Salem, Mass. -- Andre King (Springfield, MA) scored 23 points as the Owls of Westfield State sailed past the Vikings of Salem State 77-61 Wednesday Night at Twohig Gymnasium. The Owls improve to 15-6 on the season and increase their Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) record to 8-1. The Vikings slide to an even 11-11 record with a 3-6 mark in the MASCAC. The Salem State Athletic Department hosted its annual "Think Pink Night" night, sponsored by Seaport Credit Union, during the college's men's and women's basketball games tonight. It was a highly successful event that raised awareness and collected funds for the continued research of breast cancer.

The Owls high tempo offense wasted no time as they jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the first four minutes of the contest. Westfield State was led by Grant Cooper (Springfield, MA) who took over the game in the first half, finishing with 14 points and four rebounds. The Vikings' defense struggled containing Cooper and the Owls' big men as they were outscored 24-10 in the paint. Salem State also ran into early foul trouble as they committed six fouls in the first five minutes including center Chris Parenteau (Lancaster, MA) who took two early fouls, limiting his time on the floor. Salem State turned the ball over nine times in the first half that allowed Westfield State to convert 11 points off those nine turnovers. The Vikings relied heavily on the play of their bench as starting five only combined for seven points while the reserves totaled 23 points. Anthony Hodges (Worcester, MA) and Drew Healy (Lowell, MA) combined for 15 points while coming off the bench for Salem State. After a Healy jumper cut the deficit to seven, the Owls would separate from their host by as much as 17 points before the end of the half, and would take a 42-30 lead into halftime.

King exploded for 14 points in the second half as Westfield State would maintain a lead that would not sink below 13 points. King shot 8-16 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc as he finished with 23 points leading all scorers. The Owls took their largest lead of the night at 60-38 after Dan Tessier (Uxbridge, MA) made a free throw.  FreshmenShaquan Murray (Boston, MA) and Healy led the Vikings, combining for 27 points, but Salem State shot just 37.9% (22-58) from the field. The Owls dominance stood the whole game as they didn't lose sight of the lead once Wednesday night. Jose Allen (Amherst, MA) also scored in double digits as he contributed with 11 points on 4-7 shooting as Westfield State cruised to a 77-61 victory. Hodges finished with 10 points for Salem State.

The Vikings season resumes on February 14th when they travel to Framingham State to take on the Rams at 3:00 p.m. Westfield State takes on the Lancers of Worcester State on February 14th as well. Game time is 3:00 p.m.