Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Lancers (12-8, 6-1 MASCAC) tipped off against the Westfield State Owls (15-6, 6-2 MASCAC). Worcester has a half game lead in the MASCAC over Westfield State and are fighting for a first place spot in the MASCAC Championship. The last three years has seen a MASCAC final with Westfield and Worcester, so top seeding could be paramount to the important home court advantage in the championship.

Final

Worcester State: 81

Westfield State: 80

How it Happened:

Lancers junior Brandon Goris (Bronx, NY) started the game out strong with a reverse layup after getting a tip off from junior Aaron Nkrumah (Worcester, MA) to start the action, but it was quickly followed by a rebounded layup from Owls Senior Brendon Hamilton (Worcester, MA) which would set the tone early in the back and forth battle. Nkrumah would record five points in the first 3 minutes, putting Worcester into the early lead, 9-5. A foul called on junior Johnny Annan (Worcester, MA) would lead the Owls Hamilton to the line, who makes both free throws, putting the Owls up by a one point lead. Worcester would soon find themselves in foul struggles with two quick on senior Ryan Rubenskas (Bridgewater, MA) and two on Annan at the 15:30 mark in the action. As both teams focused on keeping a lead, sophomore Juju Omot (Springfield, MA) made a layup for the Owls which was quickly followed by a steal from senior Kuany Teng (Manchester, NH) to push the score to 18-15 Owls. Worcester, struggling to make shots, still kept up with Owls on the defensive end, chipping away at the score. Goris would put in a layup with 2 seconds left in the period to bring the game to within 10 as each team headed back to the locker-room for a debrief and reset into the second half of action.. The end of the first set would see the score settle with the Owls up 39-29. 

In a return to action for the second half, a quick start from senior Sam Dion (Barre, MA) would see three points added to the Lancers score off a rebound of two missed shots. Worcester would stand strong in the half as they fought back to keep up with the Owls, senior Rubenskas scored two points at the line from a fouled layup, which would bring the Lancers to just three points behind the Owls. An ensuing layup from Goris would cut the Owls lead to just two as Worcester chipped away at the score, keeping this a neck and neck game. After a three minute scoreless back and forth stretch, first year Xavier Lewis (Wheatley Heights, NY) would break the drought with a layup. Worcester, not counting themselves out of the play, would answer with a Rubenskas layup of their own. Junior Suubi Nkugwa (Chelmsford, MA) would go up for a quick burst three, grabbing a foul on the attempt and sending him to the line, where he would knock down each attempt, tying up the game with just over 10 minutes of action remaining. Worcester would find themselves in a bit of a pinch a few minutes later as they were tabbed with two fouls that resulted in a four point lead for Westfield. Nkrumah would look to slow down the Owls offensive surge,  retaliating with three threes back-to-back to bring the game back to a 62-62 tied game. Senior Brendon Keaveny (Quincy, MA) would answer Nkrumah's challenge with a three to bring Westfield right back into the lead forcing Worcester to call a regrouping time out. Coming out of the time out, junior Angel Price-Espada (Cambridge, MA) would hit a three to bring another level of intensity to the game, and helping to push the Owls lead to nine points. Another Worcester timeout was needed with 2:27 left of the game as the Lancers looked to strategy to reclaim the momentum and the lead. The initial momentum would go the Owls way out of the break, before Worcester was again able to chip down at the lead. Keaveny's foul on Goris would lead him to the line and bring the game back to just seven points. Dion would control the rebound on the missed foul shot, dishing the pass to Rubenskas to bring the game to within five. In a game of strategy, the Lancers would send the Owls to the line in hopes of grabbing the rebound on the shots, which would work to their advantage as Nkrumah would snag the missed second shot which would set up a Dion three 35 seconds to go in the second, and seeing Worcester just three points down. Dion would come in clutch again, knocking down a jump shot to make it a single point lead. The Lancers would again send the Owls to the line as Espada would miss his first free throw in a one-in-one allowing graduate student Zion Hendrix (Charlotte, NC) to score his first basket of the game and the Lancers lead with just eight seconds remaining. A turnover, which was stolen by Goris, would complete the second half comeback and seal the Lancers 81-80 victory over the Owls.

 Nkrumah would highlight the day with 36 points and 14 rebounds, to record a double-double in the game, going 8-11 from the line.

Worcester State, with the win, moves to (13-8, 7-1) while Westfield now sits at (15-7, 6-3). Worcester State is back in action next Wednesday, when they travel to Bridgewater State for a 7:30pm start. Westfield will also return to the court next Wednesday when they head to Fitchburg State for a 7pm start.