Westfield State senior Sylvain having nice basketball season

By Mike Bogen, Springfield Republican

Katie Sylvain always could shoot the basketball.

Sylvain, who scored 1,288 points in her three-time All-Scholastic high school career at Hopkins Academy, has been named the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference women's basketball Player of the Week for the week ending Jan. 25.

But to get the honor, the Westfield State College senior guard did so much more than give the rock the old heave-ho.

Sylvain averaged 15 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists in conference victories over MCLA and Framingham, Those victories, plus one over Fitchburg Tuesday night, when Sylvain scored 14 points and had four assists, left the Owls continuing their stroll atop the MASCAC standings, 15-3 overall and 7-0 in conference play.

Taken individually, Sylvain's season numbers don't really raise any eyebrows. She's averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. But, Sylvain leads the Owls in assists, is second in scoring and is tied for third in rebounding. She also has 28 steals, second on the team, and leads in both shooting percentage (.515) and 3-point shooting percentage (.452).