Revenant Owls Hold Off Bear Attack, 97-95 in OT

WESTFIELD, Mass. –   Westfield State sophomore Jenn Rennich (Bedford, Mass.) scored a career-best 21 points on 6-7 shooting from long range as the Owls held off a pernicious Bridgewater State team for a 97-95 overtime win in a MASCAC women's basketball game at the Woodward Center on Wednesday night.

With the win, Westfield State (11-12, 8-2 MASCAC) clinches the number two seed in the upcoming conference tournament with two regular season games yet to play.

Bridgewater slips to 9-13, 5-4 in the conference.

Westfield held an 85-74 lead after an Isabella Aitken (Pittsfield, Mass.) three pointer with 3:12 left to play, but the Bears closed the fourth quarter with a 16-1 run, tying the game at 86-all on a Kylee Piche (Bridgewater, Mass.) back door layup with four seconds left in regulation.

Westfield got off a chance to win in regulation with a Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.) drive, but the shot wouldn't fall and the two teams went to overtime.

Westfield scored the first five points of the extra frame with a Rennich three and a Gray drive, and led by as many as six, 94-88 on an Aitken jumper in the lane with 1:54 left.

The Bears just battled back again, grabbing a 95-94 lead with 42.5 seconds left as Jordan Lako (Attleboro, Mass.) stole the ball and pushed it up to Piche for a layup.

Westfield ran the shot clock down on its possession, and Aitken was fouled on a drive with one second left on the play clock.  She made both free throws to secure the lead for Westfield, 96-95.

After a pair of Bears missed shots at the other end, Rennich grabbed the rebound and was fouled with six seconds left in the game.  She made one of two shots.  Bridgewater's desperation heave from near half court hit the top of the backboard as time ran out and the Owls escaped with the win.

Gray led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed a team high 11 rebounds for the Owls. 

Rennich, a 5-11 post player recruited off the Owls women's soccer team at midseason a year ago, has flourished in recent weeks with her shooting touch from long range.  Left open beyond the arc most of the evening, she delivered a career-best 6 of 7 bombs from three point range.

Aitken added 18 points and six rebounds, and point guard Chelsea Moussette (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Reg.) ended with nine points and 12 assists despite missing the final five minutes of the first half after being saddled with three quick fouls.

Piche netted 23 points and nine rebounds for the Bears.   Junior center Destiny Fitzgerald (Medford, Mass.) added 22 points and 19 rebounds, but the Owls' defensive double teams limited the 6-2 center's opportunities after she tallied a school record 43 points in the first meeting between the two clubs.  Hannah Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) scored 21 points and made 4-5 three-pointers.  

Westfield has the weekend off before traveling to Salem State next Wednesday.  Bridgewater will host Fitchburg State on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.