Layup with 1.8 Second Seconds Left Sinks Bears in 66-64 Loss to Westfield

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman forward Grant Cooper (Northampton, Mass.) hit the game-winning layup with 1.8 seconds left to lift the visiting Westfield State University Owls to a 66-64 MASCAC men's basketball victory over the Bridgewater State University Bears on Saturday afternoon at the Tinsley Center.

With the win, Westfield improves to 10-6 on the season and 2-1 in the MASCAC, while Bridgewater falls to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

With the score tied at 62-62 with the clock winding down, a Lee Vazquez (Attleboro, Mass.) jumper gave the Owls the lead with just 30 seconds left to play.  Bridgewater senior forward Anthony Fortes (Providence, R.I.) drained a clutch jumper at the other end of the floor to knot the game at 64-64 with ten seconds remaining.  That would set up the game-winning score as Vazquez found a wide open Cooper under the basket who easily dropped in the layup to give the Owls the dramatic win.

Bridgewater had erased a late 14-point first half deficit as the Bears scored the final three points of the opening stanza to cut the deficit to 41-30 at the intermission.  Bridgewater carried that momentum into the second half as the Bears outscored the Owls, 16-5, over the first six minutes of the final stanza to tie the score at 46-46.  Neither team would lead by more than four points the rest of the way.

There were eight ties and six lead changes in the game including five ties in the second half.

Cooper paced Owls with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.  Vazquez added 13 points, six assists and two blocks, while junior center Matt Devine (Pembroke, Mass.) posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards while also blocking six shots.

The Bears had four players in double-figures with Fortes leading the way with a game and season-high 27 points.  Fortes also added four boards, five assists and three steals.  Senior center Samuel Johnson (North Chelmsford, Mass.) registered a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds while also recording a season and game-high seven steals.  Senior guard Corey Ryser (Tewksbury, Mass.) chipped in with ten points, four assists and a pair of steals, while freshman forward Michael Lofton (Mansfield, Mass.) came off the  bench to notch a double-double with 12 points and ten caroms before fouling out.

Westfield shot 49% (23-47) from the floor and blocked 12 shots led by Devine's six. The Owls entered the game ranked first in Division III in both blocked shots per game (7.5) and field goal defense (34.7%), while Devine leads all of Division III in blocks.  Bridgewater connected on just 36% (24-67) of their field goal attempts but also forced 22 turnovers which led to 14 points.

In upcoming action, Bridgewater hosts non-conference foe Trinity College on Tuesday night at 7:00.  Westfield  travels to MASCAC foe MCLA on Tuesday at  7:30.