Women's Basketball Falls To WPI In Thrilling Worcester City Championship Final
Dudley, MA --- Junior Kaleigh Charette poured in a team-best 15 points with eight boards, but it was not enough as WPI defeated Worcester State 59-56 this evening in the Worcester City Tournament Championship game. For their efforts Charette and sophomore Meaghan O'Keefe were tabbed to the All-Tournament team.
Dudley, MA --- The WPI women's basketball team won its first Worcester City Tournament since 1995 Saturday afternoon with a 59-56 victory over Worcester State on the campus of Nichols College.
Oddly enough, it was the first title matchup between the Engineers and Lancers, who have been perennial participants since its inception in 1979. Both teams are now 2-1 on the young season
Sophomore Theresa Logan (Southboro, MA) was named Most Valuable Player, while freshman Siena Mamayek (Melrose, MA) earned All-Tournament Team honors. The title marked the fourth overall for the Engineers.
After drawing to an early 7-7 tie, four Engineers helped on an 11-3 run only to have the Lancers answer right back with a 9-0 run of their own to take the 19-18 lead. Neither team would see an advantage for more than five points the rest of the half and would be knotted at 31 going into the locker room.
Worcester State built a 41-33 lead before Lauren Hannmann (East Greenbush, NY) capped an 11-3 run with a shot clock-beating three-pointer to bring the game to a 44-44 stalemate with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half.
Junior Kaleigh Charette (Fairhaven, MA) put the Lancers up 50-48 with a second-chance jumper with 5:33 remaining, but WPI's Baillie McNally (Mapleville, R.I.) drained six points in a Crimson and Gray 9-0 run over the next two minutes that saw them pull ahead for a 57-50 lead.
Charette hit a pair of buckets and sophomore Kara Rogers (Lowell, MA) sank a three-pointer to bring the Lancers within one at 58-57 with 40 seconds to go, but a foul sent WPI's Mamayek to the line where she swished both shots to seal the victory.
Hannmann led the Engineers with 16 points and four rebounds, while Mamayek scored nine and grabbed three rebounds.
Fourth-year Charlotte McDonnell (Swansea, MA), Logan and Kuhn recorded eight points each for the Crimson and Gray effort.
Charette and senior Alexis George (Worcester, MA) each scored double digits with 15 and 11, respectively for the Lancers. Rogers chipped in with seven points. Second-year Meaghan O'Keefe (Warren, MA) and Charette combined to pull down a total of 15 rebounds on the afternoon.
Charette and O'Keefe earned All-Tournament Team honors for the Lancers, joining Mamayek, O'Keefe, Jessica Nelson (North Providence, RI) of Nichols and Chelsea Joubert (Westborough, MA) of Becker.
The Engineers are off until after Thanksgiving when they host Rhode Island College on Sunday, November 29th at 2pm in a non-conference matchup. Worcester State ventures to UMass-Dartmouth for a non-conference tilt Tuesday night at 7 PM.
Release Courtesy of Nichols Sports Information