WESTFIELD, MA—The Worcester State men’s basketball team overcame a 10-point deficit over the final nine minutes to edge top-seed and defending conference champion Westfield State 73-71 on Sunday in the MASCAC finals at the Woodward Center.
The dramatic comeback win earns the Lancers (15-12) an automatic berth to the NCAA Division 3 Tournament. The full tournament brackets will be announced on Monday, March 2 at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com. Worcester State’s opening round opponent as well as the location of the game will be revealed at that time. A public screening of the selection show will be held in room 204 of Worcester State’s Wellness Center.
Daniel Wondie and Johnny Annan led a balanced Lancers offense with 16 points apiece while tournament MVP and Worcester native Joe Okla finished just shy of yet another double-double with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Coming into the game, Okla had only made six three-point field goals all season, but knocked down three against Westfield State (21-6) to keep Worcester State within striking distance.
Overall, the Lancers hit seven of 12 three-point attempts (58 percent) while the Owls struggled from long-range, hitting just three of 14 (21 percent). The Worcester State defense also turned up the heat on the interior with seven blocked shots, four courtesy of Annan.
Jaydon Buckle added 11 points and six assists for the Lancers and Ayme Daguilh turned in a strong performance off the bench with nine points on four of five shooting from the field.
Westfield’s leading scorer Kenney Rogers topped all scorers with 24 points but managed to hit only one of six three-point attempts and committed a game-high five turnovers.
The MASCAC title marks the first of head coach Al Pettway’s career at Worcester State in just his second season. Pettway, who led Worcester’s North High to back to back state championships in 2023 and 2024, will make his first appearance in the NCAA Division 3 Tournament as a college coach. The all-time leading scorer for the Lancers with 2,205 career points, Pettway played in the NCAA Tournament as a Worcester State senior 32 years ago in 1994.
The MASCAC title is the first for the Lancers since 2024 when they defeated Bridgewater State 80-79 in overtime. Including Sunday’s final, the last six MASCAC championships have been won by either Worcester State (2026, 2024, 2023) or Westfield State (2025, 2022, 2020).
Worcester State opened the 2025-26 season winning only three of 12 non-conference games, but rebounded with an 11-3 mark in MASCAC play to earn the number two seed in the playoff
tournament. During the regular season, the Lancers fell at Westfield 85-64 on January 10 and dropped an 84-72 decision to the Owls at home on February 4.
With just over three minutes remaining in the game, the Owls held a 66-61 advantage when Wondie canned a three-pointer amidst contact and converted the ensuing free throw to complete a dynamic four-point play which cut the deficit to 66-65.
Once play resumed, the Westfield State bench was hit with an untimely technical foul that gave the Lancers two more free throws. Wondie stepped to the line and drained both to put Worcester State up 67-66 with 2:45 remaining.
After a Westfield basket put the Owls back on top 68-67, Annan put in a layup to give the Lancers a 69-68 advantage with one minute left. Clinging to a one-point lead with 38 seconds to play, Worcester State needed a defensive stop. Buckle applied strong defensive pressure and dove for a loose ball near mid-court, knocking it off a Westfield player and out of bounds in what turned out to be a game-winning turnover.
The Owls were forced to foul with 10 seconds left and Okla hit both free throws to put the Lancers up 71-68. On the next possession, Rogers missed a three pointer with four seconds to go and Westfield was forced to foul once again. Buckle then canned two clutch free throws to put Worcester State on top by five at 73-68.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Westfield’s Jason James hit an improbable three-point heave from halfcourt to cut the deficit to 73-71 with less than one second remaining. The Owls were then forced to foul yet again. Annan missed both free throws but time expired and the Lancers hung on for a dramatic two-point win.
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
