Men's Basketball Garners Top Seed in MASCAC Tournament
Westfield receives a bye in the tournament’s first round, and will host a semifinal round game against the lowest remaining seed on Thursday, February 24 at the Woodward Center.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield University men's basketball team will be the number one seed in the upcoming Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament (view brackets), the conference announced on Sunday morning.
The Owls finished the regular season with a 20-4 overall record and a 10-2 mark in the MASCAC, which tied with Salem State for the best record in the league. Westfield garnered the top seed through a tiebreaker process that saw both teams split the season series, each winning on their own homecourt. Salem's loss to #3 Worcester State, while the Owls swept the Lancers proved to be the difference in Westfield obtaining the top seed and homecourt advantage throughout the tournament.
The MASCAC Tournament winner will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament.
Westfield is the de facto defending champion, winning the 2019-20 tournament title with a 81-77 victory over Worcester State in the title game. The conference did not contest a regular-season or tournament in 2020-21 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
The Owls return several regulars from that lineup, including MASCAC player of the year candidate Brendon Hamilton, a 6-6 post player who averages 15.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocked shots per game. Senior Justin Rennis is also a key holdover from the 2020 squad, as he averages 13.7 points, five rebounds and 2.4 assists per night.
Westfield receives a bye in the tournament's first round, and will host a semifinal round game against the lowest remaining seed on Thursday, February 24 at the Woodward Center. Game time will be determined once the tournament's semifinal rounds are set.