With less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the game was all but over. Westfield held a commanding lead, 56-41. They were ready to finish the weekend 2-0, adding this win against Oratory Prep to their dominant performance Friday night at Hillsborough. Even with the score tipped heavily in their favor, head coach James McKeon had not yet told his team to pull back. With the confidence of the last two games at full force, junior Tyshawn Pearson raced down the court, looking for an easy layup. Instead Pearson launched the ball off the glass as senior captain Shane Sheehan jumped up from the paint and dunked, securing Westfield’s victory and making one last dominant stand to win, 60-42.
This win, however, was not solely secured in the fourth quarter. The offensive momentum began in the second quarter. The first quarter was a battle trading leads between both teams. Suddenly, when the second quarter began with Westfield only leading by three, an offensive spark came from junior Enzo Ferrero. Ferrero would end up having 16 points throughout the game but also led the team in assists and continuously worked the ball around the outside of the paint throughout the second quarter.
This led to more offensive efficiency than the Blue Devils have had in quite a few games and allowed each person on the court to contribute with opportunities. Ferrero did not take all of the credit but attributed this offensive spirit to the team’s chemistry. “I feel like we all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We just try to play to each other’s strengths and limit each other’s weaknesses and that helps us keep it around and get it inside and back outside.”
The Blue Devils continued this trend in the third quarter, leading by ten and increasing their lead until the game ended. Offensive opportunities came from both inside and outside with Westfield, allowing fewer points than they have had in multiple games. Pearson and Sheehan continued to contribute, as well as sophomore Jake Russell who added points with large outside shots. Not only is this an important time for the Blue Devils to be playing their best basketball but this game shows that with the momentum the Blue Devils gained with their game on Friday, they will continue rolling on a winning streak right into playoffs.
McKeon understands that after Westfield’s domination over a solid Oratory Prep team, the Blue Devils need to take full advantage of the win. “It’s excellent. I think we are building off of what we did yesterday, back-to-back games of sharing the basketball and everyone getting their points in that way. I think we are starting to believe in each other and it’s a good time to do it.”
The boys look to keep their winning streak going on Tuesday when they face Plainfield at home, hoping to make it to 9-9 record for the season rolling into the Union County Tournament.
