Women's Basketball Falls to Worcester State in Regular Season Final, 76-67

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The visiting Worcester State University women's basketball team posted a 76-67 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over Bridgewater State University in the regular season finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center. Prior to the game, the host Bears honored senior guard Nicole Bostick (East Taunton, Mass.) who was playing in the her final regular season game.

The Lancers improve to 17-8 on the season and 8-4 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 10-15 overall and 6-6 in conference play. Worcester has won six of the last seven meetings between the two teams.

The Lancers are seeded third in next week's MASCAC Tournament and will host quarterfinal round game against #6 Fitchburg State University on Tuesday night at seven. The Bears are the #4 seed and will entertain #5 Salem State University on Tuesday evening at 5:30.

Senior guard Mya Mosley (Worcester, Mass.) paced Worcester State with a game-high 25 points to go along with seven rebounds (three offensive), five assists, four steals and seven blocked shots. Junior guard Gigi LeMay (Grafton, Mass.) came off the bench to record a double-double with 13 points and a game-best 16 rebounds (three offensive), while freshman guard Erin Gallella (Tewksbury, Mass.) added 11 points and four rebounds and a pair of steals for the Lancers.

Bostick, the Bear' lone Senior Day honoree, led BSU with 22 points and four rebounds. She also drew five offensive fouls. Sophomore guard Olivia Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) checked in with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals for the hosts.

Worcester State led 31-26 after the first half as the two team combined for 21 turnovers and 21 fouls. The Lancers shot 33% (11-33) from the floor over the first 20 minutes and went 1-for-7 (14%) from behind the arc and 8-for-13 (62%) at the free throw line. The Bears connected on just 27% (9-33) of their field goal attempts over the first two periods including 2-for-6 (33%) from three-point range.

Mosley led all players with 11 points in the first half, while Dziadyk and freshman guard Sophia Gaucher (Lakeville, Mass.) paced the Bears with five points apiece.

Worcester used a 9-2 run late in the third quarter, highlighted by seven points from Gallella, to turn a two-point game (42-40) into a nine-point (51-42) advantage. The Lancers carried the momentum into the final period and led by 14 (64-50) with 4:19 left to play. Bridgewater chipped away at the deficit and closed to within eight (72-64) following a Bostick running layup with 54 seconds remaining. That, however, would be as close as the Bears would get. Junior guard Colleen Cutting (Auburn, Mass.) went 4-for-4 at the line in the final 51 seconds to help secure the 76-67 victory for the Lancers.

Both teams shot much better in the second half as the Lancers connected on 50% (16-32) of their field goal attempts and knocked down 12 of 13 (92%) free throw attempts, while the Bears went 14-for-30 (47%) from the floor and 4-for-9 (44%) from three-point range. The teams combined for 23 fouls and 18 turnovers over the final two periods.

Notes: Sophomore guard Hannah Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) knocked down her school-record 66th three-pointer of the season with 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.