NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Westfield State got 36 points from Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.) as the Owls launched a school record 72 three-point tries as the Owls topped Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 96-72 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game at the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
Westfield State improves to 5-1 in the MASCAC and 8-11 overall. MCLA slips to 2-15 and 0-6 in the league.
Westfield ran out to an early 14-5 lead, but the Blazers trimmed the lead down to 18-16 by the end of the first quarter.
Westfield led 49-37 at the half behind 20 points from Gray, who connected on 6-12 three pointers in the half. Westfield used a 15-0 run midway through the quarter to take control of the game, turning a 22-21 deficit into a 36-22 lead, capped by a Jordan Halgas (Ware, Mass.) layup.
Kaylah Langston paced MCLA with 11 in the first half.
MCLA trimmed the Owls lead to 8, 57-49 before back to back threes from Gray boosted the lead back to 14, 63-49 with 5:02 left in the third, forcing a time out from MCLA head coach Loren Stock.
Gray cooled off from three-point range, missing seven straight after opening 8-15 from behind the arc, but the Owls led 78-58 heading to the fourth quarter. Westfield kept the lead around the 20-point mark throughout the final frame.
The Owls set a school record with 72 three point attempts in the game, demolishing the previous record of 56 set last season and matched earlier this year. Westfield finished 34-110 from the floor and 17-72 from three point range. Westfield came up with 31 steals while forcing 41 MCLA turnovers.
Gray led Westfield with 36 points, one off her career best, while finishing 12-31 shooting and 9-25 from long range. Halgas added 12 points and six rebounds, with Alison Mendel (Hoosac/Adams, Mass.) added 11. Chelsea Moussette (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire) finished with eight points, eight steals and six assists, and Cayla Durkee (Georgetown, Mass.) finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
MCLA was led by 23 points from Brooke DiGennaro, who connected on 8 of 13 shots and 3-4 from three-point land, and 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Langston. Erika Ryan blocked nine shots and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Blazers.
The Owls win sets up a showdown with Framingham State on Saturday for the top spot in the conference standings and the inside track on the number 1 seed for the conference tournament. The Rams topped Westfield 101-91 in the previous meeting between the two teams. Tip-off is set for 1:00 at the Framingham Athletics and Recreation Center.