Owls Women's Basketball Set to Storm Beach at Puerto Rico Clasico

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State Owls travel to Guaynabo, Puerto Rico over winter break for the Puerto Rico Classic for two games on Friday, December 29, and Saturday, December 30.

The Owls will tip off against McMurry University on Friday, December 29 at 10:00 a.m. (eastern).  The Owls will tip off against the University of Rochester (NY) on Saturday, December 30 at 9:00 a.m.

The Owls enter into the Puerto Rico Classic 5-6 on the season. The Owls are led by top scorers senior forward Jordan Grant (Gray, ME), and senior guard Olivia Hadla (Westfield, MA), and sophomore guard Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, MA).

Grant leads the team in points and rebounds, averaging 16.1 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. Hadla is averaging 15 points per game and averaging about 2.5 assists per game. Berthiaume has taken a bigger role in the Owls attack recently and is averaging 8.4 points and two assists per game.

The McMurry University War Hawks are a division three school located in Abilene, Texas. Members of the American Southwest Conference, the War Hawks enter the Puerto Rico Classic 7-1 on the season.

The War Hawks' success this season has been led by junior guard Emily Holland (Mansfield, TX), who is averaging about 18.3 points per game this season as well as averaging about 4.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward/center Aryana Cleveland (San Antonio, TX) leads the War Hawks in rebounds averaging about 6.8 rebounds per game as well as averaging 9.8 points per game.

The Rochester University (NY) Yellowjackets are a division three school located in Rochester, New York. Members of the Liberty League, the Yellowjackets enter the Puerto Rico Classic 3-5 on the season.

The Yellowjackets' are led by senior guard/forward Abby Gress (St. James, NY) who leads the team in points and rebounds with 15.7 points per game and about 9.4 rebounds per game. Grad student Callie McCulley (Leroy, NY) is the Yellowjackets' second leading scorer averaging 11.7 points per game as well as averaging about 8.3 rebounds per game.   

The Yellow Jackets have been a perennial NCAA Tournament contender under head coach Jim Scheible.   Since 2003, His teams have made two appearances in the D3 final four, and two more trips to the Elite Eight.

The Owls' games will be played at the Coliseo Mario Morales in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The games will be available to stream at WestfieldStateOwls.com

The Westfield State program are no strangers to the Puerto Rico Classic Tournament as they have traveled here twice before. Westfield made the four-hour flight in the 2010-2011 season and in the 2012-2013 season. In the 2010-11 season the Owls went 1-1 in the Puerto Rico Classic, losing the first game against the University of Mary Washington (VA) 59-50, and winning the second game over University of Sacred Heart PR, 76-40. In the 2012-2013 season, the Owls also went 1-1, losing the first game to Montclair State University (NJ), 73-62 and winning the second game over Mount Holyoke College, a Hampden County neighbor, 65-57.

-- written by Jordan Aguiar, sports information intern