WESTFIELD, Mass. – Sophomore center Meaghan O'Keefe (Warren/Quabog HS) had 14 points and 14 rebounds as Worcester State University held on for a 54-51 victory over Westfield State University on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

The Lancers improve to 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). The Owls are 9-5 and 1-1.

Worcester jumped out to an early 18-4 lead but had to stave off a Westfield comeback attempt. The Owls had a chance to send the game into overtime but sophomore guard Briana Kelly's (Hampden/Minnechaug) 3-point attempt popped in and out of the basket with three seconds left.

The 6-1 O'Keefe opened the game by draining a three and the Lancers never trailed. Two O'Keefe free throws gave the Lancers their biggest lead of the game, 18-4, with 11:29 remaining in the first half.

The Owls regrouped to cut the lead to six, 23-17, on a Kelly layup with 3:23 remaining, but the Lancers responded to each Westfield run. Worcester closed out the first half with a 7-2 run, capped by sophomore guard Kara Rogers' (Lowell) second 3-point basket, to take a 30-19 edge into the locker room.

Poor shooting plagued the Owls in the first half as they shot 25 percent from the field (9-35), including 1 for 10 from beyond the arc. Worcester, meanwhile, was 4 for 7 from beyond the arc in the first half and 7-for-14 for the game.

Sparked by Kelly, who had game highs of 16 points and five steals, and senior forward Ashley Finnegan (Worcester/Holy Name – 15 points, 13 rebounds), Westfield trailed by single digits for most of the second half. But Rogers nailed her third 3-pointer to give the Lancers a 52-40 lead with 6:30 remaining.

However, Rogers' trey was Worcester's final field goal of the game as the Westfield defense clamped down. The Owls also rallied as the Lancers only made 2 of 6 free throws in the final 52 seconds.

Kelly converted a conventional 3-point play to pull Westfield within four, 52-48, with 4:15 remaining. After the teams traded a number of missed shots and turnovers, Westfield cut the lead to two, 53-51, on sophomore guard Brittany Armstrong's (Schenectedy, NY) driving layup with 19 seconds remaining.

Worcester senior guard Alexis George (Worcester/Holy Name) made one of two free throws with 13 seconds remaining. Kelly then took her closely contested three from the right wing that was just off the mark. Teammate Courtney DelRatez (Adams/Hoosac Valley) grabbed the offensive rebound in the paint with several seconds remaining but George stole the ball as time ran out.

Rogers tied for team-high honors with 14 points and George finished with 11. Kelly and Finnegan were Westfield's only players in double figures.