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Posted: Feb 27, 2025

Late Rally By Vikings Comes Up Short in MASCAC Semifinal Loss to Rams

Late Rally By Vikings Comes Up Short in MASCAC Semifinal Loss to Rams
Video Recap Box Score
Game Leaders
Salem St.
Pts: Liz Zaiter - 22
Reb: Ernidia Goncalves - 13
Ast: Kylie Gates - 4
Framingham St.
Pts: Katherine Haselton - 21
Reb: Katherine Haselton - 10
Ast: Jacqueline Schels - 4
Team Stats
Full stats

SALEM, Mass. – No. 2 seed Framingham State defeated No. 3 seed Salem State 66-63 in the semifinals of the 2025 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Basketball Tournament at the Logan Gymnasium. With the victory, the Rams (13-14) advance to Saturday's Tournament Final where they will face top seed Bridgewater State in Bridgewater at 1 p.m. The Vikings conclude their season 12-14.  

Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) led Salem State with 18 points, going 8-for-11 (72.3%) from the floor with 17 rebounds and three blocks. Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) contributed 14 points and six assists while Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H.) - 13 points, six assists and Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) - 11 points also providing strong performances.

The Rams were led by Katherine Haselton who tallied a team-high 21 points on 7-of-11 from the floor including 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Haselton added 10 boards, three assists and five steals. Faith Greene chipped in with 18 points on 7-of-11 from the field including 3-of-4 from behind the arc to go along with five rebounds.  Jacqueline Schels finished the night with nine points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Chloe Rayko finished the night with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Reese Perry came off the bench to total eight points. 

How it Happened:

  • Tied at 6-6 midway through the first quarter, the Rams rattled off a 9-0 run featuring a pair of threes from Chloe Rayko opening a 15-6 lead with just under two to play in the frame. Salem State scored four straight points before a Reese Perry bucket gave the Rams a 17-10 lead after one. 

  • The Rams held the Vikings without a point for the opening five minutes of the second quarter as they extended the lead to 22-10 on a three from Haselton.  

  • The Vikings responded with an 8-0 run of their own closing the deficit to 22-18 with just under three to play in the second. The two teams traded points to close the half with the Rams taking a 28-23 lead into the locker room. 

  • Salem State pulled within one, 30-29, three minutes into the third, but the Rams responded with a 10-2 spurt featuring seven points from Greene pushing the lead back to 40-31 with just under five to play.  

  • The Vikings closed the gap to seven on a pair of occasions before a three from Haselton and a Greene layup gave the Rams a 50-37. Salem State scored the final four points of the quarter cutting the Rams lead to 50-41 after three. 

  • The Rams pushed the lead to 62-47 in the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Vikings slowly chipped away and pulled with two (63-61) on a Kylie Gates layup with 1:14 on the clock. 

  • After a Rams turnover, the Vikings missed a look at a three with 25.6 on the clock. Forced to foul, the Vikings sent Rayko to the line and she sank both putting the Rams up 65-61 with 22 seconds on the clock. 

  • The Vikings missed a three on the next possession but came up with a steal on the rebound and sunk a layup cutting the deficit to 65-63 with 3.9 on the clock. 

  • Haselton went to the line for the Rams with 2.9 on the clock and sank 1-of-2 to ice the victory. 

 

Inside the Numbers:

  • Salem State finished 19-for-65 (29.2%) from the field, including 2-for-18 (11.1%) from three-point range. 
  • Framingham State went 21-for-52 (40.4%) from the floor.
  • The Vikings held a 44-41 advantage in rebounds.

(Courtesy Framingham State Sports Information)