Westfield State Swoops Past Fitchburg State, 84-59

Valliere notches double-double effort with 17 points and 11 rebounds

WESTFIELD, Mass. (January 24, 2012) – The Fitchburg State men's basketball team fell victim to Westfield State this evening, falling to the Owls, 84-59 in MASCAC action at the Woodward Center.

Leading the way for Westfield State was junior Lee Vasquez (Attleboro, Mass./Woonsocket), who dropped a game-best 39 points. Vasquez shot 15-of-37 from the field, including 5-of-10 from three point range, while adding five steals and four assists. Freshman Grant Cooper (Northampton, Mass./Northampton) was also solid with 16 points and six caroms, while Ryan White (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin Learning Center) finished with eight points and seven boards.

Junior Zach Valliere (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) led the Fitchburg State offense, logging a double-double effort with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Brandon Selby (Boston, Mass./Bedford) was also solid, hitting double figures with 12 points, while senior Jeremy Kimber (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) added nine points and eight caroms to the mix.

Westfield State used a 49 point, second half effort to grab a double-digit lead and its 12th victory of the season. Clinging to just a seven point advantage at intermission, the Owls opened the second half on fire, stringing together a 19-2 run to post a commanding 24 point margin (54-30) by the 13:07 mark.

The Owls maintained their 20 point advantage for most of the period, extending their lead to as much as 28 with 4:47 remaining. Vasquez paced the Owls, scoring 20 of his 39 points in the frame as he hit 8-of-13 from the field and 2-of-5 from long range. Cooper was also strong with eight points and three assists, while Matt Devine (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) chipped in with six rebounds over the half.

For the contest, Westfield State finished 31-of-67 from the field (46.3%), including 19-of-36 in the second half, while Fitchburg State shot just 29.9% for the contest. The Owls controlled the boards with a 49-44 advantage, while boasting a team defensive effort with 13 blocks.

Fitchburg State (9-8, 1-5 MASCAC) will be back in action on Saturday as it travels to Bridgewater State at 4 p.m. Westfield State (12-7, 4-2 MASCAC) will visit Salem State on Saturday at 3 p.m.