Newcomer JT Thompson scored 26 points and Westfield State used a 23-6 spurt midway through the second half to swing momentum as the Owls topped Western Connecticut State 75-63 in the championship game of the WestConn Tipoff Tournament in Danbury, Conn. on Sunday afternoon.

Westfield trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, and trailed 34-28 at halftime.

Down 40-32 with 16:04 left in the game, the Owls embarked on a 23-6 spree over the next nine minutes, with Thompson netting 11 points in that span with three three pointers and a pair of free throws.

Westfield built its lead to as many as 10 points on several occasions, before a Justin Rennis dunk with four seconds left in regulation gave the Owls their largest lead, at 12 points, for the final margin of victory.

Westfield improves to 2-0 with the win, while Western Connecticut is 1-1. 

Thompson, a 6-4 junior who previously played at Division II Limestone College, finished 6-12 from three-point range on the day.

Rennis chipped in with 13 points Kuany Teng added 11. Jeremy Remigio added seven points and seven assists, and Brendon Hamilton (11) and Kumar Brown (10) both had double figures in rebounds for Westfield.

Wes Nelson led WestConn with 15 points.

The Owls will be back at home next weekend, facing Lyndon (VT) State in the opening round of the Hampton Inn/Rick Martin Tournament on Friday night at the Woodward Center.