DUDLEY, Mass. – The Westfield State men's basketball team rallied for a 73-67 victory over Nichols College Saturday afternoon in non-conference action. Nichols (2-2) came back from a 10-point deficit to carry a three-point lead into the half, but the Owls (4-0) capitalized in the second half with 15 points off of Nichols' 10 turnovers en route to their fourth-straight win of the season.

Sophomore center Chris Smith (Moosup, Conn.) paced the Bison with his first double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including 10 defensive snags. Senior captain Jeff Lindgren (Sturbridge, Mass.) recorded a team-high 15 points, with 11 coming in the first half, while Lorenzo Atkins (Gainesville, Fla.) added 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Junior guard Brandon Mauer (Pittsfield, Mass.) led Westfield State with 17 points, while senior guard Dave Jaehnig (Quincy, Mass.) added 14; both picked up three rebounds. Senior forward Matt Badjo (Worcester, Mass.) led the Owls on the glass with eight rebounds, including six defensive grabs.

After the two teams traded baskets in the early going, the Owls jumped out to a 17-8 lead capped by a pair of free throws from Mauer. The Bison cut Westfield's lead to four on a pair of Atkins layups and a free throw from Chris Paquin (Barre, Mass.), but the Owls went on a 9-3 run to hold a 10-point lead midway through the first.

The Bison chipped away at the Owls' lead and took the lead, 32-30, on a Smith jumper with 45 seconds left in the half. Paquin hit another free throw to give Nichols the three-point advantage into the break.

The teams traded the lead seven times in the second half, including three times in the opening five minutes as Asa Abbott (New Paltz, N.Y.) traded four baskets and a three-pointer with the Bison. Abbott finished with 13 points in the game.

Nichols went on a 6-0 run to take a six-point lead just past the midway mark of the half, but Westfield came right back into it, and after tying the game at 63-63 with 2:38 left, the Owls hit six-straight free-throws to take a 69-63 lead with 44 seconds left on the clock.

A Lindgren free throw cut the Owls' lead to five, but two more from the charity stripe and a Johnny Dunbar (Roxbury, Mass.) layup with 14 seconds remaining sealed the game.

Nichols is idle until an 8 p.m. game at Worcester State on December 2. Westfield State travels to Elms for an 8 p.m. game on Tuesday. 

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