Framingham State Women's Hoopsters Fall in Conference Opener

Senior Jen Ashton and junior Forbasaw Nkamebo both registered double-doubles for Westfield State leading the Owls to an 82-72 victory over the Framingham State Rams to open Conference play Thursday evening in Framingham

With the victory the Owls improve to 9-4 with a 1-0 record in the league. The Rams fall to 8-3 and 0-1 in conference play.

Nkamebo finished with a game-high 23 points and 14 rebounds. Ashton registered 22 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds. Jill Valley was 7-of-12 from the floor scoring 17 points for the Owls.

The Rams had two 20-point scorers of their own. Sophomore Alycia Rackliffe shot 10-of-15 for twenty three points and a team high 9 boards. Classmate Sarah Palace tallied twenty points including two from downtown.

The Owls got out to a 17-6 advantage to start the first half but the Rams slowly chipped away. A Rackliffe basket cut the lead to 36-31 late in the first half but the Owls converted two free throws to end the half and take a 38-31 lead into the locker room.

Westfield controlled the tempo early in the second frame extending their lead to 52-40 with a Valley basket at 14:15. Then, the Rams made their push going on a 16-4 run capped by Rackliffe completing the back end of a 3-point play to tie the game at 56 with just over ten minutes to play. Westfield quickly answered scoring twelve of the next fourteen points to take a ten point lead with 6:34 to go. The Rams were not able cut the lead to less than 8 from that point on.

Westfield shot 50 percent from the field, 25 percent from 3-point range and 88 percent from the line. The Rams shot 46 percent from the floor, 27 percent from beyond the arc and 58 percent from the stripe.

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Release courtesy of Framingham State athletics.

Cummings Photography covered the game for Framingham Patch.