Westfield owns a 6-3 record at the semester break. Fisher College, an NAIA school located in Boston, dropped to 3-8.
Jurkowski dominated the inside action by shooting a torrid 16-for-19 from the field. He made 10 of his final 11 field goal attempts as the Owls led 54-43 at halftime and built a 22-point lead, 85-63, with 6:34 remaining. The 6-4 power forward’s previous bests were 33 points and 16 rebounds in a home victory over Bridgewater State last Feb. 1.
Jurkowski did not record game-high scoring honors, however. Fisher senior Steve Perry (Staten Island, NY) poured in a career-high and Woodward Center record 38 points. The 6-2 guard-forward made 10 consecutive field goals during one stretch and finished 13-for-24 from the field.
Also posting career highs for the Owls were senior forward James Ogbunize (Springfield) with 12 rebounds and sophomore reserve guard Andy Deffer (Beverly) with 22 points. Ogbunize also had 12 points, four assists and three blocked shots.
Westfield sophomore guard Tony Collier (Colchester, VT) contributed 13 points, seven assists and three steals. The Owls dominated the boards, out-rebounding the outmanned Falcons, 56-32.
Michael Newcombe (Staten Island, NY) and Jofre Cruz (New York, NY) scored 20 and 17 points, respectively, for the Falcons, who dressed just eight players.
Westfield State’s next game is Thursday, Dec. 29, when it plays New York University (NYU) in the opening round of the College of Staten Island Tournament.