WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior center Lindsay Shorey (Ashland, Mass.) scored a game-high 17 points, including her 1,000^th career point, and junior guard Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, RI) had 13 points and game highs of nine rebounds, five assists and six steals to lead Salve Regina University to a 63-37 women's basketball victory over Westfield State University on Saturday, Dec. 10.
 
Salve Regina, which lost to Westfield in the Keene State tournament earlier this season, is now 3-4. Westfield drops to 4-6.
 
Both teams struggled from the field (Salve Regina shot 32 percent, Westfield 28 percent) for the game, but Salve jumped out to a 34-21 halftime lead by converting Westfield turnovers into 10 fast break points.
 
Westfield committed 16 of its 29 turnovers in the first half. Salve Regina finished with 22 turnovers but the Seahawks came up huge at the foul line, canning 24 of 27 free throws, including their first 20 attempts of the game. Meanwhile, Westfield was 7 for 10 from the charity stripe.
 
With the score tied at 10-all, Salve Regina scored six straight points, including two Birrell layups, to take the lead for good, 16-10. The Seahawks gradually built the lead the remainder of the first half for its 13-point edge at the break.
 
The Owls' shooting woes continued; they were outscored 9-2 in the opening five minutes of the second half as the Seahawks took a commanding 20-point, 44-24, lead.
 
Even though both team only made six field goals in the second half, Salve was able to pull away by canning 16 of 19 free throws. A step behind most of the game, Westfield was whistled for 21 fouls while Salve Regina committed 10 fouls.
 
Sparked by freshman reserve center Gabby Felix (Springfield/Commerce HS), who was Westfield's only player in double figures with 11 points, the Owls sliced the Salve lead to 13 points, 46-33, with 10:57 remaining.
 
But Shorey stalled the Westfield comeback by converting an old fashioned 3-point at the 10:33 mark in scoring her 1,000^th career point. Shorey made a five-foot baseline runner with her left hand in reaching the magic milestone and was fouled while executing the nice move. The 6-0 center now has 1,004 career points.
 
Also scoring in double figures for the Seahawks was sophomore forward Marissa Pendergast (Mefield, Mass.) with 13 points; she grabbed eight rebounds.
 
Freshman guard Molly Waitt (Melrose, Mass/Austin Prep HS) had seven points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Owls.