Northfield, MA --- Tournament MVP and senior Meaghan O'Keefe (Warren, MA) totaled 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the visiting Worcester State to a 62-50 non-conference win against Norwich in the championship game of the 2012 TDS Ed Hockenbury Classic in Andrews Hall.

With the win, the Lancers improve to 3-3 on the season, while the Cadets now sit at 4-2.

O'Keefe scored 14 of her 25 points in the first half as the Lancers held a narrow 26-21 lead at halftime.  Worcester State utilized 37 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from three-point range to recover from an early Norwich five-point lead.

The Lancers would not trail again after taking the 11-9 advantage with 12:12 remaining in the first half. The Cadets would use an old-fashioned three-point play by junior Kristine Brammer (Littleton, NH) to close the Lancers' gap to 30-28 with 15:33 left to play in the game, but Worcester State responded with a 9-2 run to extend their lead to nine points with 10:45 left to play.

In addition to O'Keefe, the Lancers saw double-digit performances from All-Tournament selection sophomore Shannen El-Qasem (Rutland, MA) with 12 points while classmate Kelli McPherson (Mansfield, MA) added 11.

Junior Veronica Norman (Brooklyn, CT) contributed a team-high five assists in addition to seven points and six rebounds.

The Cadets were led by All-Tournament selection sophomore Aliah Curry (Windsor, MA), who posted a team-high 15 points. Brammer totaled 10 points and 13 rebounds to record the coveted double-double, while second-year Kelsey Lotti (South Yarmouth, MA) added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Cadets. 

Junior Kristin Brown (Williamstown, VT) also chipped in with a game-high six assists.

The Lancers finished the contest with a 42-35 edge in the rebounding department and held a decisive 23-9 lead in points off of turnovers. WSU also handed out 16 assists for 23 made field goals.

Both squads return to action on Tuesday evening. Worcester State hosts Trinity (CT) at 7 PM in their home opener while Norwich travels west to Middlebury for a 6 o'clock matchup.

Major Portions of Release Courtesy of Norwich Sports Information