SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 22, 2025) – The Western New England women's basketball team came away with a title game victory on Saturday afternoon against the Camels of Connecticut College, winning their second straight Hampton Inn Holiday Classic Championships after a 65-62 win. Perry Blasetti and Sophie Hedge were named to the All-Tournament Team while Hedge was named the tournament's MVP. 

Records:

• Western New England: 4-2
• Connecticut College: 2-3

How it Happened:

First Quarter:

• Connecticut College opened the game with a quick 11-2 lead, putting a threat into Western New England's championship hopes. The slow offense of the Golden Bears was brought to life when Devlyn McDonald opened up a scoring run of her own, dropping in six straight for the blue and gold to get within five, 15-10. 
• Erin Reen connected on a layup at the buzzer to end the first quarter on an assist from Lottia Barnes, getting Western New England within three after the opening frame. 
• Connecticut College scored five field goals, three triples in the quarter overall. WNE scooped in six field goals, all deuces. 

Second Quarter:

• Camels' leading scorer Sofia Tavarez opened the scoring in the second quarter. Connecticut College then opened its lead back up to seven when Hallie O'Toole and Catie Hurley got on the board, which gave the Camels a 21-14 lead. Western New England came back and took the lead following three triples, one each from Lottia Barnes, Sophie Hedge, and Paige Winter, while Katie Regan hit from mid-range, giving the Golden Bears a 25-23 lead with 3:25 left to play. 
• Winter finished the quarter with a free throw that gave the Golden Bears a 27-26 lead at the break. WNE made just five field goals, but their three triples helped them score 15 points in the quarter.
• Connecticut College missed all ten triples in the quarter, going 5/8 from the inside. 

Third Quarter:

• Sophie Hedge had the first five for WNE in the opening minute and a half in the quarter, but Connecticut College picked up a pair of triples, starting hot from the field. WNE answered when Winter splashed from the outside while Hannah Blake hit a jumper with 4:44 left, giving the Golden Bears an eight-point lead, 40-32. 
• The Camels bounced back to get within four following a triple from Mia Xerras before Devlyn McDonald and Paige Winter continued to help the Golden Bears in the game, giving the blue and gold a nine-point lead, 45-36. 
• Perry Blasetti drove to the lane to finish WNE's 20-point outburst in the quarter, which gave Western New England a 47-39 lead after three quarters. The Golden Bears hit 8/12 field goals and were 4/6 from distance. Connecticut made 4/10 field goals, three of eight from the outside. 

Fourth Quarter:

• The Camels got the fourth quarter started with back-to-back triples and a pair of layups from Sofia Tavarez, flipping Western New England's eight-point third quarter lead into a four-point lead just three minutes into the fourth, capping off a 12-0 run in quick succession.
• Perry Blasetti picked up the next six points for the Golden Bears and got the home team tied at 53 at the midway point of the fourth quarter. The two teams exchanged points, with Sophie Hedge hitting from the outside to give the Golden Bears a 56-55 lead. The Camels raced back, taking a two-point lead with 3:06 left. Blasetti then hit from the outside to give Western New England a 61-60 advantage with 2:15 remaining. 
• Hayley Thompson gave the Camels the lead back with a layup down low before Paige Winter knocked in a pair of free throws with 1:22 remaining, putting the lead back in WNE's hands. Outstanding defense from Western New England gave the home team a chance down the stretch to repeat as champions, with Hannah Blake icing the game with a pair of free throws with a minute left, giving the Golden Bears a 65-62 win, winning the tournament title for the second straight season. 

Inside the Lines:

• Perry Blasetti led WNE with 14 points on 5/10 shooting and eight rebounds, while collecting eight rebounds in the win. Blasetti was named to the All-Tournament team following the competition. 
• Sophie Hedge put down 13 points, shooting 3/8 from the outside. Hedge's performance, combined with her performance on Friday night, gave her tournament MVP honors. 
• Paige Winter scored 14 points on 4/7 shooting, including 3/4 from the outside. 
• WNE shot 43% from the field in the game, hitting nine triples. 
• Connecticut College's Sofia Tavarez led the way with 17 points on 7/12 shooting. Tavarez and teammate Sydney Marshall were named to the All-Tournament Team, as selected by their head coach. 

Coach's Corner:

Head coach Nicki Chaszar was asked what it means for the team to get an early-season tournament victory and how the team can build on these wins going forward. "We're really proud of the way our group competed. The game today gives the team confidence in the work we've been putting in, and it shows we're heading in the right direction. More importantly, it gives us a chance to see what we're doing well and where we still need to grow. Going forward, I think it will be key for us to keep focusing on the details and continue developing our team chemistry," Chaszar noted.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE plays its first road game of the season on Tuesday, November 25 at 5:00 PM, heading to Emerson College.