Fitchburg State Rebounds Over Lasell, 69-63
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. (9-10) | 20 | 20 | 10 | 19 | 69 |
|
Lasell (5-14) | 16 | 11 | 15 | 21 | 63 |
Five players reach double figures for Falcons in non-conference win over Lasers
NEWTON, Mass. – The Fitchburg State women's basketball team saw five players reach double figures as the Falcons defeated Lasell College, 69-63 in non-conference action this evening at the Athletic Center.
Fitchburg State opened the contest on an 8-2 run as freshman Emma Thomson knocked down a pair of three-pointers, while junior Michaela McTomney added a layup. Following a bucket from senior Melissa Guglielmello, Lasell cut the deficit to 12-11 on three balls by sophomore Taylor Hughey and junior Morgan Church.
The Falcons went on an 8-3 stretch late in the quarter with newcomer Allysa Rivera connecting on pair of shots from three point range and a McTomey jumper before freshman Dana Ross hit a bucket for the Lasers to make the score 20-16 after one quarter of play.
In the second quarter, Fitchburg State extended its margin (29-17) as senior Shabeli Villa drained a three-pointer and a layup, while Thomson added her third trey of the half. Lasell cut the lead to nine after a Church basket, but Villa responded with back-to-back driving layups as the Falcons took a 40-27 edge into the locker room.
Following the break, Lasell chipped away at the lead, cutting the deficit to just six (48-42) following buckets from Church and junior Madison Cota before the Green and Gold upped its lead to 50-42 on a cutting layup from McTomney off a feed from freshman Jaliannette Marquez going into the final quarter of play.
In the final frame, the Falcons extended its advantage to 60-48, following a 10-3 run with Thomson providing the spark for Fitchburg State with two more three-pointers, while McTomney and Rivera added two points each.
After the Lasers cut the lead down to seven (66-59) on a free throw by Church, the two teams proceeded to trade baskets throughout the remainder of the contest as Villa and McTomney sealed the win for Fitchburg State with a pair of shots from the charity stripe, resulting in the 69-63 final.
Thomson paced the Falcons with a team-leading 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, two rebounds and two assists, while Villa added 12 points, two caroms and one assist. Marquez was also solid for the Green and Gold, collecting four points, ten rebounds, ten assists, one steal and a block.
For Lasell, Church led all scorers with a double-double of 22 points and 18 boards to go along with five assists, while sophomore Becca Fenton chipped in with 12 points, one rebound, two assists and one steal for the Lasers.
For the contest, Fitchburg State shot 26-for-57 (45.6%) from the field and (9-of-20) 45.0% from downtown, while Lasell finished 21-of-60 (35.0%) overall and (9-for-24) 37.5% from long range. The Lasers also controlled the glass (46-34), resulting in a 15-8 margin in second chance points.
Fitchburg State (9-10, 1-6 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as it hosts the Bears of Brigdewater State University in a MASCAC tilt, starting at 3 p.m. Lasell (5-14, 2-9 GNAC) will travel to Suffolk University on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tipoff.