Lucy Barrett scored a team-high 17 points in the Owls win over Worcester State Saturday. (File photo)
WORCESTER – Westfield State University took a quick 21-point lead in the first quarter to propel to an 88-70 victory over the Worcester State University Lancers Saturday afternoon in a the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season finale.
The Owls (17-7, 11-1 MASCAC) set the pace early, outscoring the Lancers (12-13, 6-6 MASCAC) 32-11 and causing 14 Worcester State turnovers in the frame. Westfield State saw eight unanswered points from Lucy Barrett (Williamstown, Mass.), Chelsea Mousette (Southampton, Mass.) and Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.) to start the quarter until senior Brianna Hackett (Hollis, N.H.) put the Lancers on the board a minute and a half in on a jumper. Aside from a Kaitlyn Berkel (Waterford, Conn.) layup on the next possession, the Lancers’ Britt Herring (West Brookfield, Mass.) made up for the remaining seven points for Worcester while the Owls kept pushing away and came away with a 21-point lead going into the second following 7-0 and 10-0 spurts throughout the stanza.
Worcester State’s Herring ignited a 10-0 run for the Blue and Gold to cut the Owls’ lead to 11 with 7:41 on the clock. Gray broke the Lancers’ scoring binge with a triple on the next possession. The Owls maintained an 11+ lead throughout the stanza and put the lead back up to 21 before the break (51-30).
The third quarter was the lone quarter where the Lancers outscored the visitors, 18-13. Herring scored two buckets to start the quarter. Worcester State kept driving to the basket, but Westfield State’s Barrett, Ashley Lane (Warrenton, Va.) and Cayla Durkee (Georgetown, Mass.) drained triples to maintain a 10+ lead.
The visitors extended the gap in the final frame and held their largest lead of 26 with 5:32 to go succeeding a Kierra McCarthy (Ludlow, Mass.) three. Worcester State’s Hackett ended the game with a triple for an 88-70 score.
Herring led all scoring with 25 points, going 12-for-14 from the floor and 1-for-3 from the free throw line. She was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards, and also had four blocks and two assists in the setback.
Westfield State had four players score in double digits. Barrett led with 17 points, Gray followed with 16. McCarthy put up 13 points with six steals, while Rebecca Sapouckey (Chicopee, Mass.) registered a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds, also with six steals.
Worcester State’s rebounding leader was Emily Carens (Northborough, Mass.) with 10, and also put up 16 points for a double-double.
Westfield State pressed the majority of the game and caused a season-high 35 Worcester State turnovers.
Despite the loss, Worcester State shot 50% (29-52) from the field and went 1-for-1 from beyond the arc. Westfield State stood at 36.6% from the field, and 42.3% from 3-point range. Worcester State out-rebounded Westfield State, 47-41.
#4 Worcester State will host a quarterfinal game against #5 Salem State on Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 7 p.m. #1 Westfield State will break until Thursday (Feb. 22) when they host the winner of the Worcester/Salem in a semifinal game. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
