Five Score in Double Figures to Lead Men's Hoops Over Westfield State, 71-57

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Five players scored in double figures as the Bridgewater State University men's basketball team posted a 71-57 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting Westfield State University on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.

The Bears improve to 10-8 on the season and 3-2 in the MASCAC, while the Owls fall to 5-11 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Junior guard Rocky DeAndrade (Mansfield, Mass.) had a terrific all-around game as he filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, six assists, a blocked shot and four steals.

Senior guard Fawaz Mass (Taunton, Mass.) scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, while senior forward Greg Romanko (Mansfield, Mass.) tallied 14 points, including a pair of decisive three-pointers late in the second half, to go along with six boards. Romanko finished 4-for-7 from long range.

Senior guard Keyon Armstrong (Brockton, Mass.) added 13 points in 21 minutes off the bench, while junior forward Joseph Carty (Natick, Mass.) rounded out the Bears' double-digit scorers with 11 points.

Senior center Aaron Burke (Worcester, Mass.) was the only Westfield player to finish in double figures. Burke notched 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting in 15 minutes off the bench. Sophomore forward Marcus Collins (Cambridge, Mass.) led all players with ten rebounds including six off the offensive glass.

The Bears used a 10-2 run to open up a 19-10 lead in the first half. DeAndrade started the run with a three-pointer and Armstrong capped it off with a trifecta of his own.

The Owls answered with a 10-3 spurt to make it a two-point game, 22-20, with just under 11 minutes remaining in the period. The run was highlighted by a five-point possession when sophomore guard Peter Mafo (Lynn, Mass.) knocked down a three, got fouled, but missed the free throw. Westfield came up with two offensive boards on the possession with Collins converting a layup.

The rest of the half was tightly contested with Bridgewater's lead fluctuating between one and five points. A Carty traditional three-point play gave the Bears a 37-33 advantage with 1:18 showing on the scoreboard. Neither team would score again over the final 78 seconds.

Carty led all players with 11 points in the first half, while Armstrong, who did not miss a shot, added ten in 11 minutes. Burke paced the Owls in the opening stanza with nine points on perfect 4 of 4 shooting in just eight minutes.

The Bears shot 58% (15-26) over the first 20 minutes, while the Owls connected on 48% (13-27) of their field goal attempts. Bridgewater went 4-for-9 (44%) from behind the arc, while Westfield converted 5 of 13 (39%) shots from three-point range.

Three-pointers by Mass and Romanko helped the Bears extend the lead to eight points (45-37) in the opening minutes of the second half. The Owls responded with six straight points on four Shane Pasquantonio (Ashland, Mass.) free throws and a an Austin Joseph (Rockland, Mass.) jumper to cut the deficit to two, 45-43, as the clock ticked under 14 minutes.

Leading by one (47-46), the Bears ripped off ten straight points over a three-minute stretch on a pair of three-pointers by DeAndrade and Armstrong, two free throws from junior center Mike Wiederkehr (Bremgarten, Switzerland), and a DeAndrade driving layup.

Bridgewater's offense, however, went silent over the next six-plus minutes as the Bears went 1-for-9 from the floor and scored just four points during that stretch. Westfield was unable to take full advantage as the Owls made just 3 of 10 field goals during that same stretch.

A pair of Jesus Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) free throws made it a four-point game, 61-57, as the clock ticked under three minutes. Westfield, however, would not score again. The Owls had a chance to pull to within one on their next possession, but a three-pointer was off the mark.

Out of a timeout, Romanko drained a clutch three-pointer and, after a stop, knocked down another three to quickly extend the BSU lead to ten, 67-57. A layup by DeAndrade and a pair of Mass free throws rounded out the scoring as the Bears pulled away for the 71-57 victory.

Bridgewater shot 51% (26-51) for the game including 10-for-21 (48%) from behind the arc. The BSU defense forced 14 turnovers and held the Owls to 35% (19-54) shooting. The 57 points marked the fewest the Bears have allowed this season.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Wednesday evening at 5:30. The Bears head to North Adams to take on MCLA, while the Owls travel to Worcester State University.