Warriors’ Women’s Hoops Advance to MCCAC Finals; Tops STCC 71-57 in Semis

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ---- After a slow start, the Massasoit women's basketball team responded in the final three quarters to defeat Springfield Tech, 71-57, to advance to the Massachusetts Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) State Finals.

The Warriors (8-12) will face top-seed and nationally ranked Roxbury (15-6) in the finals on Sunday at 12 PM. The two teams will be meeting in the MCCAC Finals for the third-straight season.

STCC (8-12) led 18-13 after the first quarter, as the tournament host Rams ended the period on a 12-4, featuring a pair of 3s from McKenna Sousa.

After another 3 by Sousa to start the second quarter, Massasoit used a 12-2 run, capped by a Jakiyah Jones-Robinson (Holbrook) bucket with 5:01 left in the half to give the Warriors the lead, 27-25.

Jones-Robinson scored 10 of her career-high 12 points to spark the Warriors as they held a 37-32 advantage at the break.

Coming out of the locker room, the Warriors amped up their defensive effort, putting on a full-court press against the Rams. A 9-2 run expanded Massasoit's lead to double figures, 53-40, as the Warriors would hold the lead the rest of the way.

Massasoit finished with four players in double figures, led by Courtney Foley's (Holbrook) 16 points. Sierra Johnson (Brockton) netted 14, followed by 12 from Karen Snow (Duxbury) and Jones-Robinson.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46.6 percent from the floor and sank 14 of 16 free throws (87.5 percent).

Jamie Staples topped STCC with 16 points.