Men’s Basketball Semifinal Preview vs MCLA

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State men's basketball begin their MASCAC Tournament quest on Friday, February 27 at 7:00 P.M. as the top-seeded Owls host the sixth-seeded MCLA Trailblazers in a conference semifinal game from the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass.  

VIDEO / LIVE STATS

THE MATCHUP
The Owls and Trailblazers meet for the third time this season as the two sides split the regular season series, both winning on their home court. MCLA handed the Owls their first conference loss of the season, 86-83 in North Adams in the middle of January. Craig Williams scored 22 points and five triples as the Trailblazers knocked down 14 three-pointers to pull off the victory.

In the second meeting of the season at the Woodward Center, Kenney Rogers and Keith Mency each scored 26 points and the Owls jumped out to a 17-point lead at halftime to cruise to a 95-76 win.

#1 Westfield State – 20-5 (12-2 MASCAC)
The Owls enter the postseason after securing the MASCAC regular season title and the number one seed in the tournament, receiving a first-round bye as a top two seed.

Westfield rolls into the tournament with five double figure scorers led by Rogers who's averaging 19.9 points per game. The sophomore forward is putting together quite the memorable season, reaching the 1,000-point career scoring mark in less than two full years while also setting the single-game program record with a 52-point outburst against Bridgewater State.

Junior guard Xavier Lewis is second on the team at 14.2 points per game with that number increasing to 17.3 points per game in league action. Lewis missed the second matchup against the Trailblazers due to injury but was dialed in for the other, scoring 21 points on 9-11 shooting and 4-4 from three-point land.

The Owls are tied for second in the MASCAC at 80.0 points per game and lead the conference in field goal percentage at 45.1 percent. Westfield is the number one rated defense in the league, allowing a conference-low 70.6 points per game with an opponent field goal mark of 40.5%, also lowest allowed in the MASCAC.

#6 MCLA – 9-15 (5-9 MASCAC)
The Trailblazers used a buzzer-beating three-point make by junior guard Colin Quinn to propel MCLA into the conference semifinals, upsetting third-seeded Salem State 76-73 on Wednesday night.

MCLA has proven to be a giant slayer in the conference this season, playing some of their best basketball against the top teams in the league as the victory on Wednesday night gave the Trailblazers a win against each of the top three teams in the MASCAC (Defeated second-seeded Worcester State 102-99 in double overtime during the regular season).

Williams is the Trailblazers top scorer, averaging 19.6 points per game which is third in the MASCAC behind Rogers and Jalen Jackson of Fitchburg State. In two games against the Owls this season, the senior guard is averaging 22.5 points per game. Quinn and Frank Field are the other two double figure scorers for MCLA with Quinn scoring 19 points in the quarterfinal game while Field checks in at 12.0 points per game.

Keeping the Trailblazers off the free throw line will be a point of emphasis for the Owls as MCLA leads the conference in free throw percentage at 71.7 percent. The Trailblazers also rely on the three-point ball, attempting the second highest among conference teams at 650.

The winner of Friday's semifinal game will advance to the MASCAC Championship game on Sunday. If the Owls win, they will host the title game at 1:00 P.M. If the Trailblazers pull off another upset, they will travel to either Worcester State or Framingham State.