Owls Claw Past Fighting Tigers, 68-65

Westfield State ran out to a 16-point  lead, but had to hold on down the stretch for a 68-65 win over SUNY-Cobleskill in a non-conference game in Cobleskill, N.Y. on Wednesday evening.

The Owls forced 20 turnovers in the first half from the Fighting Tigers in building the big lead. 

Westfield is now 5-6 overall on the season, while Cobleskill took their first loss of the season in slipping to 11-1.

The defensive pressure helped Westfield weather a rough shooting night on the road, as they connected on just 30 percent of their shots from the floor, and were just 5-29 (17 percent) from three-point range.

Westfield was led by 17 points  and nine rebounds from Jordan Grant (Gray, Maine), 16 points and six steals from Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.), and Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, Mass.) matched her season and career-high with 14 points.

The Owls held a 16 point lead, 61-45 entering the fourth quarter, but went ice cold from the floor in the period, connecting on just 3 of 16 shots and leaving the door open for the Cobleskill comeback.

SUNY trimmed the lead to as few as two points, 67-65 after a three pointer in the closing minute, but Grant connected on 1-2 from the line with less than 10 seconds to play, but a last second heave from the Tigers never had a chance to go and the Owls skipped town with the victory.

Logan Thayne led the Tigers with 21 points , 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.  Antonia May added 13 points and 12 boards.

For Westfield, it was the final game before finals and the holiday break.  The Owls will return to action after Christmas for a pair of games at the Puerto Rico DIII Classico in San Juan on Dec. 29 and 30 against McMurray (Tx.) and the University of Rochester (NY).

In a scheduling quirk, the Westfield State men's basketball team will play at Cobleskill on Thursday night.