Massasoit Women's Basketball Advances To Region XXI Finals

BOSTON ---- The No. 1 seed Massasoit Community College women's basketball team held off No. 4 Bunker Hill CC, winning 64-55 on Saturday afternoon to advance to the Region XXI Finals for the first time in 16 years.

Massasoit (15-6) built up a 13 point lead in the second half, its largest of the game, owning a 58-45 advantage after a Marina Palladino (Carver) runner with just over four minutes remaining in regulation.

It appeared the Warriors had the game in hand, but the fouls started to pile up for both teams in a physical contest throughout. Massasoit which only dressed eight players, had four individuals foul out and were forced to play the final two minutes or regulation with just four players on the court.

Bunker Hill (7-11) kept inching its way back into the ball game, making 16 free throws after halftime and pulled within five points, 60-55 with under one minute to play.

Tiana McQueen (Mattapan/Boston English) sank a pair of clutch free throws with 39.1 seconds left and Cynara Rustin (Brockton/Minutemen Regional) added a pair of insurance foul shots to ice the game in favor of the Warriors, 64-55.

"We survived," head coach Mark Brathwaite said with a grin. "We really had to hang on over the last couple of minutes. McQueen made some big time free throws for us and Cynara (Rustin) did a great job taking over the ball handling duties at the end."

Rustin was forced into the point guard position, as starting guards Ashley Andrade, Marina Palladino and Tianna Johnson all fouled out. Fredi Lawson also fouled out for the Warriors.

Massasoit led 26-22 at the half, behind the effort of Ashley Andrade (Randolph) who scored nine of her 12 points in the opening stanza.

In the second half, Fredi Lawson (Boston/J.E. Burke HS) took over, netting 17 of her 21 points in the game. In fact, Lawson scored 11 of Massasoit's first 20 points after halftime. Her 21 points were a game-high and she added 13 rebounds for her 10th straight double-double.

The Warriors also received a big game from another front court player in McQueen. She finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks along with her two late clutch free throws.

Palladino chipped in with nine points, including a pair of 3s, and Tianna Johnson registered six assists, four steals and three rebounds in the victory.

A total of 57 fouls were called in the game with seven players fouling out.

Top seeded Massasoit will battle No. 2 Roxbury CC on Sunday at 1 p.m. on Bunker Hill's campus. It marks the Warriors first appearance in a regional final since the 1997-98 season. Massasoit is in search of its first ever regional championship in program history.