MASCAC Tournament --- #5 Westfield State 62, #4 Worcester State 59
Worcester, MA --- The fourth seeded Worcester State College women's basketball team fell in the opening round of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference playoffs by the final score of, 62-59, to the visiting fifth seed Westfield State College Tuesday evening in Lancer Gymnasium. The Lancers conclude their season with an 8-17 record, while Westfield State improves to 11-15. Westfield State will now travel to Bridgewater State on Friday evening to take on the top seeded Bears.
Westfield State got off to an 8 point halftime lead, 28-20, as they hit 5 three pointers in the half. Katie Sylvain (Hadley, MA) and Lauren Sylvain (Hadley, MA) each hit a pair of threes to lead the Owls. Katie Sylvain finished the half with 8 points. Junior Andrea Wasuk (Lenox, MA) also had 8 first half points for the visitors. The Owls shot 41.7% from the field in the half. Worcester State struggled shooting just 24.1% from the floor in the half. Brianne Flanders (Southampton, MA), Erin McCullough (Harvard, MA) and Natasha Dallas (Roxbury, MA) each scored 4 points for the Lancers.
In the second half, Worcester State trailed by 10 points with 5:18 remaining before making a final push. 7 straight points cut the deficit to three with 3:06 left in regulation. After the teams traded buckets, a three pointer by Kathleen Foley (Hudson, NH) made the score, 61-59, with 44 ticks left but after a missed Westfield State free throw the Lancers missed a three pointer that would have given them the lead. The Owls added a free throw for the, 62-59, final.
Flanders and Foley paced the Lancers on the night with 12 points. Senior Lindsay DelleChiaie (Leominster, MA) closed out her career with 10 points. Westfield State was led by Katie Sylvain who posted a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Wasuk followed with 19 points.
Worcester State's Lindsay DelleChiaie and Westfield State's Andrea Wasuk were named to the All-MASCAC 1st team following the game.