WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior center Cassy Jouannet (Conway/Frontier Regional) had a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds and senior forward Ashley Finnegan (Worcester/Holy Name) also posted a double-double (15 points, game-high 14 rebounds) to lead Westfield State University to a 56-42 victory over Worcester State University in the semifinals of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) postseason tournament on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Westfield – the regular season champion with a 21-5 record and 12 straight victories – will host its second MASCAC Tournament championship game in three years when it entertains Bridgewater State on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2:00 p.m.

Bridgewater defeated MCLA, 88-73, in the other semifinal game. The Owls swept the season series with the Bears, a 65-61 overtime decision at Bridgewater and a 96-80 triumph at Westfield.

Westfield started slowly, trailing Worcester, 13-4, with 12:22 remaining in the first half. But the Owls quickly gained control with his trademark tenacious defense and precision interior passing on the offense end.

With reserve guard Courtney DelRatez providing a spark off the bench with a 3-point basket, Westfield knotted the score at 13-all at the 10:12 mark. The Owls, who forced the Lancers to commit several shot clock violations in the first half, outscored the visitors 7-0 over the final 5:41 to take a 26-20 lead into the lockerroom.

"We just settled down and did what we had to do, which is to advance to the championship game," said Jouannet. "We communicated well and just kept working hard."

With Finnegan ripping down rebounds on the defensive glass (13 total) and the Owls getting easy layups on perfectly executed give-and-go plays, Westfield outscored Worcester, 15-2, at the outset of the second half to take a 19-point lead, 41-22, with 14:10 remaining.

The Owls held 19-point leads three more times in the second stanza, but the scrappy Lancers chipped away at the large lead, closing to within 10 points, 50-40, with 5:31 remaining. But a Jouannet layup with 4:43 remaining halted the 12-3 Lancer run.

Sophomore Briana Kelly (Hampden/Minnechaug) scored 12 of her 14 points in the second as the Big Three accounted for all but nine of the Owls' 56 points. Guards Jenny Bell (Northampton) and Janae Jones (Springfield/Minnechaug) both recorded five assists in addition to their harassing defense in the frontcourt. Finnegan also dished out four assists from the high post.

Westfield only connected on 6 of 15 free throw attempts but it shot 48 percent form the field. Worcester only shot 28 percent from the floor and committed 18 turnovers.

Junior guard Kaleigh Charette (Fairhaven) was Worcester's only player in double figures with 16 points. Freshman center Meaghan O'Keefe (Warren/Quaboag) had seven points and a team-high eight rebounds.