Jen Ashton is surrounded by a trio of Framingham players during first-half action. Photo by Mickey Curtis
WESTFIELD – Junior guard Jen Ashton (Beverly) poured in 27 points to rally Westfield State University to a 76-71 victory over Framingham State University in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball opener on Thursday.
Westfield, which went on a huge 20-2 second-half scoring run, improves to 1-0 in the MASCAC and 7-5 overall with the key early season victory. Framingham is 0-1 and 6-6.
Led again by the trio of Ashton (27 points, 5 assists, 4 steals), junior center Gabby Felix of Springfield (13 points, 9 rebounds) and sophomore guard Keri Doldoorian of Whitinsville (15 points, 8 assists), the Owls rallied from a 11-point deficit with some hot second-half shooting.
Westfield shot 62 percent (16-26) from the field in the second half, including 5 for 8 from 3-point range. Trailing 54-43 with 15:03 remaining, the Owls went on their 20-2 scoring surge to take a seven-point lead five minutes later. Westfield scored 12 straight points in a 2:24 span for a 55-54 lead, and took its biggest lead of the second half, 63-56, with 10:12 remaining.
Ashton scored 15 second-half points and Felix finished with 11 points and six rebounds in the second stanza; the 6-0 center from Springfield Commerce High School was sidelined with early foul trouble and only played five first-half minutes.
Ashton assisted in sealing the victory with two long-range bombs in the closing minutes. Her 3-point basket with 2:56 remaining gave Westfield a 70-64 lead. Framingham scored five straight points to close within a point, but Ashton drained her biggest three-ball for a 73-69 Owl advantage at the 1:35 mark. She made 4 of 5 trey attempts in the second half.
A jumper in the paint by Framingham freshman center Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills/Agawam HS) made it 73-71 at the 1:14 mark. But a Felix layup with 15 seconds remaining followed by a Framingham turnover sealed the victory.
Westfield did take an early 17-11 lead but Framingham scored 29 points in the final 11 minutes of the first half for a 40-36 intermission edge, with Felix and sophomore starting forward Forbasaw Nkamebo saddled with foul trouble.
Four Framingham players scored in double figures, led by senior guard Kristen Hoffman’s 17 points. Rackliffe had 14 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Margo McCarthy of nearby Southampton (Hampshire Regional HS) tallied 10 points and eight boards and Nicole Bostic contributed 10 points and nine rebounds. Guard Johanna Annunziata dished a game-high 11 assists.
The Rams shot 37 percent from the floor in both halves and were 7 for 22 from beyond the arc.
