Women's Basketball Rolls Past Trailblazers in 94-35 Victory

FRAMINGHAM, MASS. – The Framingham State women's basketball team erupted for a season-high 94 points and used a suffocating defensive effort to cruise past MCLA 94-35 on Saturday afternoon at Logan Gymnasium.

THE BASICS:

• Score: Framingham State 94, MCLA 35
• Records: Framingham State (15-9, 11-2 MASCAC), MCLA (0-19, 0-13 MASCAC)
• Location: Logan Gymnasium – Framingham, Mass.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Framingham State seized control from the opening tip and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire with zero ties and zero lead changes throughout the contest.
• Kiara Cerruti opened the scoring with a three-pointer off a Jacqueline Schels assist at 9:20 of the first quarter, and the Rams never trailed. Schels poured in 11 first-quarter points as Framingham State built a 17-9 lead after one.
• The second quarter belonged entirely to the Rams, who shot a blistering 66.7 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from three-point range. Framingham State outscored MCLA 30-8 in the period, stretching the lead to 47-17 at halftime. Seven different Rams scored in the quarter, with Evi Higgins draining a pair of threes off the bench to fuel the surge.
• Framingham State kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter, outscoring the Trailblazers 26-5 behind contributions from Kelsey Yelle (6 points), Haleigh Cyrus (5 points), and Jacqueline Schels (5 points). The Rams forced seven MCLA turnovers in the period and held the visitors to 18.2 percent shooting.
• The Rams outscored MCLA 21-13 in the final frame. Bridget Trainor and Cyrus combined for 11 points down the stretch.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Jacqueline Schels led all scorers with 19 points (7-13 FG, 4-7 3PT) to go with five steals, five rebounds, and three assists in just 20 minutes of action.
• Evi Higgins was lethal from beyond the arc, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting in 13 minutes off the bench.
• Haleigh Cyrus added 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Kelsey Yelle contributed 10 points and six rebounds in only seven minutes.
• Faith Greene pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds (eight offensive) to go with nine points. Zaria Anderson also chipped in nine points on 3-of-4 shooting.
• Framingham State forced 26 MCLA turnovers and converted them into 31 points. The Rams also dominated in second-chance points (20-5) and points in the paint (30-2).
• Hailey Peabody led MCLA with 16 points, and Abigail Scialabba added 11.

UP NEXT:

• Framingham State travels to Bridgewater State on Wednesday, February 18 for a 5:30 PM tip in MASCAC action.