Vikings Lose 86-63 to Owls
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Westfield St. (17-7, 9-2) | 36 | 50 | 86 |
|
Salem St. (5-20, 4-8) | 24 | 39 | 63 |
SALEM, Mass. - Vawn Lord (Amherst, Mass.) totaled 44 points and corralled 11 rebounds to fuel the Westfield State Owls to an 86-63 victory over the Salem State Vikings on "Senior Night" at Twohig Gymnasium. The Owls improve to 17-7 on the year and 9-2 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). The Vikings fall to 5-20 on the season and 4-8 in the MASCAC.
Seniors Hakeem Animashaun (Dedham, Mass.), Matt McCune (Somerville, Mass.) and student-manager Tommy Brennan were recognized before the game for their commitment and dedication to the program.
Malik Pouncy (Mattapan, Mass.) threw a lob pass to a cutting Lord for a two-handed slam as the alley-oop finish secured eight consecutive points for the Owls. Westfield State built an early 18-9 with 10:16 to go in the first half. Animashaun's putback cut the deficit to eight as Salem State trailed 30-22 with 1:49 in the first half.
With 6.6 seconds left in the first half, Jauch Green Jr. drove to the hoop and made a tough floater beating the buzzer to give the Owls a 36-24 lead at halftime.
Both teams struggled from the floor as Westfield State shot 33.3% (FG 12-36) and the Vikings shot 27.8% (FG 10-36). Lord finished the first half with 22 points (FG 8-15, 3PT 2-4) and seven rebounds.
The Owls went on a 16-2 run in the second half to build a 57-37 with 11:52 in the second half. Lord scored nine of Westfield State's 16 points while on this run. The Vikings' offensive struggles continued as the Owls built a 29-point advantage with 1:53 remaining.
Westfield State finished the game shooting 36.7% (FG 29-79) while Salem State went 32.9% (FG 25-76) from the floor.
The Owls' size and length was a huge advantage as they attempted 31 free throws.
Green Jr. dropped 27 points (FG 9-16, FT 7-8) and corralled 15 rebounds for the Owls.
For the Vikings, Animashaun had a double-double of 15 points (FG 7-17) and 10 rebounds. Jaden Castillo (Lawrence, Mass.) had 11 points while Patrick Bugler (Marblehead, Mass.) added nine points off the bench for the Vikings.