Fitchburg State Buzzes Nichols, 77-74

Moore nets game-winning three-pointer with 0:02 remaining in regulation

DUDLEY, Mass. (November 28, 2011) – Fitchburg State junior forward Jesus Moore (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence) hit a baseline three-pointer with two seconds left in the game to give the Falcons men's basketball team a 77-74 victory at Nichols College Monday evening.

The Falcons, who had led once in the second half by one point prior to that, improve to 5-0 on the season, while the Bison suffer their first loss at 2-1.

Moore totaled just ten points in the game, but had seven in the second half when Fitchburg State outscored Nichols, 56-41 to overcome a 12-point halftime deficit. Junior forward Adam Fahey (Auburn, Mass./Auburn) had a game-high 23 points, sinking five three pointers in the second half. Junior center Zach Valliere (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go with a game-high five blocks.

Bison sophomore Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) had 20 points to lead Nichols, netting 11 at the line on 91.6% shooting. First year guard Marlon Bennett (Stratford, Conn.) added 13 for his third-straight double-digit effort, while senior point guard Mike Salis (Nashua, N.H.) had a game-high six steals to go with nine points.

Nichols led by as many as 16 in the opening half, holding Fitchburg State to a meager 26.5% shooting percentage from the floor (9-34) and a lowly 8.3% from three point range (1-12). The Bison used an 11-0 run late in the frame capped by a down-low reverse from Joe Gallant (Salem, N.H.) to claim a 33-17 lead, but saw two costly turnovers turn into a Mike Ingram-Rubin (Boston, Mass./Bedford) dunk and a layup from Magnolima Noguiera (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) to cut the lead to 12 at the break.

Both teams took better care of the ball in the second half, and Fitchburg found its stride as the Falcons shot 53% in the frame to erase the Bison's double-digit lead on a Fahey trey less than three minutes into the stanza. Another Fahey three-pointer brought Fitchburg within one with seven minutes left, but Nichols rallied to go back up two possessions on a Salis free throw with 3:26 left to play.

It wasn't until a three-pointer from Jeremy Kimber (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) from Ingram-Rubin with two minutes left on the clock that Fitchburg took its first lead since early in the first half, edging ahead 79-60. But Sheehan found junior Justin Kuntz (Wallingford, Conn.) wide open at the baseline on an inbounds pass for Kuntz to swish a trey and retake the lead.

Sheehan made two free throws after a steal and foul to give Nichols a two-possession lead with 1:16 on the clock, but and an-one play from Ingram-Rubin brought the Falcons within one again. Kimber came to the line to tie it up, 74-74, with the first of two free throws and Kuntz snagged the rebound off the second for a fast-break layup. The ball wouldn't sink and Ingram-Rubin got the ball with 12 seconds left.

Fitchburg State brought the ball down through the press and Ingram-Rubin got it to Moore at the bench-side baseline for the three-pointer sailed into the net with two seconds left. Nichols had just enough time to inbound the ball, but not get a shot off at the end.

The teams combined for 52 turnovers in the game, and parlayed them into a combined 50 points. Fitchburg used the transition game to put up 12 fast-break points to Nichols' two. Both benches were active in the game, scoring a combined 65 points.

Fitchburg State (5-0, 0-0 MASCAC) will be in action again on Thursday as it hosts Becker College at 7 p.m. Nichols (2-1, 0-0 TCCC) opens up Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. home game against Curry.