Westfield began the season with a rocky start. Losing three of their first four games, the Blue Devils were in desperate need of a momentum change. This change came with Westfield’s thrilling victory over Colonia on Dec. 27. Since then, the Blue Devils have improved to 5-4, winning four of their last five games.
Westfield’s Thursday matchup was a dominant display of Blue Devil defense. Allowing their fewest opponent points this season, Westfield prevented Plainfield from gaining any offensive momentum. Westfield had its highest amount of steals on the year with 13 and second-highest rebounds total with 36.
Despite these impressive numbers, the Blue Devils struggled in the first quarter as they trailed 10–5.
“It was a slow start today,” said head coach James McKeon. “Plainfield dictated the flow early.”
Plainfield’s momentum did not last very long, however, as Westfield was able to turn things around and go on a 13–2 run in the second quarter, taking an 18–12 lead at halftime.
The sloppy play by the Cardinals allowed Westfield to have possession of the ball for a majority of the second quarter. This is what allowed Westfield to slow things down on offense and run plays to get their shooters open and Shane Sheehan in place in the paint.
“Once we were able to control the pace in the second quarter we were able to go on a run and accumulate from there,” said McKeon.
Outscoring Plainfield 24–15 in the second half, the Blue Devils’ offensive spark secured their victory. Westfield was led by senior TJ Halloran, junior Sheehan, and sophomore Zach Epp. Halloran finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, Sheehan with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, and Epp with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
“Our team found success in the second half by moving the ball much better and using ball fakes. Ball fakes allowed us to get better passing lanes and open up the middle for better penetration,” said Halloran.
This was the first time the Blue Devils had faced a zone all year. This played a role in their first-quarter struggles.
“The shots weren’t falling and we realized we had to get better shots. We did that in the second half. We didn’t just settle, we took open shots. First half was a lot of first pass shots, and that’s not how you want to attack a zone,” said McKeon.
Passing the ball around and working the defense allowed Westfield to get into the paint and draw fouls. The Blue Devils attempted 16 free throws and made 12.
“We’re gonna try our best to carry this momentum. It’s Union County basketball and every day is a different adventure so we will take it one day at a time and keep growing. Seniors got to lead and young guys got to step up,” said McKeon.
The Blue Devils’ next game is against rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Saturday at 4 p.m.
