WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior forward Ashley Finnegan (Worcester/Holy Name) had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Westfield State University to a 60-52 victory over Nichols College in a non-conference women's basketball game on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Westfield, which finished the game with a 10-0 run in the final 2:27, boosted its record to 5-2. Nichols, which rallied from a 15-point first half deficit, is now 2-4.

The Owls trailed early, 10-5, but went on a 20-2 run over an eight-minute span to take a 25-12 lead with 7:47 remaining in the first half. The scored was tied at 12-all when Westfield outscored Nichols, 13-0, highlighted by the inside play of Finnegan and senior center Cassey Jouannet (Conway/Frontier Regional), who also posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The scrappy Nichols squad chipped away at the double-digit deficit and trailed by seven, 32-25, at the break.

Westfield maintained single-digit leads for most of the second half before Nichols rallied to go ahead in the closing minutes.

Bison senior forward Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I.) canned a jumper to tie the score at 48-all with 7:29 remaining. At the 5:23 mark Nelson gave Nichols a 50-49 lead when made a free throw for her 1,000th career point. It was her final point as she tied Finnegan for game-high honors with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Westfield regained the lead when Jouannet hit two free throws, then Nichols scored its final points at the 2:47 mark on a 3-point basket by Ashley Robidoux (Milford) that made it 52-50.

Finnegan tied the score 15 seconds later on a difficult runner in the lane and sophomore guard Courtney DelRatez (Adams/Hoosac Valley) gave Westfield the lead for good, 54-52, with a clutch jumper from the top of the key with 1:39 remaining.

Finnegan converted a layup with 49 seconds left and sophomore guard Brianna Kelly (Hampden/Minnechaug) hit four free throws in the closing seconds.

Finnegan – who now has 990 career points - and Jouannet were Westfield's only players in double figures, scoring more than half (31) of the Owls' points. DelRatez finished with eight points. The Owls only shot 3 for 19 from 3-point range.

Robidoux was Nichols' other player in double figures were 12 points. The Bison shot 32 percent from the field, including 2 for 11 from beyond the arc.