Westfield lost Saturday night to conference rival Union Catholic, 54-44, in a tough away matchup.
Westfield came into Saturday’s game reeling from a tough loss against Union in its season opener. Placing their final hope in a last-second heave, the Blue Devils fell short of the Farmers by 3 points.
Looking for redemption, Westfield came into the game against UC with intensity. Dominating early on both sides of the court, it seemed to be a one-sided matchup. Westfield scored first with a 3-pointer from senior co-captain Theo Sica. From there the Blue Devils carried on, making most of their shots and pressuring Union Catholic with a barrage of midrange jumpers. The defensive end was just as impressive: In a physical showdown, the Vikings were held to a measly 6 points in the first quarter, falling behind Westfield, 14-6.
“We caused [the game’s] physicality, that’s what we do and that was the game plan from the beginning,” said head coach James McKeon. “Being physical is why we were in that game, and I think why we were in it for so long against the size that they had was because we were physical.”
Westfield continued to score offensively but struggled defensively in the second quarter. Though the Blue Devils held Union Catholic to only a single 3-pointer for the entire game, as time went on, it became harder for the Blue Devils to limit shots from midrange and in the paint. Forty-four of Union Catholic’s 54 points came from within the three-point line. The tide seemed to change in favor of Union Catholic with a buzzer-beater to end the half.
From the third quarter on, Westfield struggled on both ends of the court. Scoring 8 points in the third quarter and 5 in the fourth, Westfield offensively could not find the same success it did in the first half. Defensively the story was the same, Westfield unable to limit Union Catholic’s drives to the paint. Westfield committed various fouls as well that resulted in Union Catholic free throws, of which they went 7-13.
The Blue Devils did their best to fight their way back but were ultimately deterred by a Union Catholic team that employed the help of two sophomores whose heights were listed at 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11. The game slowly crept away from Westfield in the fourth as Union Catholic’s lead grew, but the score remained close until the final minute.
“We wanted to get more downhill, we went cold, and that has a little to do with fatigue, but that’s a learning process and I think these guys did an excellent job,” said McKeon. “We didn’t play slouches, we played a rival in [the Union County Conference] and a team that just recruited seven more people. We compete with the kids that love to be from Westfield and I would never want another group.”
In their second loss of the season there is upside in Westfield’s struggles. The Blue Devils have the athleticism and the skill to beat any team that comes in front of them and still have the anticipated return from injury of senior co-captain Peter Meixner to help the team. Westfield never gave up, and despite its shooting struggles, played a well-managed game and demonstrated impressive coordination. There is still a long season ahead as Westfield looks to its next matchup against 0-2 J.P. Stevens at home on Tuesday at 5:30 pm.
