Owls Win Opener at Westfield Gas and Electric Tip Off

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Grace Wigington scored 14 points and Alexa Davis added 13 as Westfield State topped Utica (NY) College, 63-53 in the opening round of the Westfield Gas and Electric women's basketball tip off tournament at the Woodward Center on Friday evening.

Westfield improves to 3-1 on the season, while Utica is now 1-3.

Westfield will play the winner of Albright (Pa.) and Mitchell (Conn.) in the championship game tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.   Utica will face the loser in the consolation final at 12 noon.

Westfield led 21-16 at the half behind six points and seven boards from Alexa Davis.  Both teams went ice cold from the floor in the second quarter as Westfield shot 2-18, while the Pioneers were 2-19.  The Owls outscored Utica by a paltry 8-4 margin in the quarter.  McKenzie Simmons led the Pioneers with eight points in the half.   Westfield went seven and a half minutes with out a bucket from the floor in a stretch tht covered the end of the first quarter and extended more than three minutes into the second.

Westfield held the Pioneers at bay in the third quarter, leading 39-34 heading into the fourth quarter.  The Owls boosted the lead to as many as a 11 on a jumper from Davis midway through the half, and led 60-48 after Wigington buried a three pointer from the right wing with 3:56 to play.

Davis grabbed eight rebounds, tied for the team lead with Sophia Rockwood, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds.   Tavi Williams grabbed seven board and seven steals among the 32 turnovers the Owls forced from the Pioneers.

Utica was led by 24 points from McKenzie Simmons, who finished 9-21 from the floor and 5-11 from long range.  Vanessa Hall added 10 points, and the Pioneers got 15 rebounds from Madison Laduke, and 10 boards and five asssts from Destiny Herring.

Albright 63, Mitchell 48

Kenedy Cooper finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and five steals to lead Albright (Pa.) College to a 68-43 win over Mitchell (Conn.) College in a first-round game at the Westfield Gas and Electric Tip Off Tournament at the Woodward Center at Westfield State University.

Albright jumped out to an 18-4 lead in the first quarter and threatened to run away from the Mariners, but Mitchell slowly worked their was back into the game, trailing 22-9 at the end of one, and just 32-29 at the half.

The Lions opened the second half with 6-0 spurt capped by a pair of free throws from Cooper to extend the lead to nine points, and the Mariners would not get within six the rest of the way.

Cooper finished 10-10 at the foul line, where Albright outscored Mitchell 14-4.  The Lions forced Mitchell into 27 turnovers while committing just 12 of their own.

Gigi Serrano added 13 points and Chrisdin Jones 12 points and six rebounds for Albright.

Mitchell was led by 15 points from Jade Hypolyte, the only player in double figures for the Mariners.  Delaney Fifield added eight points and nine rebounds.

Albright (1-3) will face host Westfield State in tomorrow's championship game at 2:00 p.m.    Mitchell (1-4) will meet Utica (NY) College at noon in the consolation final.