Everyone loves a good upset.
An unranked team, Westfield, facing the 6th ranked team in the state, Colonia, and their 63rd nationally ranked junior who just hit 1,000 career points, Aiden Derkack.
No matter, head coach James McKeon prepared his team like it was any other game. “We do what we do, we are worried about us more so than anyone else. Obviously, we knew we were going to face a good team, a player that’s ranked, and a couple coaches here watching him, but our kids thrive on those challenges. We were prepared.”
No one expected the unranked team to end on top, but Westfield won 53-47.
For many, winter break is a time to relax and maybe vacation with one’s family. For basketball players, winter break is a time to fit in more games in various holiday tournaments. The LeGrand tournament showcases a faceoff between Westfield and Colonia every year. It is a long-awaited game with alumni filling the stands and a large crowd to create a more competitive atmosphere.
The clammering stands foreshadowed the controversial officiating that was to come. With over three players fouling out, shouts and complaints were heard from all over the gym throughout the game’s entire duration.
Senior captain, Tyshawn Pearson said, “We didn’t let the refs get in our head, we just played basketball, since, at the end of the day it is just basketball. So, we played our pace and listened to the game plan.”
The first and second quarters were almost identical in pace and scoring. Both Colonia and Westfield favored an endurance-heavy gameplay, leaving most possessions determined by transition defense and fast-break layups.
The rapid tempo of the game allowed more room for error, leading to a multitude of turnovers and steals, thus resulting in a low-scoring first half. Pearson, who tallied 6 steals, said the Blue Devils “were just slumped” and started the game slow leading to “a lot of [their] turnovers.”
In the first quarter, Colonia scored 11 points, Westfield scored 6 points and vice versa in the second quarter. The teams entered their locker rooms tied 17-17. But, when the Blue Devils stepped back onto the court, it seemed like a completely different team.
During their halftime assembly, McKeon said to his team, “We played average basketball and we are tied.” With Colonia’s intimidating ranking, many believed the outcome of this game to be solidified by the second quarter, but the Blue Devils “did not play what [they were] capable of at all,” yet entered the third quarter essentially 0-0 with a little more perspective. McKeon said, “So we knew if we just played a little bit better, we would have an outcome.”
Gone was the hectic and hurried playing of the first half as Westfield slowed down and took their time on offense. The third quarter was dazzled with intense ball movement to shift the Colonia defense which led to calm and easy layups. The Blue Devils outscored Colonia 20-10, giving Westfield a lead moving into the fourth quarter, 37-27.
The biggest difference in the third quarter was Westfield’s focus on “sharing the basketball,” said McKeon. “A lot of people got to make baskets: Enzo [Ferraro] hit two big threes, Max [MacEacheron] hit big threes, Connor [Whelan] played great inside. It was a collective. It is nice to have a bunch of guys who want to play for each other and I think it showed in the third quarter.”
If not in attendance, the statistics speak for themselves. The Blue Devils ended the game with 14 assists, while Colonia only had 3.
Westfield’s versatility on offense forced Colonia to spread their defense. With more players in the paint to help stop junior Connor Whelan’s post moves and deter senior captain Zach Epp’s dangerous drives, Colonia left the perimeter vulnerable.
Noting this weakness, Westfield placed the ball in the hands of junior Max MacEacheron, who knocked down three 3’s, and senior Enzo Ferraro who landed two 3’s.
MacEacheron said, “[Colonia] had to over help on some of my teammates because they were getting to the rim really well, so I hit the open shots…[my teammates] know I can shoot. They trust me, and I trust them to get me the ball, so I hit those shots.”
Unlike Westfield, Colonia kept to their original plan of attack, ripping the ball from the net and speeding up the court in a chaotic manner. To their benefit, Derkack flourished at this pace and scored a good fraction of his 26 points in transition.
Although Derkack had over half of Colonia’s points, the Blue Devil defense connected well to stop his teammates. “We did really well [defensively] because what we’ve been lacking earlier in the season was communication, but I think today we really stepped it up. Everyone was talking, so we had everything pretty much locked down,” said Ferraro.
With two more games left in the tournament, McKeon said, “We need to prepare for the next one, they might not have a state ranking, but it’s the next biggest team we are going to face.”
The Blue Devils did in fact prepare for the next one, coming out on top against Franklin, 58-44 in their second matchup of the LeGrand Tournament on Dec. 28.
Westfield will close out the tournament against rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Dec. 30. After losing to the Raiders twice last season, the Blue Devils are hungry for revenge.
