Trailblazers Victors Over Top-Seeded Bridgewater
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — The MCLA women's basketball team advanced to their first-ever MASCAC championship game by defeating top-seeded Bridgewater State 61-53 Friday night at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater.With the win, MCLA improves to 17-9 on the season and will await the winner of Salem State and Worcester State. The championship game will be played Saturday at 4 p.m. in Bridgewater at the Tinsley Center.
MCLA is advancing toward a MASCAC championship under head coach Holly McGovern, who is in her fifth season at the helm. It is the program's first championship appearance since the 1993-1994 season.
The Trailblazers were led by MASCAC Rookie of the Year and freshman Lucy Tremblay of East Greenbush, N.Y., who had 15 points. All-MASCAC first team selection Jen Wehner of Cooperstown, N.Y., chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds, while point guard Hilary Perks of Saugerties, N.Y., added 11 points and a game-high five assists. Senior captain Jade Prickett of Southampton added a game-high 11 rebounds.
MCLA started out well in the opening half shooting out of the gates to an early 11-2 lead 10 minutes into the contest. The host Bears would use a 10-2 run covering five minutes to trim the lead to one at 13-12. MCLA would outscore Bridgewater 13-9 the rest of the way to maintain a 26-21 lead at the break. Wehner was the offensive story of the half, scoring 11 of her points in the opening half.
Tremblay took over early in the second half. After a pair of Bears free throws closed the home team to within three, MCLA used a 15-6 spurt to jump out to their largest lead of the night 41-29 with 12:51 remaining. Tremblay tallied 11 points in the run including a three-pointer at the beginning of the spurt and a conventional three-point play at the end.
The Bears would claw their way back into the game. They gradually chipped at the lead causing some careless mistakes by the Trailblazers and attacking the basket. With MCLA holding a 49-42 lead with just under five to play, the Bears would mount a final rally. Bridgewater would use 7-2 run to cut the deficit to two at 51-49 with 2:52 on the clock.
Tremblay perhaps netted the biggest basket of the night on a drive to the right side pushing the edge back to four. After the Bears Shelly DePina converted a layin cutting the lead to two with 2:11 left, the Bears held MCLA and had a chance to tie or take the lead, but turned it over. MCLA came out of a timeout and got the ball inside to Wehner and her bucket extended the margin back to four.
MCLA would hold on the defensive end and proceed to go 6-6 from the line to ice the victory.
MCLA shot 51 percent on the night compared to 33 percent for the Bears. Micheala Cosby led all scorers with 16 points, while DePina added 15 and 11 rebounds.
