WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State University women's basketball team captured the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season championship with a 48-39 victory over Worcester State University on Thursday, Feb. 17.

It was the sixth MASCAC championship and the second in the past three years for the Owls, who are 19-5 overall and 10-1 in league play with one game remaining in the regular season, at home vs. Fitchburg this Saturday.

Westfield ran its winning streak to 10 straight with its last loss at 54-51 setback to Worcester State on Jan. 11. The Owls receive a bye in the conference's six-team postseason tournament and will host a semifinal game on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7:00 p.m.

Senior standouts Cassy Jouannet (Conway/Frontier Regional) and Ashley Finnegan (Worcester/Holy Name) again paced the red hot Owls, accounting for two-thirds (32) of the team's points. Jouannet had game highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds and Finnegan just missed her 17th double-double of the season with 12 points and nine boards.

The Owls got off to a slow start, trailing 5-2 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Trailing 16-11, Westfield outscored Worcester, 11-0, in the final 5:18 of the first half for a 22-16 lead. Keying the run were sophomore Courtney DelRatez (Adams/Hoosac Valley) with two 3-point baskets and Finnegan with two layups.

Jouannet scored the first two buckets of the second half for a 26-16 lead with 16 minutes left in the game. Worcester drew as close as four points, 31-27, with 9:40 remaining, but Westfield went on an 8-0 scoring run over the next four minutes for a 39-27 lead. The Owls led 48-34 with 1:38 remaining in the game.

Westfield shot 36 percent from the field, led by Jouannet's 8-for-18 effort, and outrebounded Worcester, 41-27. Sophomore defensive whiz Jenny Bell (Northampton) had eight points and a game-high four steals and junior point guard Janae Jones (Springfield/Minnechaug) had a game-high five assists.

The Lancers scored 21 of their 39 points on 3-point baskets; they were 14 for 46 (30 percent) from the field but 7 for 15 from international waters. Alexis George was the only player in double figures with 10 points. Meaghan O'Keefe had eight points and seven rebounds.