Sophomores Jen Ashton, left, and Gabby Felix trap Elms’ Gianna Youngblood in the backcourt. (Photo by Mickey Curtis)
CHICOPEE – Westfield State University had three players score in double figures, led by sophomore center Gabby Felix’s (Springfield, Mass.) game-high 18 points, and sophomore guard Jen Ashton (Beverly, Mass.) added seven assists and seven steals to help pace the Owls to a 67-33 victory over the Blazers in Saturday afternoon’s non-conference women’s basketball game at Picknelly Arena.
Elms moves to 2-6 on the season, while Westfield State improves to 6-4 overall.
Westfield State shot 41.7-percent from the field. Freshman point guard Keri Doldoorian (Whitinsville, Mass.) and senior Briana Kelly (Hampden, Mass.) added 13 and 10 points, respectively, to round out three Owls starters in double figures. Kelly’s 10 points and Ashton’s seven steals all came in the first half.
The sides played back-and-forth basketball for the first 9:13 of the contest before Westfield
Senior guard Briana Kelly attempts a shot from 3-point range. Kelly scored 10 points, all in the first half.
State, leading 14-11 with 10:37 to play in the opening period, began to pull away by going on a 15-0 run in a six minute span to post a 29-11 lead with 4:37 on the clock and finished the half with a 35-19 lead
Senior guard Briana Kelly attempts a shot from 3-point range. Kelly scored 10 points, all in the first half. (Photo by Mickey Curtis)
After a jumper by Blazers’ senior guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) to open the second frame, Westfield State scored 16 of the next 20 points to post a 49-23 advantage and did not look back from there.
Felix pulled down a game-best eight rebounds as Westfield held a 47-32 advantage in boards, and the Owls turned 26 Elms turnovers into 21 points including 10 on the fast break.
Gianna Youngblood led the Blazers’ offensive efforts with 11 points, hitting on 4 of 10 from the floor including a trio of three-pointers, highlighted by back-to-back threes in the second half, while sophomore forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) added 10 points and a team-best seven rebounds.
Parks was 4 for 4 from the field in the first half and 5 of 8 for the game and joined sophomore forward JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.) and freshman guard Jenna Oyler (Metuchen, N.J.) who each finished with two assists in the losing effort.
