Owls Soar Over Vikings in Conference Action

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Salem State women's basketball traveled to Westfield, Massachusetts to take on the Owls of Westfield State University for a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup. The Owls were able to use a dominant opening half, highlighted by 13 three-pointers and 27 forced turnovers, to coast them to the 89-58 victory over the Vikings.

Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) notched a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds in tonight's loss for the orange and blue.

Westfield State's high-scoring night was highlighted by double-digit production from five players while tallying 16 three pointers, 44 bench points, and 44 points off turnovers as a team in the MASCAC victory.

How it Happened:

•  Two minutes into the game, the Owls were able to jump out to an early 7-0 lead before Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) converted a layup through contact to give the Vikings their first basket of the game which was followed shortly by a Zaiter jumper to bring the Vikings within three (7-4).
• Just under five minutes to play in the opening quarter, the Owls found their first double-digit lead of the game after Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.) landed a three to put her team up by ten (17-7). Zaiter would once again cut into the lead and bring her team within eight but that would be as close as the Vikings would get as Westfield closed out the final four minutes of the first on a 16-6 run to go into second stanza with the 33-15 lead.
• Just under seven minutes into the second, the Owls found their largest lead of the game to date, after a dagger from beyond the arc gave them the 23-point edge (40-17). With 4:47 to play in the half, Zaiter brought the deficit back to the teens (41-22) before the home team went on an explosive 18-2 run to carry them into halftime with the sizeable 59-24 advantage.
• The Owls used the third quarter to widen the gap, leading by as many as 53, carrying them into the final ten minutes of play with the comfortable 85-32 lead.
• The Vikings were able to come within 31 points of the home team, outscoring the Owls in the fourth by a tally of 26-4, before the Owls solidified the commanding 89-58 victory over the Vikings.