MCLA Women earn third seed in MASCAC tourney, will host Fitchburg State on Tuesday

2012 MASCAC Women's Basketball Championship preview

North Adams, MA- The MCLA Women's Basketball team has earned the third seed in this week's MASCAC championship tournament and will host Fitchburg State University on Tuesday night at 7:00pm.  The two teams split the season series with each team winning comfortably on their respective home courts.

MCLA, under the direction of head coach Holly McGovern, enters the tournament with a record of 13-12, including a 6-6 mark in conference play.  The Fitchburg State Falcons, who are under the direction of Walter Paschal, earned the sixth seed.  They finished the regular season with a mark of 16-8, but only 4-8 in the MASCAC.  The winner will move on to play second seeded Salem State Friday evening in Bridgewater.

The season series featured a pair of games in which each team had key injury affect the outcome.  In North Adams, the Falcons played without the leading rebounder in the conference, Rebecca Goreham, as MCLA routed Fitchburg 90-64.  The 90 points represented the high point total on the season for MCLA.  In that contest, the Trailblazers out-rebounded the Falcons 60-37.

Just a week ago, MCLA traveled to Fitchburg for the return match.  This time, it was Fitchburg that benefited from an early injury to the reigning MASCAC player of the year, MCLA forward Jen Wehner, as the Falcons cruised to a convincing 81-54 win.  This time around, Fitchburg, playing with a healthy Goreham, held a commanding 56-43 edge off the glass.  The 54 points scored by MCLA was a season low.

The Falcons also feature the conference's leading scorer in sophomore Amy Fahey.  The 5'9 forward averages over 22 points per game.  In the opening meeting between the two teams, she was held to just four points.  In the latter contest however, she went for 27 points. 

MCLA is led by the three headed monster of Jen Wehner, Alie Dobrovolc, and Lucy Tremblay.  Wehner is the team's leading scorer at 17 points per game, but also averages almost 12 rebounds a night.  Dobrovolc, who earlier this season joined Wehner as members of the 1,000 point club, follows with 16 points per game.  She also leads the team in assists.  Tremblay also averages double figures and is a threat from beyond the arc.  She is currently second in three pointers made in the league.

Both teams are vying for the conference's automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA Division III championships.