Jordan Santiago scored 15 of Westfield’s first 20 points on his way to a career high 23 points. (File photo by David Fried)
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Junior guard Jordan Santiago scored a career high 23 points to lead the fast-starting Westfield State University men’s basketball team to a 54-46 victory over Wesleyan University on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Led by Santiago’s hot shooting from long range, Westfield got off to a blistering start in this non-conference matchup, jumping out to an 18-8 lead after 7:05 and eventually a 25-13 margin in the first half. In the second half, the Owls snapped a 35-35 tie with 7:16 left and went on to capture eight-point victory. In doing so, Westfield posted its first-ever victory against Wesleyan in seven all-time encounters.
Santiago, a Westfield High graduate who led his team to a Western Mass. finals berth, scored 15 of Westfield’s first 20 points and also tallied five points at the foul line in the final 2:11, helping Westfield pull away.
Junior Grant Cooper, who finished the game with a double-double on 14 points and 14 rebounds, scored the go-ahead basket and added a free throw on a traditional 3-point play with 6:30 on the clock for a 38-35 lead the Owls never relinquished. He added three of the Owls next five points, all at the line, for a 43-38 margin with 3:21 on the clock.
Westfield netted 12 of its last 14 points from the line over the closing five minutes of the game. Senior center Carl Stewart, who made three from the stripe down the stretch, added 13 points for the Owls in the game.
Wesleyan got the sixth double-double of the year in eight games this season from sophomore Rashid Epps, as he picked up 11 points along with a game-high 15 caroms. Senior Glen Thomas led Wesleyan with 13 points while sophomore Joe Edmonds added 10. Both had eight rebounds as well.
Down 27-18 at halftime, the Cardinals used a 17-7 run at the start of the second half to take their first and only lead of the game, 35-34, on a pair of free throws by sophomore BJ Davis with 7:43 remaining. But a Stewart free throw knotted the count 27 seconds later before the Owls finished the game with a flurry.
This was the final game of the first semester for Wesleyan, which is back on the court in game mode Dec. 30 at home against Curry in its next start. Ahead for Westfield is a trip to Lyndon State, Vt., on Monday, Dec. 9.
