Westfield, Mass.— Framingham State has been selected by the seven coaches from around the conference to repeat as the 2021-22 MASCAC Women's Basketball Champion after the pandemic cancelled last season.
The Rams took home five of the seven first place votes for 34 points. They were a perfect 12-0 to claim the regular season title and went on to win the MASCAC Tournament. Flannery O'Connor returns after earning MASCAC Rookie of the Year. She averaged 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 56.3 percent from the field with 47 blocks, 34 assists and 20 steals to earn a spot on the All-Conference team.
Westfield State is second with 30 points and a first place vote. The Owls closed out the regular season at 10-2 in the MASCAC. All-Conference honoree Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.) is back after averaging 21 points with 546 total points and 118 steals which led the conference. She also averaged 7.1 rebounds with 49 assists and 15 blocks.
Sitting in third is Bridgewater State with 25 points and the final first place vote. The Bears were 6-6 during league play in 2019-20. At center, Destiny Fitzgerald returns to the hardwood after averaging 13.4 points and 8.6 rebounds while also blocking 47 shots plus 27 steals and 24 assists for a spot on the All-Conference team.
Up next in fourth is Worcester State with 24 points. The Lancers had an 8-4 record in league action two seasons ago. 2019-20 All-Conference honoree Gigi LeMay looks to repeat her success this season after averaging 10.2 points and 7.9 rebounds with 35 assists and 31 steals.
Coming in fifth with 15 points is Fitchburg State. The Falcons finished with three wins and returning for them is Lindsay McDonald who in her first year with the team collected 132 points, 95 rebounds, 19 assists, nine steals and five blocks.
Closing out the preseason poll are Salem State and MCLA in sixth and seventh, respectively. The Vikings tallied three wins during the league season in 2019-20 while Nicole Freddo averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game plus 26 steals and 13 blocks. The Trailblazers return Olivia Pressley who had 81 points, 59 rebounds, 12 steals, 11 assists and two blocks.
Westfield State will open the regular season on the road next week, as the Owls travel to Keene State on Tuesday at 5:00 P.M. Video and live stats will be available at WestfieldStateOwls.com.
2021-22 MASCAC Women's Basketball Pre-Season Coaches Poll:
(First Place Votes In Parentheses)
- Framingham State (5) 34 points
- Westfield State (1) 30 points
- Bridgewater State (1) 25 points
- Worcester State 24 points
- Fitchburg State 15 points
- Salem State 13 points
- MCLA 6 points
(Press release courtesy of the MASCAC)