WESTFIELD, Mass. – Maddie Pond (Holyoke, Mass) scored a career-high 39 points and set the school record with 11 made three-point field goals in a single game to lead the third-seeded Westfield State Owls to a 108-54 victory over the sixth-seeded Fitchburg State Falcons in a MASCAC Quarterfinals game on Tuesday evening from the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass.
Pond's 39 points tied for the third-most points scored in a single game in program history. Pond set the school record in made threes with 11 on 50% (11-22) shooting from beyond the arc, passing Melissa Gray '22 who made ten triples in January of 2020.
The Owls advance to the MASCAC Semifinals and will travel to second-seeded Bridgewater State on Thursday, February 22 at 5:30 pm. The Falcons concluded their 2024 season, finishing with an overall record of 5-21.
It was all Owls from the jump as Pond hit her first triple on Westfield's opening offensive possession. The Owls quickly built their lead to ten in the first two minutes of action. Following her three, a steal by Pond resulted in a layup from Octaviana Williams (Springfield, Mass.). Williams then picked off the ball at center court which resulted in a layup from Pond. Another forced turnover by Jordan Grant (Gray, Maine) set Pond up for a three, giving the Owls a quick 10-0 lead just 1:13 into game action.
Pond started the game with the hot hand and never relinquished it, making her first five shots of the game. She ended the first quarter with 17 points on 6-7 from the field (5-6 from 3pt).
Behind 17 first quarter points from Pond, the Owls also forced 17 turnovers on the Falcons while recording 14 steals. The turnovers resulted in 27 points for the Owls. Williams and Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, Mass.) both recorded three first quarter steals. Williams finished as the Owls leader in steals with five. Berthiaume was the Owls leader in assists with eight.
The Owls recorded 26 steals and forced 37 turnovers throughout the whole game.
The Owls ended the first quarter with a 28-point lead, 34-6. Four of the Falcons' six points came off of free throws as they shot just 1-11 from the field in the first quarter.
Lindsey Bohenko (Lowell, Mass.) helped the Owls continue to build their lead through the second quarter as she was perfect from the floor in the second. Bohenko went 3-3 with two three pointers. She finished the game with eight points. Hannah Sheldon (Taunton, Mass.) recorded six second quarter points and finished the game with 12 points.
The Owls held the Falcons scoreless for over eight minutes of game time with a jumper from Alexis DeSimone (Ashburnham, Mass.) with 2:25 left in the half snapping the scoring drought. The Owls closed the half up 52-10 on the Falcons.
As the second half started, the Owls opened up to a 18-4 run in the first five minutes to continue to extend the advantage.
The Falcons had their best shooting stanza in the final frame, shooting 47.1% (8-17) from the field while shooting 45.5% (5-11) from the three-point line. Rylie Harlow (Hanson, Mass.) recorded 15 fourth quarter points. She ended the night as Fitchburg's leading scorer with 17 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.
Sitting at ten made three-pointers in the contest, Pond received a pass from Ashley Ames (Valatie, N.Y.) in the left-wing corner where she nailed her 11th triple of the night to set the record with 43 seconds remaining in the game.
For the Owls, Grant led the game with 16 rebounds. Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.) tallied 13 points. For the Falcons, Aliza Som (Lowell, Mass.) added nine points. Stephanie Hart (Shirley, MA) led the Falcons with 12 rebounds.
Written by Jordan Aguiar – WSU Sports Information Intern