Women's Basketball Sets Three Records, Blitz Fitchburg 110-67

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Westfield State set three school records, including forcing Fitchburg State into 56 turnovers as the Owls pressured their way to a 110-67 win over the Falcons in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball game at the Woodward Center on Thursday night.

Westfield set a school single-game record with the 56 turnovers-forced, and also set school records with 37 steals and 29 assists. The Owls improve to 10-9 overall and 3-3 in the conference, while the Falcons dip to 3-15 and 1-5.

The Owls ran out to an 18-0 lead to start the game before Juliana Davis' jumper finally got the Falcons on the board.

Westfield's Jordan Grant scored eight of the Owls first 13 points en route to a game-high 29 points on 9 of 11 shooting.

Maddie Pond added 14 points off the bench while shooting 4-7 from three-point range, Hannah Sheldon netted 13 and Olivia Hadla finished with 10.   Octaviana Williams led the Owls steal parade with seven, with Hadla adding six.

The Owls 37 steals is the eighth-highest single game total by any team in NCAA Division III women's basketball history (the record is 46).

Jordyn Lummus dished out seven assists and Hadla five as the Owls were able to pound the ball inside to Grant on the offensive end.

Westfield turned the 56 turnovers into 62 points, and registered 54 points in the paint in the game filled with statistical abberations.

Fitchburg was led by 13 points each from Davis and Olivia Almeida, who connected on 3 of 5 from downtown. Stephanie Hart scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Westfield led 31-14 at the end of the first quarter, and 52-30 at the half.  All 16 of the Owls players saw significant minutes in the game.

Westfield will be back in action at home on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tip off against MCLA as part of a doubleheader with the Owl men, who face the Trailblazers at noon.

The Falcons will also be in action on Sat. Jan 28 at Elms with a 1:00 p.m. tip off.