Women’s basketball takes home the gold: Rams snatch nail-biting championship victory against Bridgewater

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor After a two-year championship game losing streak, the Framingham State Rams fought to snag the title, securing a down-to-the-wire 63-59 upset victory against the top-seeded Bridgewater State University Bears March 1. The Rams entered this match seeded second out of eight teams in the MASCAC with an overall record of 16-10 and a record of 10-3 in the conference. The Bears’ record exceeded this by two wins, one of which they earned against Framingham in their Jan. 24 matchup. Following a difficult start to their season in November and December, during which they accumulated only four wins in 11 games, FSU fought to regain control of their season, steadily climbing through the ranks and eventually earning a place in the final. After the team’s struggle to stay in the lead during the second half of their semifinal match against Salem State, Head Coach Walter Paschal said the Rams were grateful to advance and prove themselves in the final. He added Framingham’s past matches against BSU this year had not resulted in a win. However, after a successful “practice on Saturday, probably one of the best of the year, we put ourselves in a position to be able to compete with them.” Sophomore Jacqueline Schels said coming into the championship match, “the only goal was to win, and before the clock started, there were definitely added nerves because of how important the game was.” Despite the distance from their home court, the Rams’ bench was crowded. Schels noted, “The Framingham fans were awesome, and I saw a lot of students who made the trip to Bridgewater. We definitely felt their support!” Paschal added the boisterous energy from the bench, the fans, and the overall atmosphere inside Kelly Gymnasium boosted the morale of the players on the court. “We had probably half of the bleachers in front of our bench on the other side. It was a good amount of parents, relatives, friends, as well as the men's basketball team.” Paschal remarked that following the match, the softball team, which had been playing a scrimmage at Wheaton College, sent the team a video - the women crowded around a phone and celebrating as they watched the end of the game from the virtual stands. Paschal said, “That's one of the best things about Framingham, about the sports, especially on the women's side. They support each other … especially when it's conference semifinals and finals. When it comes to the playoffs, everybody does show up for each other, which is really nice.” Freshman Zaria Anderson said, “We definitely brought a good amount of supporters. … The energy in the gym coming from not only our team, but the fans as well was unbelievable.” A quick drive to the net by Bridgewater put the first points on the board, but the Rams’ first push forced a foul by the Bears, which allowed Captain Abigail Martin, a senior, to tie the score with two free throws. Defensive pressure from both sides kept the tie in place for the next five alternating possessions, but sophomore Faith Greene broke through for a lead-changing jump shot. BSU quickly countered with a 3-pointer for the lead, but Schels capitalized on a pass from senior Kiara Cerruti, sending in a successful shot from behind the 3-point line. A layup by the Bears sent the Rams on a 4-point run, with baskets from Greene and Anderson. BSU forced a foul, making one of two free throws, but Framingham pushed ahead with a layup by Captain Kelsey Yelle, a senior, and 3-pointer by Schels. The Bears closed out the first quarter with a jump shot to bring the score to 16-10 FSU. A 3-point jump shot by Schels opened the action in the second quarter, quickly followed by a layup from Cerruti. Twenty seconds later, Bridgewater brought the ball to the net for a layup, and, in the following minute, scored on a jump shot. The Rams and Bears played at an even pace - Framingham countering BSU’s 5 points with 7 of their own, all scored by Cerruti. A layup by Yelle in the following minute brought FSU to an 11-point lead, but two layups and a free throw by the Bears worked to shorten the distance between them and the lead. Facing two jump shots by BSU in the final minute of the first half, Framingham battled back in the form of a layup by Yelle and a free throw by Anderson. Having caught up at the end of the second quarter, the Bears quickly overtook the Rams with a 9-point run, which Cerruti eventually disrupted with a jump shot. Gaining momentum from the lead change, the Bears continued to rack up points, scoring two more layups before FSU could break through again. A layup by Cerruti and a jump shot by Schels kicked the Rams back into high gear on both the offensive and defensive ends, holding the Bears to just 6 points for the remainder of the quarter. Even with a jump shot by Greene and two layups and a 3-pointer by Schels, Framingham remained at a 50-48 deficit as the third quarter came to a close. Schels said, “Bridgewater is a great team, so we knew they were going to go on a run at some point, but just making sure everyone knew to not let it impact us too much and keep playing really helped us make our final push.” Sophomore Shaelagh Green said despite falling behind in the third, it was evident “how badly our entire team wanted this win. We worked so hard all season, and that really showed on championship day. … We all wanted to win for each other.” A strong opening drive by the Bears forced a foul by the Rams for a BSU free throw. A foul by the Bears just seconds later allowed Greene to find success on two opportunities from the free throw line. The following minutes were, in Paschal’s words, a “seesaw,” as the teams battled to dominate the court. A layup by Yelle turned the tide in favor of the Rams 52-51, but, after 2 minutes of impenetrable defense by the Rams, Bridgewater broke through to steal back the lead with a 3-pointer. Two free throws by Greene returned the lead to FSU. Then, a layup by the Bears took it back. The turning point arose when, with 2:38 left of the tournament final, Schels netted a lead-changing 3-point jump shot. A strong defensive press by the Rams kept BSU’s next shot from sinking into the basket. A jump shot by Greene and a free throw by Schels gave the Rams a 4-point cushion. Then, after a 30-second Bridgewater timeout, Greene forced a foul for a free throw. BSU pressed into 3-point territory for one final basket, but it was not enough to overtake the Rams. With 12 seconds on the clock, aggressive plays by Bridgewater allowed Anderson to sink two foul shots. A Hail Mary jump shot attempt by the Bears failed to hit its mark, and the clock ticked down to zero, crowning the Rams the MASCAC Tournament Champions with a winning score of 63-59. Paschal said the team’s excitement was palpable, knowing they had won the MASCAC tournament, beat Bridgewater on the Bears’ home court, and would get the chance to go to the NCAA Tournament. Paschal said this would be FSU’s “fourth trip to the NCAA tournament since 2020, with different kids who have led the way each time. It's special getting to play the number two team in the country.” The Rams traveled to the University of Scranton March 6 for the first round of the Division III NCAA tournament, falling to the Royals 104-39. Schels said despite the score, the team was excited for the chance to play. She said, “Just making the NCAA tournament in itself was a really cool experience that not many people can say they have done, so we were grateful for the opportunity. It was cool to face one of the best teams in our division.” Paschal said he was “under no illusion what was going to happen, and I tried to get the kids to see this is not a punishment - it's a reward to be in this tournament. “Whatever happens, we're not going to feel bad for ourselves. We're not going to be upset about it. We're just here to enjoy and play hard. … No matter what happens, we won't let it take away from winning the MASCAC,” he added. Green said making it to the first round of the NCAA was amazing. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for so many people, and being able to do it with my best friends made it truly unforgettable. “Even though the game didn’t go our way, the small memories this group made in between the basketball games made me so grateful to be a part of it,” she added. As the season ends, Schels said, “Overall, I think this year’s team was very special because of how close we were. Our captains, Abby and Kelsey, fostered a really important team culture that allowed us to do what we did, and we will miss them.” Anderson said as a freshman, she can’t thank the seniors enough for their leadership and support during her first season with the Rams. She said, “They are such big role models on and off the court, and I really looked up to them and took every opportunity I could to learn from them and their experience from their college careers. “My teammates are single-handedly the best people to be around. Everyone works so hard, and we all want to reach the same goal. … We had such a special group, and we got to capitalize on that by winning the championship together our way,” she added.