Westfield’s Alex Brown (24) drives down the lane for a key basket late in the second half over the outstretched arm of Holyoke’s Justin White Monday night. (Photo by Chris Putz)
HOLYOKE – The Westfield High boys’ basketball team is feeling a bit black and blue these days, and on Monday night, even a bit … purple.
An injury-ravaged Westfield squad lost on the road to the Purple Knights in Holyoke, 53-44, to fall to 3-3. The Knights improved to 6-1.
The Bombers, who were already without guard Isiah Headly (injured against Central), lost mighty forward Devin Wells early in the second half to a knee injury. He is listed as day-to-day.
“It’s like the Celtics playing without Rondo and Garnett,” Westfield coach Bill Daley said. “We really struggled without Isiah and Devin Wells. Those are two guys we can least afford out of the lineup. But I think we’ll be OK. We still play hard.”
Westfield rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half.
Justin Hebert made two free throws to cut the Holyoke lead to nine points late in the third quarter, and Alex Brown (8 points) made a putback beneath the basket to bring Westfield within 39-32 heading into the fourth.
Westfield’s Kyle Murphy opened the final quarter with a two-point basket and Connor Sas (8 points) converted two free throw attempts to trim the lead to 39-36 with 5:37 remaining. Holyoke expanded its lead to seven points, but the Bombers fought back again.
Sas made two more free throws with 4:20 left, and Brown scored a low-post bucket 15 seconds later to bring Westfield within 43-40. After several failed offensive trips down the court from both teams, the Bombers finally nearly tied the game when Sas’s 3-pointer rattled in and out.
Holyoke cranked up its intensity, pushing the ball, forcing turnovers, and scored out in transition. The Knights quickly rebuilt its lead to double digits, effectively ending the game in a nearly 35-second span.
“We were careless with the ball,” Daley said. “(Westfield) fought – we didn’t give up. But we were somewhat limited with Devin and Isiah out.”
“We lost to a good team playing really well right now,” the Westfield coach continued. “We fought our way back without Devin and Isiah. That’s going to pay dividends in the future. …We’ll get to 10 wins someway, somehow.”
Holyoke produced a pair of high scorers in Justin White and Devante Wordell. The two Knights had 14 points apiece.
St. Mary’s Anthony Garde, right, slices past Pathfinder’s Sam Burgess during the final minutes of Monday night’s game. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
St. Mary 65, Pathfinder 42
St. Mary had four players with double-digit points production – Anthony Garde (14 points), Justin Crosby (13), Matt Plasse (13), and Sam Thresher (10) – in a home victory. The Saints improved to 4-2.
Southwick-Tolland bears down on defense against host Palmer on Monday night. (Photo by Chris Putz)
Palmer 58, Southwick-Tolland 46
Southwick (3-2) rallied from a 19-2 first-quarter deficit, pulling to within two points before losing on the road. The Rams pulled to within 31-18 at the half, and went on a 13-2 run to begin the third quarter to cut Palmer’s lead to 33-31.
Mark O’Neill led Southwick with 23 points. Rams’ Matt Olson finished with seven.
Dean Tech 77, Westfield Voc-Tech 57
Voc-Tech (0-2) trailed just 15-12 at the end of the first quarter and by 10 points, 35-25, at the end of the half before Dean Tech went on a 30-18 third-quarter run to decide the game.
“We were right in it,” Westfield Voc-Tech coach Kyle Dulude said. “They hammered us coming out of the half.”
Voc-Tech outscored the opposition 15-10 in the fourth quarter.
“They never quit,” Dulude said of his players. “They played all the way to the end which is great to see. Confidence is growing a bit. We’re going to try to build our team chemistry and keep growing.”
Nelson Roque finished with 18 points to lead Voc-Tech, who had all 12 players score. Connor Hebda had eight for the Tigers.
