Worcester, MA --- Junior Kiesha Jones (Worcester, MA/Doherty) netted a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds, three assists and a trio of steals as Worcester State defeated Becker, 75-55, in the consolation game of the Worcester City Tournament this afternoon at Clark University's Kneller Gymnasium.
The game remained close early on until midway through the first half when the Lancers (1-1) used a 7-0 run to jump to a 26-15 lead after Jones was able to dial one in from long range with 8:15 remaining in the opening frame.
The Hawks (0-2) answered with a six-point burst of their own bookended with a midrange jumper by junior Brooke Martel (Griswold, CT) and a lay-up by senior Jacqueline Chila (Monroe, CT) for the 26-22 score with 6:30 on the clock.
WSU then outscored their opponents 16-3 to finish out the first period after Jones once again connected from behind the arc to help the Blue and Gold finish with the 42-25 halftime lead.
Worcester State maintained their double-digit advantage throughout the second half ballooning it to 26 points after a traditional three-point play converted by senior Michel'le St. Pierre (Seekonk, MA) at the 10:43 mark for their largest lead of the contest.
Becker continued to fight and got to within 18 points after a trifecta turned in by senior Haley Ooms (Valatie, NY) made the score 63-45 with five minutes remaining.
But the Lancers maintained their margin and took home their first victory of the campaign.
The Lancers were also paced by senior Meaghan Burns (W. Brookfield, MA) who turned in a all-around solid effort with 12 points, four rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals while sophomore Julie Frankian (Millbury, MA) added 13 points and seven boards in the victory.
Becker was led offensively by senior Tatiana Mojica (Worcester, MA/Doherty) who turned in a team-best 19 points and nine rebounds to go along with four assists and two swipes.
Ooms also turned in a double-digit scoring effort with 12 points. She also added six caroms and a game-best eight helpers in the setback.
Both squads had effective shooting days as Worcester State converted 28-of-63 (44 percent) and the Hawks went 20-for-47 (43 percent) from the field. Each team was also effective behind the line as Becker drained half of their three-point buckets (6-for-12) and WSU dropped five of their 13 attempts from downtown (39 percent).
Worcester State also held the 42-32 edge in rebounds and the 18-12 advantage for points in the paint. The Lancers got great contributions from their reserves finishing with the 17-2 margin in bench scoring.
Both teams return to action Tuesday night as WSU hosts UMass-Dartmouth at Clark with tip-off scheduled for 6 PM and Becker travels to Albertus Magnus for a 7 PM affair.
Burns was selected as the institutions representative on the Worcester City All-Tournament Team and senior Tatiana Mojica (Worcester, MA/Doherty) became the fifth Hawk to reach the 1,000 point milestone in the setback.
Story By John Hanna --- Sports Information Graduate Assistant
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