Lancers Battle Vikings, Fall in Final Quarter

Worcester, MA- In a crucial matchup on Saturday afternoon the Worcester State Women's Basketball team (9-13, 6-5) hosted Salem State in their annual Alumni game celebration game. Prior to the game the team honored graduate Kate Hurynowicz, class of 2025, for her 1,000th career points honors. The outcome of the afternoon game will likely be a crucial final seed indicator for the two teams with just two further games to play in the regular season. 

Final

Worcester State: 65

Salem State: 79

How it Happened:

The opening half of action opened up just as billed in this crucial MASCAC battle. Worcester would go down a basket early but Ayden Gulliver would quickly open the Lancers scoring to create the back and forth battle. The two teams traded shots and baskets, with Salem getting up as much as six before senior Hannah Lomonaco (Northbridge, MA) and junior Alana Smith (Chicopee, MA) would bring the score settle at 14-14. Gulliver would provide Worcester with their first wad of the game with seconds left as they went into the quarter break up 23-18.

Worcester would go on scoring surge early in the second with junior Ava Lemanski (Clinton, MA) dominating across the court. The Vikings would not allow Worcester to run away too quickly and managed to shoot themselves back into the game with hustle, eating into Worcester's nine point lead. With the final minutes on the clock the game turned back into a back and forth shooting competition before the Vikings grabbed a slight four point lead to go into halftime with Worcester down 38-34.

The momentum of the third appeared to be all on the Salem side as they stretched their lead to as much as 11 points. Worcester would battle and fight, drawing calls and chances to keep pace with the Vikings and managed to close the gap to 48-57 by the final buzzer of the third. The fight would continue into the fourth quarter as Smith and Lomonaco would work the high and low but it was a tough battle to cut through the smothering Salam pressure low. The high intensity of Worcester, who knew a home playoff game was on the line, would force miscues from Salem, resulting in a stifled attack. The intensity would rise in the second half of the quarter with added passion and determination from both sides. Free throws became the factor of the game while Worcester worked to cut into the lead from the line and behind the arc. The Lancers would close the game shooting 76.5% from the line, but the 15.4% from three stalled the comeback as Worcester fell 79-65.

Junior Mia Haynes (Worcester, MA) would lead the Worcester attack with 15 points while Smith claimed nine rebounds in the game.

What's Next:

The Blue and Gold (9-14, 6-6) will journey to Anna Maria next Wednesday, February 18th, at 5pm to close out their road regular season trips.