WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Westfield State senior forward Jordan Grant (Gray, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester HS) became the 20th woman in Westfield State basketball history to score 1,000 points, as she led the Owls to an 83-55 win over Fitchburg State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game at the Parkinson Gymnasium in Fitchburg on Wednesday night.
Grant needed just five points to reach the magical mark entering the contest. Westfield got the suspense over with quickly as she scored the Owls first six points of the game.
Grant scored her 1000th and 1001st points on a jumper just below the foul line in the first quarter to give the Owls a 6-4 lead.
"The milestones are really cool, but it kind of weighs on you," said Westfield State head coach Andrea Bertini about the start of the game. "But it's kind of cool that Fitchburg is a lot closer to her hometown in Maine so her whole family was able to come see it tonight. I said to the team don't focus on choking the ball into her early, and then we did anyway, but Jordan was aggressive from the start."
Grant joins teammate Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.) in the 1,000-point club. The duo marks the first time that the Owls have had a pair of classmates score 1,000 points in just three seasons of play. Grant and Hadla's freshman season was wiped out by the pandemic.
"It's an amazing accomplishment, they had to make up the year really from a physical, mental, and basketball standpoint," said Bertini. "They work well together and are good teammates. Olivia was really sick and not going to play tonight but she wanted to be here to see it."
Both Grant and Hadla have an additional year of collegiate eligibility remaining should they choose to return to school for advanced study.
Grant needed just 64 games to reach 1,000, averaging 15.8 ppg in her career with the Owls. She spent the first semester in Florida as sophomore before coming back to Westfield.
"I'm so grateful that she came back to play," said Bertini.
"She's so versatile and athletic and skilled in multiple areas," said Bertini. "She's been very steady. You can pencil her in for 16 points and seven rebounds every game. She can score on the block, facing up, off the bounce; she did all of that tonight and she's able to showcase her talents in our style of play. She works on her game year round, and is a good student and a good teammate. A lot of friends made the trip to come up here tonight, and that's a testament to the type of person she is."
Tonight, Grant finished with 17 points and seven rebounds to lead four Owls players in double figures. Hannah Sheldon (Taunton, Mass./Norton) added 16 points and five steals, Maddie Pond (Holyoke, Mass./Hampshire Reg.) 14, and Jess Gardner (Webster, Mass./Holy Name) 11 points and 10 rebounds. Octaviana Williams (Springfield, Mass./Minnechaug) made seven steals for Westfield.
Westfield led just 17-15 at the end of the first quarter, but the Owls seized control of the game in the first minute of the second quarter, getting steals on the first four Fitchburg possessions, which Westfield converted in to a 9-0 run to lead 26-15 after a three-pointer by Sheldon. Westfield rapidly extended the lead, and the Owls led 44-22 at the half after outscoring the Falcons 27-5 in the second quarter.
Westfield forced 25 first-half turnovers from the Falcons and grabbed 17 steals, while the Owls limited themselves to just six turnovers. Grant netted 11 points in the first half, with Pond adding 10, and Sheldon nine.
Westfield improves to 14-9 overall and 7-3 in the MASCAC, while the Falcons dive to 5-17 and 2-7. Mikayler Patch was the lone Falcon in double figures with 14 points.
Westfield will have the weekend off from competition before hosting league co-leader Bridgewater on Wednesday, Feb. 14, which will be both the Owls senior day, and the annual Athletic Director's 3.0 reception. Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m.