WESTFIELD, Mass. – Junior guard Courtney Kegresse (Adams/Hoosac Valley) scored a game-high 21 points on seven 3-point baskets, junior reserve guard Angela Paterson (Nantucket) pumped in 15 points, and record-setting freshman guard Jen Ashton (Beverly) tallied 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals to lead Westfield State University to a hard fought 74-52 victory over Worcester State University on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
 
Westfield is now 11-10 overall and 4-4 in the MASCAC, while Worcester is 9-12 and 3-5.
 
The Owls never trailed throughout the game but they did not secure the key conference victory until a 12-0 run with under 10 minutes remaining.
 
Kegresse was unconscious in the first half, hitting nothing but net on four consecutive 3-point bombs in pacing Westfield to a 29-24 halftime edge. She finished the game 7-for-9 from beyond the arc, two 3-pointers shy of the single-game school record held by Westfield head coach Andrea Bertini ('96), who made nine treys in an ECAC Tournament game vs. Norwich in 1994.
 
Moreover, Kegresse's blitzkrieg was eerily similar to a sensational shooting display by Bertini in a victory at Worcester State in 1993 in which she was 6-for-6 from 3-point land in the first half and 7-for-10 for the game.
 
"Courtney is an outstanding 3-point shooter," said Bertini. "She is going to break my school records."
 
"I knew Worcester was a big game and threes get the whole team off the bench, so I tried to make as many as I could," said Kegresse, a fluid 5-9 shooting guard with a high arcing shot.
 
Kegresse and Paterson sparked the key 12-0 second half run that gave the Owls a 60-43 with 7:31 remaining.
 
The Lancers' Kara Rogers converted a four-point play (3-point plus a free throw) to slice Westfield's lead to five, 48-43, at the 9:58 mark.
 
Kegresse responded with a three-ball followed by seven straight points from Paterson, who scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half. Five of her seven points during the 12-0 came from the foul line as the Owls took advantage of two technical fouls assessed to the Lancers.
 
"Angela provided a huge spark," said Bertini. "She has been shooting fantastic lately; her confidence is up and her defense was outstanding."
 
Also outstanding on defense was Ashton, who set the single season school record for steals. Ashton, who ranks eighth nationally in steals per game (4.6), has 98 steals this season, surpassing the previous record held by standout point guard Robyn Wainwright, who had 92 steals in 1993.
 
"It is a great accomplishment for Jen and we still have five games left to play," said Bertini. "She just has good anticipation. I played with the previous record holder so Jen is in good company."
 
The Owls shot 40 percent from the field, including 9-for-15 from downtown, and for the second straight game they took care of the ball with only nine turnovers. Worcester, meanwhile, shot 33 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers.
 
"We were shaky early, we let them in the lane and we gave up a lot of rebounds, but through the rest of the game we did a nice job of containing," said Bertini.
 
Westfield freshman center Gabby Felix  (Springfield/Commerce) scored eight points and had a team-high eight rebounds. Junior guard Jenny Bell (Northampton) finished with eight points, seven boards and six assists.
 
Four Lancers scored in double figures led by Kara Rogers (Lowell) with 12 points. Meghan O'Keefe (Warren/Quaboag) had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Scoring 10 points were Meaghan Burns (West Brookfield/Quaboag) and Shannen El-Qasem (Rutland/Wachusett).