Zach Epp cut across the paint with pace and purpose. He curled around his defender and finished inside the paint, giving Westfield its second consecutive bucket of the second half and forcing Immaculata to call a timeout. This cut Immaculata’s lead down to just 7 points. This spark of energy would propel the Blue Devils into a close game with the Spartans, but Westfield’s first half performance would haunt it in the end.
Immaculata showed versatility throughout the game, especially in the first quarter. Immaculata’s Josh Williams knocked down two 3-pointers while Davis Adams was getting boards for the Spartans, lengthening their possessions. Westfield was down by 12 after the first quarter.
Immaculata would knock down six threes over the course of the evening, while Westfield would only be able to sink one, a Peter Meixner shot deep in the fourth quarter.
Westfield trailed by 11 at the half but came out a completely different team at the start of the third. When asked what was said in the locker room at half time to ensure the change in energy, head coach Jim McKeon simply said that he told them to “play defense.”
Tyshawn Pearson did not take this statement lightly. Throughout the first half, he recorded many deflections and tipped balls, and in the second half capitalized with steal after steal. Pearson would finish with 10 steals on the night.
“Defense is basically our offense and we got easy fast breaks off of our defense,” said Pearson. TJ Halloran and Theo Sica also posted a defensive presence as they both took charges in clutch moments.
This defensive effort in the third quarter would hold the Spartans to only 9 points as the Blue Devils tallied 16. Westfield would only be down by four going into the fourth quarter, ensuring a battle on the court. The story for Westfield? Halloran. Halloran was the game’s leading scorer as he finished with 16 points while grabbing 3 steals.
After Halloran bolted into the passing lane of Immaculata’s offense and stole the ball, he was able to get an easy layup in transition and tie up the game at 47–47 with just over 5 minutes left.
“We weren’t hitting shots so I feel like as a captain and a leader I had to step up and make more shots for my team, get downhill, and try to get them in foul trouble,” said Halloran.
Shortly after, the Spartans tagged on an and-1 but missed the free throw, putting them up by just 2 points. But Westfield was unable to secure the rebound, and Immaculata capitalized on a 3-pointer to extend its lead to five, leaving the Blue Devils in a hole they were unable to dig themselves out of.
“The second opportunity points is what killed us tonight,” said McKeon. “We did not match their intensity.”
The rest of the game would be a cycle of fouling and free throws to stop the clock. Immaculata sank its shots from the line, granting it the win and handing Westfield its third loss in a row. Westfield now stands at 15-9 on the season as it enters the sectional tournament. The Blue Devils, the No. 5 seed, will play Watchung Hills, the No. 12 seed, at home on Tuesday.
