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JERREY ROBERTS

Northampton seniors Pat Harrington, center, and Jesse Coulon, right, walk off the court at the end of their 65-61 loss to Westfield in a Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinal Tuesday night at AIC in Springfield.

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JERREY ROBERTS

Jesse Coulon of Northampton shoots on his way to passing the 1,000 career-point milestone during a Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinal Tuesday night at AIC in Springfield. Westfield won 65-61.

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JERREY ROBERTS

Northampton seniors Jared Murphy, on bench from left, and Cam Roach and juniors Grant Cooper, Jaron Kastner and Jarrod Neumann watch as junior guard Jake Laga, right, and Aaron Rogers of Westfield go after a loose ball during a Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinal Tuesday night at AIC in Springfield. Westfield won 65-61.

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JERREY ROBERTS

Northampton senior Ellis Cooper, left, moves the ball while defended by Joe Mead of Westfield during a Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinal Tuesday night at AIC in Springfield. Westfield won 65-61.

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JERREY ROBERTS

Northampton senior Jake Konowitch, right, eyes the basket after getting past Peter Fiorentino of Westfield during a Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinal Tuesday night at AIC in Springfield. Westfield won 65-61.

SPRINGFIELD - The Northampton boys basketball team overcame the odds and put on an amazing comeback in the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinal round Tuesday night.

There just won't be another game.

The Blue Devils trailed by 23 points at halftime and closed within two points with two minutes left but Westfield pulled out the 65-61 victory at American International College.

"I've been playing with these guys my entire life," Northampton senior Jesse Coulon said. "There's no team that I'm prouder than."

The fourth-seeded Bombers (14-8) will face No. 1 East Longmeadow (18-4) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game at the Curry Hicks Cage in Amherst.

The top-seeded Blue Devils finished 17-5.

"We're going to keep our heads up knowing we didn't give up," Hamp senior Ellis Cooper said. "My heart's broken but I can keep my head up."

The Blue Devils trailed 42-19 at halftime but Jesse Coulon shot them back in the game, and in the process scored his 1,000th career point.

"We knew we were a better team than that," Coulon said. "We knew we'd come back - it was just such a huge deficit."

Coulon opened the third with three straight 3-pointers. The shots sparked Northampton which outscored Westfield 21-7 in the third quarter.

Cooper then scored five of Hamp's first six points in the fourth as the Blue Devils closed within 50-46.

"Jesse's the type of player where he can have a bad half but he will have his game," Cooper said. "Don't count him out. He won#t drag his head."

Westfield though pulled ahead to 55-46 but Northampton went on a 12-5 run to pull within 60-58 with 2:17 left.

Alex Garstka (26 points) pushed the lead to four with two free throws on Westfield's next possession.

Cooper answered with a layup. He was fouled on the play but missed the free throw and chance to pull within one.

On Westfield's next possession, Spencer Phillips pulled down an offensive rebound but Cooper blocked the putback. Jake Laga then had a chance to give the Blue Devils the lead, but the junior missed a 3 with 1:06 remaining.

Jordan Santiago scored an open fast break layup to give Westfield a 64-60 lead with 1:01 left.

Cooper (24 points) added one free throw on Hamp's next possession but in the final 40 seconds, Laga and Cooper each missed game-tying 3-pointers and Garstka added one free throw to seal the win.

"We had some chances," Coulon said. "We came back from such a huge margin, it was hard to go any further. I wish we did - we just didn't quite get there."

The loss was bittersweet for Coulon, who finished with 17 points, including the milestone.

"It's a nice accomplishment," Coulon said. "It's a nice thing but ..."

Coulon entered the game needing 16 points to reach 1,000. He hit the mark when he banked in a 3-pointer with 3:47 left in the third quarter. The basket pulled Hamp within 57-52.

"I have to salute him for his 1,000 points but of course Jesse would trade that right now," Blue Devils coach Rey Harp said. "He would give up 100 points for what Westfield is doing Saturday."

Coulon, who will play basketball at Colby College in Maine next year, is one of the most successful players in Hamp history. Coulon was a part of 67 victories, three Suburban League titles and two trips to the sectional semifinal round. With four 3s against Westfield, Coulon finished his career with 183 career 3-pointers.

"Jesse was big and we jumped on his back as we've been doing for four years," Harp said. "That kid wins. Jesse's been winning for four years."

Garstka scored 18 points in the first half as Westfield made six 3-pointers en route to its halftime lead. "They were hitting shots," Laga said. "I haven't seen someone play that well in a long time. Everyone was hitting shots. I thought it was going to be a long night."

It was the final game for seniors Coulon, Cooper, Pat Harrington, Jake Konowitch, Connor Hart, Cam Roach, Joey Savarese and James Jakobek.

"It was a good time," said Laga of playing with the seniors. "I don't know how we're going to replace them."

First semifinal

East Longmeadow 71, Central 38 - The second-seeded Spartans (18-4) held the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles to 14 second-half points en route to the easy win at AIC.

East Longmeadow led 25-24 at halftime and outscored Central 28-9 in the third quarter to take control. James Bertier (14 points) and Mike Ahmed (11 points) combined for five 3-pointers in the third.

Dan Martin finished with a game-high 20 points for the Spartans, who advanced to their first-ever sectional championship.

Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com.