Vikings Drop Regular Season Finale in Westfield

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Salem State women's basketball traveled to Westfield State University this afternoon, where the Owls hit 15 three-pointers to lead them to a 90-62 victory over the Vikings at the Woodward Center on the Westfield State University campus.

Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) led the Vikings with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H.) added 10 points. Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) and Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) both narrowly missed double-doubles, each scoring nine points; Goncalves grabbed 19 rebounds, and Gates recorded 11 assists in the effort.

For the Owls, Maddie Pond led all scorers with 27 points on 10 of 18 shooting, while Kayley Downie added 14 points in the victory. Additionally, eight different Owls connected on at least one three-pointer during the contest.

How it Happened:

• The Vikings took control early, with a Gates' jumper giving them an eight-point lead, 10-2, after six minutes of play. However, the Owls responded from beyond the arc, knocking down a pair of deep shots to trim their deficit to seven, 15-8, at the end of the first quarter.
• The Owls took advantage of a three-minute Viking scoring drought to claim a 29-23 lead before Maria Orfanos (Lynn, Mass.) halted the run at the 3:43 mark. With under 15 seconds remaining in the half, the Vikings closed the gap to just two points, but a last-second three-pointer from Pond pushed the Owls' lead to 37-32 as they headed into the break.
• The Owls built their first double-digit lead with a dominant 17-2 run, pushing ahead 56-36 with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter. Teng scored six of the Vikings' eight points during the final stretch, helping to bring the Vikings' deficit to 63-44 as they entered the final 10 minutes of play.
• The Vikings had their highest scoring output in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as the Owls cruised to a 90-62 victory.

Inside the Numbers:

• With 10 points this afternoon, Abuk Teng has now notched double-digit points in 16 of her last 17 outings for the blue and orange.
•  Kylie Gates' 11 assists marks her second-highest total of the season, with her season-best of 12 coming in December against WPI.
• The Vikings finish the regular season with a 13-12 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC).

Up Next:
The Vikings host MASCAC tournament quarterfinals, set to take place on Tuesday, February 25th, at Twohig Gymnasium.