Wellesley Slips Past Fitchburg State, 58-57
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. (1-2) | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 57 |
|
Wellesley (2-0) | 18 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 58 |
Rizzuto collects double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds in non-conference setback
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Fitchburg State women's basketball team dropped a tough 58-57 decision to the Blue of Wellesley College in the championship game of the 2016 Saint Joseph Tip-Off Tournament at the O'Connell Center this afternoon.
Fitchburg State took a 4-2 lead with 8:33 remaining in the first quarter on a three pointer by freshman guard Emma Thomson before newcomer Kendall You Mak put the Blue up by four (12-8) on a layup with just under five minutes left in the opening quarter.
The Falcons battled back, knotting the score at 12-12 as senior guard Melissa Guglielmello sank a free-throw and Thomson buried her second trey of the frame, but a three pointer by sophomore guard Zojajha Ayub put Wellesley up 18-15 after one quarter of play.
In the second quarter, the Green and Gold regained the lead on a layup from freshman forward Kyra Rose midway through the frame to make the score 25-24. Wellesley took a three-point advantage (32-29) into the break on a bucket from Ayub and a buzzer beater by freshman Lauren Dines.
Following intermission, the Blue upped its margin to seven (41-34) on a layup by sophomore Emily Kopp with 3:29 left in the third quarter, but Fitchburg State retied the contest at 43-43 moments later as Thomson knocked down a pair of three balls, while senior guard Briana Pelton drained a trey for the Falcons.
Wellesley answered back with a pair of jumpers to close out the frame by freshman Brenna Butler and You Mak to make the score 47-43 going into the final quarter of play.
The two team traded baskets to start the fourth quarter as the Blue maintained a five-point edge (53-48) with 4:43 left in the contest following a layup from Aguirre. The Falcons comeback fell just short however as freshman guard Allysa Rivera buried a three pointer in the corner with three second left, resulting in the 58-57 final.
For Fitchburg State, sophomore center Katelynn Rizzuto led all scorers with a double-double of 19 points and 11 caroms to go along with one assist and one steal, while Thomson and Rose finished with 12 and 13 points respectively for the Green and Gold.
Aguirre paced Wellesley with a team leading 13 points, six boards, three assists and three steals, while You Mak and Ayub registered ten points apiece for the Blue.
Throughout the contest, the Falcons shot 17-for-54 (31.5%) from the field as well as 29.6% (8-of-27) from beyond the arc, while the Blue finished at 41.1 % (23-for-56) overall and 4-of-10 (40.0%) from three-point range.
2016 USJ All-Tournament Team: MVP Kendall You Mak (Wellesley), Emily Kopp (Wellesley), Kyra Rose (Fitchburg State), Jessica Shepherd (Mitchell), Carlee Putnam (Saint Joseph).
Fitchburg State (1-2, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Tuesday as it hosts the Beacons of UMass Boston for a contest starting at 8 p.m. Wellesley (2-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) will travel to Simmons on Tuesday at 7 p.m.