Box ScoreChicopee, Mass. - December 4, 2009 -Springfield College’s Pat Crean scored a team-high 22 points and Matt Cavalieri swatted four shots to help lift the Pride to a 66-56 victory over Westfield State College in the second game of Friday evening’s Pioneer Valley Classic men’s basketball game at Picknelly Arena.
With the win, Springfield improves to 2-4 on the season, while Westfield State falls to 4-2 overall.
Springfield took a nine-point lead into intermission behind a 16-point effort from Crean. The Pride’s Ryan Coburn netted 12 of his 14 total points in the opening stanza.
Westfield State’s Anthony Griffin scored 13 points in the second stanza to spark the Owls’ comeback effort, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride never gave up the lead in the second half.
Cavalieri finished with a game-high eight rebounds and nine points in addition to blocking four shots in the winning effort for Springfield. Trevor DiMicco contributed seven of the Pride’s 14 points off the bench.
Springfield converted on 23 of 31 free throws (74.2 percent) and scored 19 points on turnovers to help seal the victory.
Westfield State’s Derek Leab finished with 16 points and collected seven rebounds in the losing effort. The Owls pounded both the offensive and defensive glass, out-rebounding Springfield 52-38 en route to scoring 15 second-chance points. Joe Dicruttalo also had seven rebounds.
Springfield will play No. 13 Amherst College in the third game of the 2009 Pioneer Valley Classic. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. Westfield State will meet No. 20 Elms College in the final game of the tournament. Tip-off of that contest is slated for 6:00 p.m.
Charlie Brock in 2012-13 will enter his 15th season as the head coach at Springfield College and his 33rd season as a head coach overall. Brock’s achievements as a coach are certainly impressive. He has taken three schools to the NCAA Division III Tournament and has an overall, 32-year record of 440-397. Read more.