WESTFIELD – Westfield State University’s women’s basketball team defeated Framingham State’s Rams, 94-76 on Saturday afternoon at the Woodward Center gymnasium to improve the Owls’ overall record 15-7, and 8-1 in the MASCAC.
Forbasaw Nkamebo led the Owls with 20 points and 15 rebounds while Jill Valley added 21 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. Ece Eldek came off the bench and added 17 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal to help clinch the Westfield’s victory.
In the opening half, the Owls wasted no time taking control of the game, generating a ten-point lead in the first with 1:19 left on the clock.
Forbasaw Nkamebo led Westfield State with 20 points and 15 rebounds. (Photo courtesy of Westfield State Sports)
As the second quarter came to a start, the two teams battled it out but it just wasn’t enough for the Rams to get ahead.
With 1:46 left in the second quarter, Forbasaw Nkamebo scored in the paint, which gave the Owls a 12 point lead, creating their biggest advantage of the first half. Westfield ended the first half with a 47-39 lead.
The Rams came out with a vengeance in the second half, diminishing Westfield’s lead all the way down to a two-point game, making it 61-59, after two Monta Connolly free throws with 1;50 left in the third quarter, but Westfield’s Lucy Barrett answered with a three-pointer just 13 seconds later to spark the Owls to a 7-0 run to close the quarter, 68-59.
Westfield turned up the heat and outscored the Rams for the remainder of the game, creating their largest lead of the game at 18 points after a three point shot by Allison Hester with 27 seconds remaining.
Framingham State’s, Monta Connolly led the Rams with 20 points. Quinn O’Connell added 14. Alycia Rackliffe, added 10 points and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds with four assists.
With three conference games left in the regular season, Westfield has a one-game lead in the MASCAC standings over Framingham and Bridgewater State.
With a week to prepare, Westfield will play the Salem State Vikings on Saturday, February 13th at 1:00 in the Woodward Center.
The Rams, who are now 15-6 and 7-2 in their conference, will be heading to MCLA Wednesday, February 10th for a MASCAC game at 5:30. — by Renae Hatcher, WSU Sports Information student intern
