Westfield freshman point guard Alyssa Darling follows through on a 3-point attempt over UMass Boston’s Andrea Suffredini. (Photo by Mickey Curtis)
WESTFIELD – Junior center Kirsten Morrison had a game high 23 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore forward Olivia Murphy posted a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds to power UMass Boston to a 72-49 victory over Westfield State University in non-conference women’s basketball on Thursday, Dec. 12.
The Beacons upped their record to 6-1 while Westfield moved to 4-4.
Led by the tall frontcourt of Morrison (6 feet, 2 inches) and Murphy (6-1), the Beacons poured in 72 points despite scoring only five points in the game’s opening seven minutes.
Trailing 10-5 with 13:00 remaining in the first half, UMass Boston went on two big runs to take a commanding 31-16 lead at the 2:08 mark.
Morrison came off the bench to score seven straight points in a 9-0 run as the Beacons forged ahead, 14-10 midway through the half. UMass Boston then outscored a cold-shooting Westfield squad 17-6 over the next eight minutes.
The Beacons held a 33-20 halftime lead. Westfield played on even terms for the opening seven minutes of the second half and trailed by 11 points, 42-31, with 13:16 remaining. But UMass Boston scored six straight points for a commanding 48-31 advantage a minute later.
Kirsten Morrison – UMass Boston’s 6-2 center – latches on to a loose ball while being closely guarded by Gabby Felix. (Photo by Mickey Curtis)
UMass Boston committed 30 turnovers but was able to coast to the victory with an effective inside-outside game. The Beacons shot 47 percent (23 for 49) from the field, including 6 for 13 from beyond the arc, and an excellent 20 for 24 from the foul line.
The M&M Girls – Morrison and Murphy – led the Beacons to a decisive 44-25 advantage in rebounding and were the only UMass Boston players scoring in double figures. Playing fine floor games were starting guards Lauren Perra (7 points, 6 assists) and Elisa Ogawa (8 points, 5 assists, 2 steals).
Junior guard Jen Aston led Westfield with 14 points, four assists, and seven steals. Junior center Gabby Felix had 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Owls shot 30 percent from the field (19 for 62) and only 11 percent (2 for 19) from 3-point range.
