Lancers Make it Five in a Row in Conference With Win over Bridgewater

Worcester, MA- After an exciting week of MASCAC action for the Lancers Men's Basketball team (7-10, 5-1), Worcester travelled to Bridgewater to help solidify the first wave of conference games in the battle for postseason seeding.

Final

Worcester State: 101

Bridgewater State: 93

How it Happened:

Worcester was off to the races fast with senior Johnny Annan (Worcester, MA) basket, but Bridgewater met each challenge the Lancers put on the court early. The teams began a back-and-forth scoreboard with the lead consistently changing hands. Midway through the first, the team would find a two-minute stretch of unwavering defense until junior Dajon Burton (Brockton, MA) broke the defensive stronghold, which would find Worcester jump to a five-point lead. The Bears would not sneak away, though, bringing the game back to a tie at 20-20 tie. Sophomore Rayan Sablon (Stoughton, MA) would sink a layup with just over five minutes in the half left, and with the addition from sophomore Jaydon Buckle (Windsor Locks, CT), Worcester again began to expand their lead.

Worcester State began the second half with good defensive intensity.  Annan and  Buckle demonstrated this by not only forcing stops but also converting opportunities from fast breaks. Buckle scored back-to-back baskets, with the second one coming after a strong finish off a pass from Sablon. After another score by Worcester on a layup inside from sophomore Joe Okla (Worcester, MA), it was Sablon's steal that allowed Worcester to maintain their momentum. With Annan leading the way on offense and keeping Bridgewater from scoring on the defensive side of the ball, Worcester built up a lead. By the middle of the half, two three-pointers by junior Daniel Wondie (Seattle, WA) allowed Worcester to extend their lead to double figures. When Bridgewater tried to come back into the game, Worcester responded with patient offense and strong defense, culminating in a dunk from Annan and continued free-throwing shooting from Okla. 

After eight minutes into the game, Worcester State kept pushing the pace largely due to strong play in the paint by Joe Okla, who made one of several layups for the Lancers after an Annan assist to expand the Lancers' lead to 15 points. Bridgewater had multiple chances at the free-throw line but could not capitalize on those opportunities and fell to a disciplined offense by Worcester State coming out of a timeout, as junior Ethan Daleba (Dorchester, MA) hit a jumper to create space. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Okla again scored in the paint from a Sablon assist, and Buckle helped Worcester State by getting a defensive rebound and shooting free throws to help Worcester State build a lead. In the final moments of the game, Johnny Annan created a turnover with a defensive steal, Okla collected a defensive rebound, and Buckle sealed the victory at the free throw line to secure a Worcester State victory, 101-93.

Okla led the Lancers in the action with 26 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double in the action.

What's Next:

The Blue and Gold (8-10, 6-1) are back on the road this weekend as they make the trip west to MCLA for a 2 pm start.