - The Framingham State University women's basketball team outscored Mount Ida College 36-6 in the paint en route to a 63-45 win tonight in a non-conference game played at Framingham's Athletic Center.  With the win, the Rams improve to 8-4 on the season, while the loss drops the Mustangs to 3-8 on the year.                

Junior forward Emily Clark (Melrose, Mass.) led four Rams in double figures as she scored a career and game-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor.  Clark also grabbed five boards and picked up three blocks.  Sophomore forward Kia Minor (Edgartown, Mass.) recorded her fourth double double of the season and second in a row as she collected 13 points and 11 rebounds.  Freshman Kristen Hoffman (Foxboro, Mass.) chipped in 13 points and five boards, while senior guard Nicole McConaghy (Medford, Mass.) added 10 and four assists.

The Mustangs were led by Jeileen Rivera (Springfield, Mass.) who scored a team-high 14 points.  The junior guard, who grabbed six rebounds, connected on 4-of-8 from behind the arc to spark the Mustang offense in the second half.  Freshman Abigail Fedigan (New Fairfield, Conn.) chipped in nine points and four boards, while junior Jenny Davis (Bristol, England) added seven.

The Rams, who never trailed in the game, took control early opening up a 19-6 lead just nine minutes into the game. The Rams held Mount Ida to just 2-of-13 shooting from the floor during the run while they connected on 9-of-14. In the first half alone, the Rams held a 20-2 scoring advantage in the paint as Clark collected 12 of her points in the opening stanza.

Mount Ida opened the second half with a 13-4 run to pull within three at 37-34 with 13:23 remaining in the game.  Davis picked up five points on the run, while Fedigan scored four. 

The Rams answered with a 20-3 run of their own over the next eight minutes to take a 57-37 lead with 5:23 left on the clock and regain control of the game.

The Rams held a 44-31 rebounding edge in the game and also held a 12-0 advantage in fast break points with half of those coming on the decisive run in the second half.

The Rams begin conference action on Saturday as they travel to Fitchburg State at 1 p.m., while the Mustangs travel to Lasell on Saturday at 2 p.m.