Trailblazers advance to MASCAC title game following 95-79 win over Salem

Courtesy of BSU Sports Information

Bridgewater, MA- MCLA junior Lucy Tremblay scored 23 points in leading the Trailblazers past the second seeded Salem State Vikings 95-79 in the MASCAC semifinals sending MCLA into the championship round tomorrow.  MCLA (15-12), seeded third in the tournament, will move on to play top seeded Bridgewater State tomorrow at 2pm.

The appearance in the championship round is the second in three seasons for MCLA.  Bridgewater is the defending tournament champion as well as the 2012 regular season champion.

Senior forward Jen Wehner (Cooperstown, NY) and sophomore guard Kaitlyn Chenevert (Uxbridge, MA) both scored 18 apiece while senior guard Alie Dobrovolc (Little Falls, NY) and freshman forward Sara Hamilton (Dalton, MA) finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Wehner collected a contest-best 16 boards to finish with a double-double as Dobrovolc nearly had a triple double with eight rebounds and nine assists.

Freshman guard Rachel Carter (Merrimack, NH) impressed with a game-high 24 points for Salem State. Senior forward Breanna Comeau (Amesbury, MA) also notched totals of 14 points, nine points and four assists. Junior guard Bridget Dullea (Peabody, MA) chipped in with 11 points and sophomore forward Ginny Fleming (Peabody, MA) registered 10.

With the score knotted 8-8 five minutes into the contest, MCLA utilized a 24-7 run to claim a 32-15 advantage with 5:14 remaining. The Trailblazers connected for 9 of 11 from the field as the rally was finished off on its only trifecta by Tremblay.

Stepping it up on the defensive end, Salem State would outscore their opponents and close out the half with a 19-5 spurt to trail, 37-34 at the intermission. The Vikings would use a 5-for-6 effort from the charity stripe with five points by Fleming and Dullea would bang a 26-foot buzzer beating three-pointer to end the period.

Coming out of the locker room there were three ties and a pair of lead changes as neither team led by more than four before MCLA went on a 15-6 run to open up a 71-60 game with 8:53 left in regulation. Wehner book-ended the surge with lay-ups as she snapped the 54-54 tie with 12:26 remaining and scored eight points in the surge for the Trailblazers.

Salem State got to within eight at the 7:04 mark (71-63), but that was as close as they would get as MCLA would go into double-digits on a jumper by senior forward Olivia McMullen (Broadalbin, NY) and never look back.

MCLA shot 55 percent for the game (34-for-62) and held a commanding 51-29 advantage in rebounds and second-chance points (22-13). The Trailblazers also went 83 percent from the charity stripe for the contest, missing just five free throws (24-for-29).

The Vikings connected for 35 percent of their field goals (25-for-71) and hit just five of their 23 attempts from downtown (22 percent). Courtesy of 17 swipes, Salem State parlayed 24 MCLA turnovers into a 25-12 edge in points off turnovers.