Fitchburg State Falls At Clark, 84-71

Henneberry sparks Falcons with 23 points in season opener

WORCESTER, Mass. (November 15, 2010) –The Fitchburg State men’s basketball team opened its 2010-11 season this evening, falling to Clark University, 84-71 in non-conference action.

TOM HENNEBERRY

Junior Tom Henneberry (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) led the Fitchburg State offensive attack with a team-high 23 points, shooting 9-of-17 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from three point range. The first-year Falcon added eight caroms to the mix, while senior Elliot Knower (Baldwinville, Mass./Narragansett) notched 14 points with 8-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe. Sophomore Adam Fahey (Auburn, Mass./Auburn) was also solid in his Falcon debut, totaling 13 points and four rebounds on the night.

Midway through the first half, Fitchburg State held a strong ten point lead as Fahey connected for seven consecutive points, but Clark halted the Falcon surge with a 13-0 run of its own to post a three point margin at the 6:53 mark. Henneberry put Fitchburg State back on top, 32-29 with back-to-back three’s, but Clark had the final say of the frame, posting a 10-3 run over the final three minutes of the half for a seven point margin at the break.

In the second half, Clark extended its lead to 15 (59-44) midway through the period and coasted over the final ten minutes to earn its first victory of the season. Henneberry led the Falcons second half efforts with 13 points and six boards in the stanza, while Knower and junior Rolffi Canela (Perth Amboy, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) combined for 13 points on 2-of-4 shooting from the floor and 9-of-13 shooting from the free-throw line.

Fitchburg State shot strong for the contest with a 42.4% effort from the field but Clark held the upper hand, shooting 45% for the game and 42% from downtown. The Falcons came out blazing, hitting 14-of-26 shots in the first half, but were hampered by 1-of-6 three point shooting in the second half.

Fitchburg State (0-1, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action on Friday as it participates in the 2010 Keene State College Invitational at 7 p.m.

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Clark 84, Fitchburg State 71