Men's Basketball Falls to #21 Middlebury, 78-69 in NCAA Tournament

BROCKPORT, N.Y.  –   Westfield State seniors Jauch Green, Jr. scored 23 points and Moody Bey added 19, but the Owls fell to #21-ranked Middlebury, 78-69 in the opening round of the 2020 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament at the Vlogianitis Gymnasium on the SUNY-Brockport campus on Friday afternoon.

Westfield State's season comes to a close with a 20-8 overall record.

Middlebury (21-5) advances to seond round to play the winner of the #18 Brockport vs. Coast Guard game at the Vlogianitis Gym tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

Westfield led 40-32 at the half, but Middlebury came storming out of the gate in the second half, going on a 10-0 run to start the half, and used an 18-2 run early in the half to grab the lead, 47-42.

The Owls stayed in contention, grabbing a lead 51-49 on a Green drive, then led 53-49 when Moody Bey fed Brendon Hamilton in the post for a bucket.

Middlebury again grabbed a lead, but Westfield's Malik Pouncy tied the game at 61-all with a three pointer, but Middlebury's Ryan Cahill answered with a three pointer that gave the Panthers a 64-61 lead with 7:48 to play. After the media timeout, Cahill drained a three from the left corner as the shot clock was expiring to boost the Middlebury lead to 67-61 with 7:07 left in the game.

Westfield's last field goal came at the 6:12 mark, on a Green layup, and the Owls were just 6-12 from the foul line in that final stretch.

Middlebury finished 7-12 in the second half from behind the 3-point arc, after an ice-cold first half.

Westfield was 14-27 from the foul line for the game, while Middlebury was 14-18.

Middlebury outrebounded the Owls 55-38.  Westfield came into the game as the top rebounding team in the nation.

Green finished 9-19 from the floor, 1-7 from three point range, and 4-8 at the foul line.  Bey finished with eight steals and four assists to go with his 19 points.  Vawn Lord and Brendon Hamilton each added seven points for the Owls.

Tommy Eastman led Middlebury with 19 points while Max Bosco added 18.

Westfield led 40-32 at the half, closing the period on a 13-5 run in the final 2:53 of the half.  Green scored nine of the 13 points for the Owls in the critical stretch, with three drives and a long three points.   Middlebury's Bosco hit a three pointer at the buzzer to stop the bleeding for the Panthers.

Bey got the Owls off to a fast start, scoring on a drive to open the game and adding a steal and a dunk moments later for a 4-0 Owls lead.  Westfield led 9-2 early.

Middlebury opened the game shooting just 1-15 from three-point range, but Westfield couldn't take advantage until late in the half.  The Panthers finished the half 3-19 from behind the arc, but grabbed 10 offensive rebounds to generate additional chances and stay in the game.

Jack Farrell and Eastman paced the Panthers with eight points apiece in the opening frame.