DANBURY, Conn. – The visitors from Worcester State University staged a second-half comeback to defeat the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team 96-93 in a non-conference matchup Thursday night at Feldman Arena.
For Western, senior Phil Starks (Hartford, Conn.) led all scorers with 30 points, while senior Luis Bridtter (Stamford, Conn.) recorded a double-double with 23 points to go with 10 rebounds for the Colonials. Junior Tre'Von Perry (Waterbury, Conn.) also hit double-digits with 10 points.
Western scored off the opening tip on a jumper by Starks for an early 2-0 lead, but one minute later Worcester State took a 5-4 lead after a 3-pointer by Shakir.
Midway through the first half, Worcester State still held a one-point lead, 23-22, but 20 seconds later the Lancer lead was four points, 27-23, after a jumper by Ryan DiBernardo (Springfield, Mass.).
Worcester State still led by four with five minutes remaining, but Western then went on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 41-36 lead.
After a Shakir 3-pointer cut the Western lead to two points, Bridtter hit a free throw in the closing seconds of the half to make the Western lead 44-41 going into the locker room at intermission.
Baskets by Brooks and Santos in the first minute of the second half put Worcester State in the lead 45-44, but Western responded with a 6-2 run for a 50-47 lead after a jumper by Bridtter.
With 12 minutes to play, the Western lead remained three points, but the Lancers went on a 7-2 run to take a 70-68 lead midway through the period.
Western quickly recaptured the lead and led 76-72 after a Starks jumper, and pushed the margin to five points, 79-74 after a pair of Bridtter free throws with six minutes remaining.
Western held its final lead, 83-82, with three minutes remaining, before Worcester State went on a 5-0 run, putting the visitors in the lead for good.
With Worcester State leading 90-86 with just under a minute to play, the game's final minute came down to Worcester State's ability to hit free throws.
With four seconds remaining and Worcester State leading by two points, senior Manny Cabral (Roslindale, Mass.) hit one of two free throws, giving Western one last chance to tie the score and send the game to overtime. Starks had a good look at a 3-pointer from the left side beyond the 3-point line, but his shot caught just enough of the rim that the ball caromed out, giving the visitors a 96-93 victory.
For the game, Worcester State held a 48-46 advantage in rebounds, as well as an edge in assists, 12-11. Western finished shooting 45.8% from the floor and 62.5% from the line, while Worcester State hit 50.7% and 60.0%, respectively.
With the loss, Western moves to 5-3 on the season, while Worcester State improves to 5-5. The Colonials return to action on Saturday, December 12, when they host Little East Conference rival Southern Maine at Feldman Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00pm. Worcester State has a break before playing Roger Williams at Clark University on December 29.
Release Courtesy of Western Connecticut Sports Information