Women's Basketball Falls to Framingham State in MASCAC Semifinals. 92-59

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Top-seeded Framingham State University cruised to a 92-59 victory over #4 Bridgewater State University in the semifinal round of the 2020 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening at the FSU Athletic & Recreation Center.

The Rams (21-5) advance to the MASCAC championship game for the fifth time in the last seven years. Framingham will host third-seeded Worcester State University on Saturday afternoon at one with the conference title and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament on the line. The Bears end the season with an overall record of 11-16.

Senior guard Emily Velozo (Tewksbury, Mass.), freshman forward Flannery O'Connor (Amesbury, Mass.) and senior guard Mary Kate O'Day (Berlin, Mas.) each scored over 20 points to lead the way for the Rams. Velozo tallied a game-high 24 points and added five rebounds, six assists and five steals, while O'Connor posted a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds to go along with six assists and two blocked shots. O'Day also notched a double-double as she checked in with 21 points and 11 boards as well as five assists and four steals.

Velozo and O'Day combined to go 9-for-20 from behind the arc for the Rams who also received 11 points in ten minutes off the bench from freshman forward Katty Haidul (Wakefield, Mass.).

Sophomore guard Olivia Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) paced the Bears with 11 points, a career-high nine rebounds and a game-best seven assists, while senior guard Nicole Bostick (East Taunton, Mass.) scored 17 points on 4 of 8 shooting from three-point range. Sophomore guard Hannah Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) added nine points for the visitors, and junior forward Destiny Fitzgerald (Medford, Mass.) checked in with eight points, two blocks and a game-high 15 rebounds (eight offensive).

Framingham tallied the first 11 points of the contest as O'Day opened the scoring with a three-pointer and Velozo connected on a pair of trifectas. Bridgewater answered with a 9-0 spurt to make it a two-point game (11-9) with 4 ½ minutes remaining in the first quarter. Fitzgerald scored four points during the run while Hannah Dziadyk knocked down a three-pointer. The Rams, however, closed out the period with a 13-2 run, highlighted by eight points from O'Day, to pull ahead 24-11 after one. Framingham maintained at least an eight-point lead throughout the second quarter and scored the final eight points of the period to take a 42-26 lead into the break.

Framingham extended the lead to 20 (70-50) after three quarters of play and then dominated the final period to cruise to the victory. The Rams outscored the Bears 22-9 in the fourth quarter and got up by as many as 39 points (92-59) in the period.

The Rams shot 44% (31-71) from the floor for the game and finished 13-for-34 (38%) from behind the arc and 17-for-21 (81%) at the free throw line. Framingham held the edge in points off turnovers (25-7), points in the paint (30-20) and second chance points (11-8).

Bridgewater connected on just 29% (21-72) of their field goal attempts and went 9-for-27 (33%) from three-point range. The Bears also struggled at the free throw line as they finished just 8-for-17 (47%) from the stripe.

Notes: Hannah Dziadyk wrapped up the season with a school-record 75 three-pointers….Bostick finished the season 40-for-45 (.889) from the free throw line as she set the Bears' single-season record for highest free throw percentage….Framingham has won 13 of the last 14 meetings of the two teams….Despite the setback, Bridgewater leads the all-time series, 60-22.