Framingham State Rams Defeat Bears 84-69, To Repeat as Conference Tournament Champions

By Framingham State athletics

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FRAMINGHAM – The top seeded Framingham State University women’s basketball team led by Tournament MVP Gwendolyn Carpenter repeats as Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women’s Basketball Tournament Champions after defeating second seed Bridgewater State University 84-69 this afternoon at the Athletic Center. 

With the victory, the Rams receive the MASCAC’s automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Basketball Championship. 

Framingham State is now 22-3 overall this season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:  

• Carpenter earns Tournament MVP honors after tallying 20 points in the game with six rebounds and nine assists. Carpenter connected on 5-of-10 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the line. 

• The duo of Flannery O’Connor and Katty Haidul combined for 49 points and 30 rebounds as each recorded a double double in the game. O’Connor led all scorers with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-18 from the floor to go along with 15 rebounds and a steal. Haidul finished the day with 17 points, 15 rebounds and two assists. 
• Krysta Padellaro finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds, a steal and an assist for the Rams. 
• The Bears were led by 14 points from Hannah Dziadyk who added two rebounds and a steal. 
• Caroline Tripp tallied 13 points for the Bears to go along with two rebounds, six assists and four steals. 
• Kylie Grassi and Sydney Bradbury tallied 11 points apiece for the Bears. 
• The Rams shot 48% from the floor in the game, while the Bears connected on 40% of their shots. The Rams out rebounded the Bears 47-29. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:  

• The Rams jumped out to an 8-4 just under four minutes into the first, but the Bears answered with a 7-0 taking an 11-8 lead with just over three on the clock. 
• The Rams closed the quarter with an 8-2 run of their own taking the lead for good. The Rams led 16-13 after one. 
• The two teams traded points to start the second, but a Carpenter three and a layup from Jenna Tavanese gave the Rams a 24-17 lead just over a minute into the quarter. The Rams extended the lead to 27-19 on a Carpenter three-point play with 6:35 on the clock. 
• Bridgewater pulled within six on a Bradbury layup with 6:02 on the clock, but they quickly pushed the lead to 33-21 with just over four to play. The two teams would trade points to close the quarter and the Rams led 37-28 at the half. 

• The Rams started the third quarter with a Padellaro layup and a Camille Desrochers three to push the lead to 42-28. 
• After Bridgewater closed the gap to 42-30, the Rams used an 11-5 run to open up a 53-35 advantage midway through the third. The Rams continued to build the lead in the third quarter taking their largest lead of the game, 64-43, with just over a minute to play in the third. 
• The Bears cut the deficit to 67-53 in the opening minutes of the fourth after a Dziadyk three, but the Rams answered with six straight including a Padellaro layup to push the lead back to 20. 
• The Bears once again cut into the deficit and trailed 76-61 with 2:31 to play, but that was as close as they would get as the Rams secured the victory and their second straight championship.  

UP NEXT: With the win, the top seeded Rams received the MASCAC’s automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship with the bracket announced during the selection show on ncaa.com Monday at 2:30 p.m

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