Men's Basketball Cooks JWU, 91-74

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Kenneth Rogers, Jr. and Angel Price-Espada combined for 49 points to lead Westfield State to a 91-74 win over Johnson and Wales University in a non-conference men's basketball game in Providence, R.I. on Tuesday night.

The Owls improve to 8-3 on the year while JWU slips to 2-4.

Westfield never trailed in the game, as Price-Espada helped assure a fast start, scoring nine of the Owls first 11 points.

Leading 20-18 with 10:34 left in the first half, the Owls spurted away with a 12-0 burst capped by a Lid Moreland jumper with 6:19 left in the first half.  The Owls got three steals in that stretch, and carried the momentum into halftime with a 48-31 lead.

Westfield led by as many as 22 points, and the Wildcats never got closer than 12 points midway through the second half. 

Rogers continued an impressive rookie year for the Owls with 25 points on 10 of 18 shooting from the floor and grabbed 15 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.  He handed out a team-best six assists as well.

Price-Espada was efficient in scoring 24, shooting 6-10 from the floor, 2-5 from long range, and 10-14 at the foul line.  Moreland was the only other Owl in double figures with 16 points.

JWU was led by 19 points and nine rebounds from Izaiah Shaw-Glen.

Westfield forced 17 turnovers from the Wildcats, which the Owls converted into 19 points.  Westfield won the rebound battle, 48-39, and the Owls dominated in points-in-the-paint, 52-26.

Westfield will finish the fall-semester portion of the schedule with a non-conference game at Lyndon (Vt.) State on Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. start.