Fitchburg State Rebounds With Victory Over MCLA, 67-48

Selby connects for 25 points to lead Falcons in MASCAC loss

FITCHBURG, Mass. (February 14, 2012) – The Fitchburg State men's basketball team had four players register double-figures as the Falcons downed the Trailblazers of MCLA, 67-48 in MASCAC action this evening.

Junior Tom Henneberry (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) led all Falcon scorers, totaling a game-high 15 points with 4-of-8 shooting from three point range, while classmate Zach Valliere (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) hit 6-of-11 from the field for 14 points on the night. Sophomore Mike Ingram-Rubin (Boston, Mass./Bedford) was also strong with 13 points and seven boards, while classmate Brandon Selby (Boston, Mass./Bedford) capped the Falcons scoring with ten points and five caroms.

Senior Michael Young (Boston, Mass./Minuteman Tech) led all MCLA scorers with nine points, shooting 4-of-10 from the field, while senior Chris Harris (Dorchester, Mass./John D. O'Bryant) and classmate Jamal Brown (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Tech) added six points apiece.

In the first half, Fitchburg State exploded for 42 points behind a 6-of-13 performance from three point range. The Falcons opened a 16 point lead at half-time, using 11 points from Ingram-Rubin and nine points from Valliere.

Fitchburg State quickly erased a four point, opening deficit, posting a 14-4 run to gain a six point advantage at the 12:20 mark. The Falcons continued to pour on the pressure midway through stanza, notching a ten point lead (30-20) following a Henneberry three and Selby lay-up, but Fitchburg State did most of its damage over the final two minutes, using a 9-2 surge to close the half with a 42-26 margin.

In the second period, Fitchburg State maintained its double-digit lead, holding on to a 16 point advantage til the 14:41 mark, but eight consecutive points from Henneberry, including a pair of long range buckets, gave the Falcons a 25 point cushion (61-36) minutes later. Selby continued the Fitchburg State momentum with an alley-oop dunk at the 9:46 mark, before capping the 17-3 rally with a lay-up at 8:41.

Fitchburg State coasted for the remainder of the contest, earning its third conference victory of the year and clinching its trip to the MASCAC playoffs. For the game, the Falcons shot 36.1% from the floor, including 8-of-18 from three point range, while MCLA was limited to just 31.3% shooting and 0-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Fitchburg State (12-11, 3-8 MASCAC) will be back in action on Saturday as it hosts Westfield State at 3 p.m. MCLA (7-17, 4-7 MASCAC) will visit Bridgewater State on Saturday at 3p.m.