Westfield’s Dan Tessier (far left) and Matt Devine eye a loose ball along with three Framingham players. (Photo by Mickey Curtis)
WESTFIELD – Senior guard Lee Vazquez scored a game-high 25 points to lead Westfield State University to a 71-51 victory over Framingham State University in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men’s basketball on Saturday afternoon.
Westfield improves to 13-4 overall and 3-2 in the MASCAC; Framingham is 8-10 and 1-5. The Rams had lost their previous four MASCAC games by margins of eight points or fewer.
Led by 16 points from Vazquez in the game’s final 11 minutes, the Owls put together two scoring surges to pull away from the Rams.
Harassing Framingham with a full court press, Westfield went on an 8-0 spurt to take a 53-41 lead with 10:25 remaining. Sophomore guard Jordan Santiago – a local product from Westfield High School – sparked the mini-run with six points of his nine points, including two straight steals that led to easy layups.
Leading 55-47 at the 7:39 mark, Westfield finished Framingham with a 16-0 scoring surge led by 12 points from the explosive Vazquez, a 5-6 guard from Attleboro.
Westfield also had a scoring run in the first half to take a 37-28 intermission lead. Vazquez nailed a 3-pointer to cap an 11-0 run that gave the Owls an early 19-8 lead.
David Soto (left) and Tchuijo Nkamebo apply heavy full court pressure on Framingham’s Timothy McCarthy. The Owl reserves played key roles in the 20-point victory.
Westfield moved the ball well offensively and shot 54 percent from the field, including 58 percent in the second half. The Owls forced 21 turnovers and outrebounded the Rams, 33-28.
Westfield senior center Matt Devine finished with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Also scoring in double figures was sophomore forward Grant Cooper with 10 points. Senior forward Ryan White finished seven points, eight rebounds and game-high six assists.
Nine players scored for the Rams but senior guard Tyrone Figeuroa was the only player in double figures with 11 points. The Rams shot 39 percent from the floor.
