WESTFIELD, Mass. – Freshman guard Jen Ashton (Beverly) continued her outstanding all-around play, racking up 19 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and eight steals to lead Westfield State University to a 67-46 victory over Elms College in a non-conference women's basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 17.
 
The young Westfield squad is 6-6 at the semester break while Elms moves to 5-3.
 
Ashton's effort capped a superb week as the athletic 5-6 guard had a school record 13 steals and team highs of 13 points, nine rebounds and six steals to lead Westfield to a 54-47 victory over UMass Boston on Dec. 13.
 
"Jen has a high basketball IQ, she is a real student of the game and understands where the ball is going to be thrown," said Westfield State head coach Andrea Bertini. "She doesn't do anything exceptionally well, she just does everything well. She is strong and an outstanding rebounder for a 5-6 guard. She has deceptive quickness and always has her hand in the passing lanes. "
 
Ashton put up a first half line that most players would love to have for an entire game. She compiled 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in pacing the Owls to a 36-28 halftime lead.
 
Westfield led by single digits in the opening 16 minutes of the first half until Elms took its only lead, 26-25, on a jumper by Jen Normandie (Westford) with 3:59 remaining. The Owls outscored the Blazers, 11-2, the remainder of the first half for their 36-28 lead.
 
Westfield junior guard Angela Paterson (Nantucket) sparked the lat first-half run by scoring five points, including one of the two 3-point baskets the teams made the entire game.
 
Freshman forward Denisha Parks (Fall River) and Normandie led the Blazer first-half attack with 13 and 10 points, respectively. But each player only scored two points in the second half as Westfield focused its defense on stopping the Elms leading scorers.
 
Westfield, meanwhile, had a more balanced offense in the second half with Ashton only scoring two of its 31 points.
 
The Owls took their first double-digit lead, 43-31, on Paterson's second 3-pointer at the 15:58 mark. Westfield gradually expanded the lead and led by as many at 22, 63-41, with 4:15 remaining.
 
"We played a very good second half," said Bertini. "Some things that we do well we were getting away from in the first half. But in the second half our defense and offensive rebounding were better and we moved the ball well."
 
Paterson and Courtney Kegresse (Adams/Hoosac Valley) both scored 10 points and senior point guard Janae Jones (Springfield/Minnechaug) had six points, six assists and three steals. Freshman center Gabby Felix (Springfield/Commerce) finished with six points and eight rebounds.
 
Parks led the Blazers with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Normandie finished with 12 points and Erika Murphy (Torrington, CT) had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Owls only made 2 of 17 attempts from 3-point range and shot 39 percent from the field. They outrebounded the Blazers, 51-39, and were credited with 19 assists on 30 field goals made.
 
Elms, which was only whistled for five personal fouls the entire game, shot 29 percent from the floor, including a 0-for-8 effort from 3-point range.