MVP Williamson Leads Women's Basketball to Fourth Straight MASCAC Tournament Title

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Behind 27 points from tournament MVP Jenna Williamson (Ludlow, Mass.), the Bridgewater State University women's basketball team captured their fourth straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Tournament title as the top-seeded Bears downed #3 Framingham State University, 73-66, in the championship game on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.

By virtue of the MASCAC's automatic bid, the Bears (16-11) advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth straight season, fifth time in the last eight years and ninth time overall.  Bridgewater also made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1983 to 1986.  The 2014 NCAA Division III Tournament pairings will be announced Monday afternoon on NCAA.com with the tournament selection show getting underway at 2:30 PM.

Williamson, who earned tournament MVP honors for the second straight season, connected on 8 of 16 field goal attempts including 5-for-6 from three-point range.  She was also 6-for-7 at the free throw line and added four rebounds and three steals.  Williamson tallied 63 points in two games during the tournament including a school-record 36 points in the Bears' 88-62 semifinal win over Salem State.

BSU freshman guard Jennie Lindland (Edgartown, Mass.) posted a double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds to go along with two assists, two blocked shots and three steals.  Senior guard Elisha Homich (Ludlow, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with six points, ten boards, a game-high seven assists, two blocks and three steals, while senior guard Colleen Hanscom (Melrose, Mass.) added nine points and senior center Tatyana Belizaire (Cambridge, Mass.) came off the bench to score eight points on 3 of 4 shooting.

Senior guard Kristin Hoffman (Foxboro, Mass.) and freshman forward Sarah Palace (Auburn, Mass.) paced the visiting Rams with 17 points apiece.  Hoffman added five rebounds, three assists and three steals.  Freshman guard Carlee Putnam (Niantic, Ct.) came off the bench to score 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting from behind the arc, while freshman center Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.) chipped in with nine points and game-high totals of 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.

With the score tied at 22-22 with five minutes remaining in the first half, a Williamson trifecta jump-started an 11-1 BSU run to close out the stanza as the Bears took a 33-23 lead into the intermission.  Williamson scored 15 of her 27 points in the opening twenty minutes.

Framingham came roaring back to open the second half as the Rams scored the first nine points of the stanza to close the gap to one (33-32).  Later in the period, the visitors would take a 41-40 lead on a Putnam three-pointer.

The Bears answered with a 10-0 run to jump back on top, 50-41, with 11:20 remaining.  Bridgewater seemed in complete control the rest of the way, but an 8-0 run in the final three minutes, capped off by a Rackliffe three-point play, pulled the Rams to within three 69-66) with just 46 seconds remaining.  Back-to-back missed shots on the Bears' ensuing possession would have given the Rams a chance to tie the game, but the Rams could not grab either rebound.  Homich came up with a huge offensive board on the second miss and Williamson would seal the game with a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left.

Bridgewater shot 42% (25-60) for the game including 9-for-21 (43%) from three-point range.  The Bears were also 14-for-20 (70%) at the free throw line.

Framingham connected on 40% (25-63) of its' field goal attempts with a 7-for-19 (37%) from behind the arc.  The Rams struggled a bit at the charity strip converting on 9 of 16 (56%) free throw attempts.

With the loss, Framingham falls to 17-11 on the season.  The Rams will await word on a possible ECAC Division III New England Tournament selection.