After a series of free throws from Union Catholic to cut the lead to just one, the opposing crowd felt a rush of momentum, and it looked like the Vikings were going to claw their way back to a victory. With under four minutes left and a one-point lead, junior Mairin Fowler seized her opportunity to sign her name in the history books by nailing her seventh three-pointer of the game: tying the single-game program record and securing a comfortable position for her team to go on to defeat UC 61-56 in the Union County Tournament semi-finals.
Westfield had multiple contributors in last night’s game, including a double-double from senior Sophie Lane with 19 points and 10 rebounds, 7 points from senior Darby Hubner and an all-around performance from senior Megan Logan with 4 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 3 steals. The star of the night, however, was undoubtedly Fowler with 27 points. Head coach Liz McKeon said, “[Fowler] is so composed in these big games and that’s because of her relentless work ethic and pure want to win every time she steps on the court.”
Going into the game, the team needed the win. In the Blue Devils’ last game against UC on Feb. 3, they lost 51-53. Fowler said, “We went into the game just wanting revenge. We were really disappointed with how our last game against UC went and our poor endgame execution. So we took that anger and brought it into this game.”
As the clock inched towards zero, a series of controversial calls gave the Vikings multiple free throws to cut the lead to just one. A suffocating full-court press led to a Westfield turnover. With all of the momentum leaning towards UC, Fowler secured a clutch rebound and was subsequently fouled. She proceeded to bury both free throws, topping off her tremendous performance and cementing Westfield’s victory. McKeon said, “[Fowler] is a great leader. What she did today was tremendous. It wasn’t a fluke. She waits for her time to shine, and she did a great job.”
In the first half, both Hubner and Logan received two personal fouls, prompting McKeon to take them out. Fowler said, with them getting pulled off the court, “I feel like I just needed to step up and provide some points for us in a time where we really needed it. I think just getting through that part was key to us staying in the game. We could have gone down. We could have lost control of the game, but instead, we just powered through, and then once the fourth quarter came.”
The Blue Devils will be back in action on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the County Finals against New Providence.
