Westfield Defeats 'Blazer Women, 54-51

MCLA Sports - February 24, 2008

Ali Leveille [Courtesy of MCLA]

NORTH ADAMS - Ali Leveille of Southampton finished with a team-leading 12 points and had just two three-pointers on Saturday afternoon, but both were huge for the Trailblazers.

The first came with 30 seconds left to play, evening the game and giving the Trailblazers a chance to pick up their 10th win of the season. But it was not to be as Westfield hung on to win 54-51.

Both teams had a challenging first half from the floor as Westfield shot just 27 percent and MCLA, 23 percent. It was an uneventful and low-scoring first half that ended with a one point, 16-17, lead in favor of the Owls. Westfield's Andrea Wasuk lead all scoring with eight points in the first half finishing with 15 points.

In the second half, both teams picked up the scoring. MCLA jumped out to a seven-point lead early in the half, but the Owls tied the game up with 10:30 to play. The two teams would battle back and forth the rest of the half tying the score three more times.

Westfield would hold on to a two- or three-point lead for the rest of the half, but then Leveille dropped her three-pointer to tie the game. With 5.7 seconds left on the clock, the Trailblazers forced a turnover, but were unable to capitalize in forcing the game into overtime.

Leveille's second three-pointer of the afternoon came with two minutes left in overtime to give MCLA a 49-47 lead. Sinking two free throws, Peggy Steuerwald tied the game at 49 for Westfield. Wasuk would then go to the line giving the Owls a 49-51 point lead and she would follow with a basket from the floor, increasing the lead to four. With just 20 seconds left, Leveille would strike again with a two-pointer, but that would be as close
as the Trailblazer would come.

Jess Tietgens of Stamford, Vt., would also finish in double figures with 11 points. For Westfield, Katie Sylvain and Cassy Jouannet both finished with 12 points a piece.

MCLA seniors Taylor Kenyon of North Bennington, Vt., and Kris Kissel of Champlain, N.Y., played their last game in the Amsler Campus Center. This afternoon, Kenyon earned three more steals toward her team-leading 67 and nine rebounds that puts her second on the team at 109 on the season.

At 9-15 overall and 2-10 in the MASCAC, MCLA will be the sixth seed in the conference tournament and will travel to No. 2 seed Fitchburg State on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

With this afternoon's win, Westfield is now 10-15 overall and 4-8 in the MASCAC, edging out MCLA for the fifth seed and will travel to No. 3 seed Worcester State on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. start.

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