WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Westfield State University's women's and men's basketball teams will host Worcester State in a key conference doubleheader at the Woodward Center on Thursday evening.

The league-leading Westfield State women (11-6, 5-0 MASCAC) will tip off at 5:30 p.m. The Lancers currently sit in third place in the conference with a 3-2 mark in the league and a 9-8 overall record.

Junior guard Lucy Barrett scores 15.9 points per game, and leads the league with 41 three-point field goals. Barrett leads the nation in free throw shooting at 95.8 percent this season (44-46) at the line.

Junior guard Kierra McCarthy has improved her output in conference play, where she is scoring 15.2 ppg while shooting 48 percent from the floor. Owls freshman guard Melissa Gray is averaging 13 ppg in conference play.

Westfield State ranks second in the country in scoring at 87.7 Points per game, and the Owls lead the nation in steals (21.1 per game) and have a +17.3 turnover margin, also the nation's best.

Worcester will have a size advantage on the Owls with 6-1 center Britt Herring, 5-11 forward Kaitlyn Berkel, and 5-10 guard Catherine Sweeney leading the Lancers attack. Worcester State scores 59 points per game and allows opponents 58.4, so the game is likely to be a contrast of styles.

Herring is blocking nearly three shots per game and leads the team with 11.5 ppg. Berkel scores 10.4 points per game, while Sweeney chips in with 7.6 points and more than 10 rebounds per game.

Worcester State will likely be playing with revenge in mind after being swept by the Owls last season.

In the men's game, Westfield brings a 8-10 overall record and a 2-3 mark in the MASCAC, while Worcester has struggled to a 1-17 overall record and an 0-5 record in the league, despite playing opponents tough all season. The two clubs tip off at 7:30 p.m.

Westfield State forward Marcus Collins brings his best effort every night, scoring 14.4 points and grabbing almost nine rebounds per game while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. Senior guard Austin Joseph has heated up in the past two games, scoring 20 points at Salem and 19 at Fitchburg. He's shooting 40 percent from three-point range.

Lancers forward Shaun McCarthy leads the MASCAC in scoring at nearly 18 points per game, and grabs six rebounds per game. Guard Will Watkins, Jr. adds 16.3 points per game, and both he and Cal Howes loom as threats to shoot the three pointer.

Worcester and Westfield split the regular season meetings last season, with each team winning on its own home floor, and the Lancers knocked the Owls out of the opening round of the conference tournament with a 71-63 win in Westfield.