WORCESTER, Mass. - Sophomore Chris Cardoso (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) scored a game-high 24 points on Thursday evening as the Worcester State University men's basketball team topped Westfield State by a score of 80-73 in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference action at John P. Brissette Court.
Both teams move to 10-9 overall this season with the result, and 3-3 in the MASCAC.
The teams played a tightly contested opening half, which saw the Lancers take a narrow 35-34 lead into the locker room. A 7-0 Lancer run midway through the half, led by a Frantz Francois (Boston, Mass.) three and a pair of Shaun McCarthy (Oxford, Mass.) lay-in, was the only momentum one side was able to grab in a half that featured six ties and eight lead changes. Westfield's Christopher Prophet (Springfield, Mass.) led all players with 14 points in the period.
The two teams traded baskets for the first eight minutes of the second half before the Lancers pulled away 12-0 run over the span of just two and a half minutes, taking their largest lead of the game at 61-51 lead with 9:57 to play. Westfield State would mount a furious comeback, tying the game at 63 just minutes later, but could not finish the deal. The Lancers were 7-of-8 from the free throw line down the stretch, closing out the victory.
Cardoso was one of four Lancers in double figures in the win. McCarthy scored 18, Francois 16, and junior Tyler Dion (Barre, Mass.) scored 15 in the victory. Jauch Green, Jr. (Hartford, Conn.) led the Owls with 22 points, followed closely by Prophet's 20 and 14 points from Malik Pouncy (Mattapan, Mass.). Worcester State held the Owls scoreless from beyond the arc on the evening, as Westfield State went 0-for-10 from distance in the loss.
Worcester State will be back in action on Saturday with a home contest against Salem State at 1 p.m. Westfield returns to the court the same day with a 12 p.m. tip-off at MCLA.
(recap courtesy Worcester State Sports info)