Westfield, MA --- Seniors Cassy Jouannet (Conway, MA) had a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds and fourth-year Ashley Finnegan (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) also posted a double-double (15 points, game-high 14 rebounds) to lead top-seeded Westfield State University to a 56-42 victory over Worcester State University in the semifinals of the MASCAC Women's Basketball tournament this evening.
Westfield – the regular season champion with a 21-5 record and 12 straight victories – will host its second MASCAC Tournament championship game in three years when it entertains Bridgewater State on Saturday at 2:00 PM. The Bears defeated on the road MCLA, 88-73, in the other semifinal game.
The Lancers end their season with an overall record of 13-14 in thier 21st conference tournament appearance.
Westfield State started slowly, trailing Worcester, 13-4, with 12:22 remaining in the first half. But the Owls quickly gained control with tenacious defense and precision interior passing on the offense end.
With sophomore Courtney DelRatez (Adams, MA) providing a spark off the bench with a three-point basket, Westfield knotted the score at 13-all at the 10:12 mark. The Owls, who forced the Lancers to commit several shot clock violations in the first half, outscored the visitors 7-0 over the final 5:41 to take a 26-20 lead into the lockerroom.
The Owls would hold 19-point leads three more times in the second stanza, but the scrappy Lancers chipped away at the large advantage, closing to within 10 points, 50-40, with 5:31 remaining. A Jouannet layup with 4:43 remaining halted the 12-3 Lancer run.
Sophomore Briana Kelly (Hampden, MA) scored 12 of her 14 points in the second as the Big Three accounted for all but nine of the Owls' 56 points. Guards Jenny Bell (Northampton) and Janae Jones (Springfield, MA) both recorded five assists in addition to their harassing defense in the frontcourt. Finnegan also dished out four helpers.
Westfield only connected on 6-of-15 of their free throw attempts, but it shot 48 percent form the field (24-for-50). Worcester only shot 28 percent from the floor (16-for-58) and committed 18 turnovers.
Junior Kaleigh Charette (Fairhaven, MA) was Worcester's only player in double figures with 16 points. Sophomore Meaghan O'Keefe (Warren, MA) had seven points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Senior Alexis George (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) ended her four-year career 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,051 points - two off Lauren Burke's (1998-02) total.
Classmate Kathleen Foley (Hudson, NH) also finished her career second in made three pointers with 159 as she was only 25 away from Lindsey DelleChiaie's (2004-08) tally of 184. Foley's four-year final point total was 609 points.