Worcester, MA --- Two weeks ago the Worcester State Women's Basketball team was on the outside looking into the MASCAC tournament. In last place, the Lancers went on to win their remaining five conference games and earned themselves a fourth seed and coveted home-game in the first round of the tournament against fifth seeded MCLA this Tuesday evening.
"In our last game against MCLA we just didn't play very well," said head coach Karen Tessmer. "It was really the turning point of our season."
After a loss to top-seeded Westfield State on February 3, WSC (9-16, 5-7 MASCAC) has won five of their last six and five straight conference games. During the win-streak, WSC has played stifling defense in holding their opponents to 42.6 points per game while allowing them to shoot just .316 percent from the floor and 17 for 95 from three point land (.179 percent).
"We've just played great team defense," said Tessmer. "People have been playing well, we've been healthy and we've been putting it together."
Sophomore guard Alexis George has led Worcester State averaging 12.2 points per game (seventh in MASCAC) while first-year guard Kaleigh Charette has tallied a modest nine points with six rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Kathleen Foley is second in the conference in three pointers made with 45 treys while junior forward Brianne Flanders is fifth in the MASCAC in rebounds with an average of seven.
Senior guard Erin MacDonald along with sophomore guard Becca Giguere have combined for 5.5 assists per contest at the point and returning from a mid-season injury, junior Reilly O'Keefe has averaged nine points and 4.6 caroms her last nine games.
MCLA is paced by freshman forward Jen Wehner and junior forward Laura Sliverman who are each tied for first in the conference with 10.7 rebounds per game as the Trailblazers also lead the conference in total rebounds (38.8). Wehner is also sixth in the MASCAC in points per game (12.8), first in field goal percentage (.583) and blocks (88) while she's second in blocked shots (2.10).
Silverman also averages a modest 8.9 points per contest while sophomore guard Chelsey Burke is third in assists with 3.04 per game.
After beating the 70-61 Trailblazers for their first win on their conference slate, MCLA got revenge against WSC in their second matchup in a 72-59 setback on January 31. The loss ended a 25 game winning streak to the Lancers.
"We want to keep Silverman off the backboards because she is going to be really active and she's going to be a factor," said Tessmer. "Playing good defense and rebounding is going to be a critical factor in this game. We want to keep the tempo and the pressure up and use our speed to push the ball up the court."
Coming in at 14-11 and 4-8 in the MASCAC standings, MCLA is a team that Worcester State doesn't want to look past because of their poor conference record. The Trailblazers are 0-6 this season against the top three teams in the coference.
"They have certainly improved from past years and they are a team that I really give a lot of credit to," said Tessmer. "We are not going overlook anyone at this point of the season."
Right now the Lancers are just taking it one game at a time.
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