Westfield State’s Jose Allen pushes the ball in transition. (WSU File Photo)
WESTFIELD – It took three overtime periods, but the Westfield State men’s basketball team outlasted Regis College, 89-83, in its first game back from the holiday break Saturday afternoon at the Woodward Center.
After scoring just six points in the first 42 minutes of the game, Westfield State junior guard Jose Allen (Amherst, Mass.) scored 10 points and nailed two three-pointers—including the dagger with 30 seconds remaining—in the third overtime to lead the Owls to the victory. With Westfield up 82-79, Allen canned a gutsy three early in the shot clock to extend the lead to six and ice the game.
Westfield led by three with seven seconds remaining in regulation, but Regis was able to force overtime with a made free throw and on offensive rebound put back. After Chris Leak Jr. (New Haven, Conn.) made the first free throw to cut the lead to two, Jeff Tagger Jr. (Brockton, Mass.) raced in from outside the arc and put home the miss with four seconds left to force the first overtime.
Regis shot just 33 percent from the field for the game, but pulled down 25 offensive rebounds and scored 20 second-chance points to keep themselves close. Westfield also missed 19 of its 48 free throw attempts, including six in the final five minutes of regulation, to allow Regis to hang around.
In the second overtime, with Westfield trailing 73-71, Owls sophomore guard Phillip DiPhillipo (Orange, Mass.) went coast-to-coast in five seconds, scooping in a finger roll as he crashed into a student worker under the hoop with two seconds remaining to extend the game yet again.
Sophomore center Shane Pasquantonio (Ashland, Mass.) put the Owls on his back in the second half, registering a double-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks before fouling out late in the contest. Regis elected to guard Pasquantonio one-on-one in the post for the majority of the game and the 6-foot-6 center consistently picked on smaller defenders as the Owls ran their offense through him in the second half.
Regis College center and leading-scorer Sam Jean-Giles (Melrose, Mass.) fouled out at the end of regulation, opening the paint up even more for Pasquantonio. Jean-Giles (10 points, 10 rebounds) missed 13 of his 17 shots on the night, but hit a key three in the final minute of regulation to cut the Owls lead to two before Tagger’s last-second heroics.
Tagger tallied 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists before fouling out in the second overtime. Sixth man Ademola Afonja (Staten Island, N.Y.) carried the Pride after the break, registering a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) in the second half and overtime periods alone.
With Jean-Giles fouled out, and Pasquantonio guarding him with four fouls, the Pride went to Afonja
however, was injured on the final play of double overtime and was unable to return to the court for the final period.
Senior guard Hector Heredia (Lawrence, Mass.) played a game-high 51 minutes for the short-handed Pride, while senior guard Jordan Monts played 45 minutes and chipped in 15 points. Leak also registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
After picking up two quick fouls in the first half, Tchuijo Nkamebo (Amherst, Mass.) gave the Owls a great spark in the second half, finishing with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Junior guard Jesus Sanchez played a lackluster first half, but finished with 14 points and some key plays on the pick-and-roll in overtime to help seal the victory.
Sophomore guard Allister Williams chipped in eight points in 12 minutes off the bench, including a team-high seven points in the first half as he consistently beat his man off the dribble.
With the win Westfield State improves to 5-7, while Regis College drops to 2-6 with the loss. The Owls return to action on Wednesday, January 6 at 7:30 p.m., opening MASCAC play at Fitchburg State.
