Westfield State Earns Top Seed In 2009 MASCAC Women's Basketball Championships

Buzzards Bay, Mass. (February 23, 2009) - Westfield State College has earned the top seed in the 2009 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships, which begin on Tuesday, February 24th with quarterfinal round action and conclude with semi-final and championship round play on Friday and Saturday, February 27th and 28th.

Westfield State and second-seeded Fitchburg State College earned byes into the semi-finals and will await the winners of Tuesday's quarterfinal round contests, which will feature third-seeded Bridgewater State College hosting sixth-seeded Salem State College and fourth-seeded Worcester State College hosting fifth-seeded Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, as both games will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The winner of the Worcester State-MCLA quarterfinal advances to take on Westfield State in Friday's first semi-final at 5:30 p.m. EST at the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass., while the winner of the Bridgewater State-Salem State match-up will take on Fitchburg State in the second semi-final at 7:30 p.m. EST, also at Westfield State's Woodward Center. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2009 MASCAC Championship on Saturday, February 28th at 1:00 p.m. at Westfield State's Woodward Center for the league crown as well as an automatic berth into the 2009 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championships.

Westfield State captured the 2008-09 MASCAC regular season title with an overall mark of 20-4, including an 11-1 conference slate, under Head Coach Andrea Bertini, and the Owls are led by senior forward Andrea Wasuk's (Lenox, Mass.) leagueleading 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Fitchburg State, which finished 16-9 overall in the regular season and 9-3 in MASCAC play, was the only team to blemish Westfield State's league mark, as Head Coach Walter Paschal's Falcons are led by senior forward Stephanie Payette's (Townsend, Mass.) 13.4 ppg and seven caroms per contest.

Defending tournament champion Bridgewater State finished 14-10 during the regular season while posting a 7-5 MASCAC mark under Head Coach Bridgett Casey, as sophomore guard Corey Cuddihy (Scituate, Mass.) paces the Bears at 13.7 ppg with a conference best 54 three-pointers to date. Worcester State made a late season surge under Head Coach Karen, as the Lancers finished at 9-16 in regular season action (5-7 in the conference with three straight league triumphs) Tessmer and are led by sophomore guard Alexis George's (Worcester, Mass.) 12.2 ppg.

MCLA enjoyed a successful regular season mark of 14-11 under Head Coach Holly McGovern, including a 4-8 league slate that featured a sweep of Salem State, and the Trailblazers are led by junior forward Laura Silverman's (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) 8.9 ppg and league-leading 10.7 rpg. Salem State enters the tournament with a mark of 9-16 overall (4-8 in MASCAC play) under veteran Head Coach Tim Shea, as the Vikings are led by junior center Danielle Jenkins (Marlboro, Mass.), who averages 14.2 ppg and 8.6 caroms per contest.

Bridgewater State claimed the 2008 MASCAC Women's Basketball Championship with a 63-61 victory over Salem State at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater, Mass. last March 1st.

2009 MASCAC Women's Basketball Championships

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH - QUARTERFINAL
Game #1: #5 MCLA (14-11, 4-8) at #4 Worcester State (9-16, 5-7) 7:00 pm
Game #2: #6 Salem State (9-16, 4-8) at #3 Bridgewater State (14-10, 7-5) 7:00 pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH - SEMI-FINALS (Games to be played at Woodward Center, Westfield, Mass.)
Game #3: Worcester State/MCLA winner at #1 Westfield State (20-4, 11-1) 5:30 pm
Game #4: Bridgewater State/Salem State winner vs. #2 Fitchburg State (16-9, 9-3) 7:30 pm

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH - CHAMPIONSHIP (Game to be played at Woodward Center, Westfield, Mass.)
Game #5: Semi-Final Winners 1:00 pm