Westfield State Slips Past Men's Basketball, 75-72, in Opening Night of Pioneer Valley Hoop Classic
Box Score/Play-by-PlayAMHERST, Mass., December 1, 2006 - Springfield College sophomore forward John Strawson (Torrington, Conn.) came off the bench to pour in a career-high 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, but it was the Westfield State College Owls which edged the Pride, 75-72, in the opening night of the sixth annual Pioneer Valley Men's Hoop Classic hosted by Amherst College.
The first half of play was controlled mostly by SC, as the Pride went on an 11-0 run midway through the first stanza to take a 24-15 lead on a layup from Strawson at the 7:49 mark. SC went into the locker room with an eight-point edge (37-29), led by senior forward Damian Farley (Natick, Mass.) with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Over the first 6:40 of the second half, however, Westfield State (5-0) went on a 21-13 run to tie the game at 50 apiece. From that moment on it was back-and-forth, as neither squad led by more than three points for the remainder of regulation. With the Pride holding on to a one-point edge (72-71) and just 49 seconds left, Westfield State's Matt Badjo hit a baseline jumper on the ensuing possesion with 27 seconds left to give the Owls the lead for good. SC failed to regain the lead on its next possesion and was forced to foul with seven seconds remaining.
Farley finished with 15 points for the Pride on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Junior forward Gregg Daly (Farmington, Conn.) came off the bench to net a career-best 15 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds and a game-best two blocks. Freshman guard Ryan Blackmon (Stamford, Conn.) chipped in with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor in his first career collegiate start.
Westfield State was led by Curtis Gadles with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor and 3-of-4 shooting from three-point territory. Gadles netted 14 second-half points to help spark the Owls' comeback.
SC falls to 2-3 with the loss and will next take on third-ranked Amherst College on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 2) in the second round of the Pioneer Valley Hoop Classic. The game is slated for 3:00 p.m. Westfield State plays WNEC in the first game of the doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
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Head Coach Charlie Brock
Charlie Brock in 2009-10 will enter his 12th season as the head coach at Springfield College. Brock’s achievements as a coach are certainly impressive, as he has taken three schools to the NCAA Division III Tournament and has an overall, 29-year record of 394-363 for a winning percentage of .520. Read more.