Gray, Hadla Carry Owls to Victory Over Worcester, 76-62

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior guard Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.) recorded a double-double as the Owls defeated Worcester State, 76-62, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game on Wednesday evening from Worcester, Mass. The game was played in recognition of "Play4Kay" which is a national movement that uses college basketball games to fundraise for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, assisting in fighting cancer affecting women.

The victory moves the Owls to 13-10 on the season and bolsters their conference record to 7-3. The Lancers drop to 9-11 overall and 4-4 in MASCAC play after the loss.

Gray compiled 19 points and ten rebounds, and sophomore guard Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.) collected 17 points, six assists and a game-high five steals. Sophomore Jess Gardner (Webster, Mass.) added 11 points on a perfect five of five shooting from the field. Senior Paris Wilkey (Lynn, Mass.) was the fourth Owls player in double figures, scoring ten points.

Westfield State opened the game on a 12-2 run fueled by Wilkey who knocked down her first two shots of the night from three-point range. Gardner provided a spark on the defensive end of the floor, taking consecutive charges and then scoring a lay-up on the other end to allow the Owls to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the quarter. Westfield led by ten after the first quarter, generating ten Lancer turnovers in the frame.  

Worcester State began cutting into the deficit mid-way through the second quarter as a 10-0 run by the Lancers trimmed the Owl lead to a single point, 29-28. Gigi LeMay (Grafton, Mass.) and Elizabeth Gallella (Tewksbury, Mass.) combined for 12 of Worcester's 18 points in the quarter. The Owls would go into the halftime break leading 34-30.

After a tightly contested third quarter, which saw three separate ties and three lead changes, the Owls opened the fourth quarter by scoring the first seven points to drive the lead back up to double digits. When the Lancers began to make another rally, senior Jenn Rennich (Bedford, Mass.) buried a triple and on the next possession sophomore Jordyn Lummus (Pittsfield, Mass.) converted on a lay-up through contact to put the Owls up 12 points with four minutes remaining. The Lancers were unable to get any closer than 12 points the rest of the way. Westfield outscored Worcester 27-16 in the final quarter, connecting on nine of 15 shots (60%) in the frame compared to seven makes in 18 attempts (38.9%) for Worcester.

Gallella led the Lancers in scoring with 18 points with five rebounds. LeMay, who is currently Worcester's leading scorer on the season, finished with a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds while adding four assists and four steals. Madison Gutierrez (Holyoke, Mass.) chipped in ten points off the bench.

Westfield State currently sits third in the MASCAC standings and will look for a share of second place this weekend as the Owls match-up with Bridgewater State (14-7, 6-2 MASCAC) on the road on Saturday at 1:00 P.M. Worcester State sits in fourth place in the conference and will travel to Fitchburg for a noon tip-off on Saturday.