Roxbury Pulls Away in Second Half to Defeat Warriors in MCCAC Championship

WORCESTER, Mass. ---- No. 3 Roxbury pulled away in the second half to defeat the Massasoit women's basketball team, 87-65, on Sunday afternoon on the campus of Quinsigamond CC in the MCCAC Championship. 

Massasoit (11-10) trailed 40-30 at the half, but Roxbury (21-2) sank four 3s in the third quarter to create enough separation and cruise to the victory.

Monica Knight (Halifax) produced a career day for the Warriors, pouring in a career-high 24 points on 11 of 15 shooting.  The freshman center paired that with 16 rebounds, seven coming off the offensive glass for the double-double.

Tati Dias (Brockton) also reached double figures, netting 18 points and dishing out seven assists. Dias went 10 of 15 at the foul line. Twins Sienna Johnson and Sierra Johnson of Brockton each chipped in with nine points.

Massasoit started off slow, trailing 21-11 after the first quarter, committing 10 turnovers in the frame. But the Warriors played even with the nationally ranked Tigers, as each team scored 19 in the second quarter, giving Roxbury a 40-30 halftime advantage.

Following intermission, the Warriors would pull within eight, 46-38 off a Knight layup. However, Roxbury got hot from downtown, making four 3-pointers and converted a three-point play over a five-minute span to build up a 20-point cushion, 65-45, and not look back.

The Warriors will get another crack at Roxbury, facing the Tigers in the Region 21 Semifinals on Saturday at 11 AM at the Asiaf Fieldhouse.