Women's Basketball Falls to Westfield State, 98-88

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Chelsea Moussette score 20 points and Kierra McCarthy added 17 off the bench to lead the Westfield State University women's basketball team to a 98-88 victory over visiting Bridgewater State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest on Saturday afternoon at the Woodward Center.

The host Owls improve to 8-6 on the season and 2-0 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 4-10 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Moussette connected on 4 of 6 field goal attempts, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, and was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. McCarthy went 4-for-7 from the floor, 3-for-4 from behind the arc and 6-for-7 at the charity stripe. She also grabbed five rebounds and recorded three steals.

The Owls had six players finish in double-figure scoring with Allison Hester tallying 12 points off the bench, while Melissa Gray and Lucy Barrett notched 11 points apiece and Rebecca Sapouckey added ten. Sapouckey also grabbed ten rebounds (four offensive) as she registered a double-double.

Chanelle Melton posted a double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds to lead the way for Bridgewater State. Melton knocked down 7 of 11 field goals and added three assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Jennifer Whyte also poured in 18 points for the Bears as she drained six three-pointers. Whyte went 6-for-9 from behind the arc and grabbed four boards to go along with a block.

Kailyn Aguiar also recorded a double-double for BSU as she finished with a season-high 13 points and ten rebounds off the bench. Aguiar went 6-for-9 from the floor and five of her ten boards came off the offensive glass. She also registered a pair of assists and three steals. Kayla Carter rounded out the Bears' top producers with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.

The Owls used a 16-4 run in the fourth quarter to turn a one-point deficit (73-72) into an 88-77 lead with 4:16 remaining. A quartet of three-point plays by Moussette and McCarthy accounted for 12 of the Owls' 16 points during the run. Bridgewater would get no closer than six points the rest of the way. Westfield went 7-for-8 at the free throw line in the final minute to help secure the victory.

Bridgewater trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half and faced a 13-point deficit (45-32) in the closing minutes of the second quarter. A jumper by Nicole Bostick and a Whyte three-pointer to close out the opening stanza pulled the Bears to within eight at 45-37. A quick 7-2 run to open the second half cut the deficit to four, 48-44. Melton scored five points during the spurt.

Westfield regained control of the contest and held a 68-59 advantage with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter. A three-pointer by Whyte, a Bostick jumper and a free throw from Aguiar completed the third-quarter scoring as the Bears rallied to close the gap to three, 68-65, heading into the final period.

Aguiar scored six of the Bridgewater's next eight points at the start of the fourth quarter, including a layup with 8:12 showing on the scoreboard, to give the Bears the 73-72 lead. From there, the rest of the period belonged to the Owls who scored 26 points over the final seven minutes.

The two teams combined for 55 miscues with Bridgewater State turning the ball over 33 times.

Westfield shot 43% (33-77) from the floor, 38% (11-29) from three-point range and 84% (21-25) at the free throw line. Bridgewater shot 55% (34-62) from the floor, 47% (7-15) from three-point range and 68% (13-19) at the line. The Owls had 15 more field goal attempts and finished with a decided 34-10 edge in points off turnovers.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both team on Wednesday evening at 5:30. The Owls entertain the Rams of Framingham State University while the Bears travel to Salem State University to take on the Vikings.