Fitchburg State Bests Framingham State, 76-69 (OT)

Falcons collect first MASCAC victory behind Kimber's 15 point effort

FITCHBURG, Mass. (January 12, 2013) – The Fitchburg State men's basketball team collected its first conference victory of the year, defeating Framingham State University, 71-65 in overtime MASCAC action this afternoon.

Four Falcons collected double-figures in the victory with senior Jeremy Kimber (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) leading the way with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. Classmate Brandon Selby (Baltimore, Md./Joppatowne) added 14 points to the mix, while seniors Tom Henneberry (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) and Zach Valliere (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) combined for 24 points and 20 rebounds.

Senior Tyrone Figueroa (Revere, Mass./East Boston) led the Rams offensive efforts, totaling a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 17 rebounds, while freshman Tim McCarthy (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) chipped in with ten points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from downtown.

Framingham State came out strong, posting a nine point lead (15-6) at the 14:10 mark, but Fitchburg State battled back throughout the half, bringing the game to a one basket difference (21-18) with 6:03 remaining. Freshman Demetrius Hammond (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) sparked the Falcons with back-to-back treys, but Framingham State closed the half with an 11-4 run, grabbing a ten point advantage at the break (35-25).

In the second half, Fitchburg State swung the game's momentum, bringing its deficit to only two (38-36) behind an 11-3 opening run. The Falcons continued their streak to post a 43-41 advantage following a Mike Ingram-Rubin (Boston, Mass./Bedford) at the 11:53 mark, but the Rams fought back to take a five point lead at the 8:17 mark after a pair of Figueroa free-throws.

With the score knotted at 56-56 and just under three minutes remaining in regulation, both teams continued to drive, exchanging leads three times over the last minute of play. The Rams held a one point advantage with 1:02 remaining, but a steal by Selby and his ensuing dunk put Fitchburg State up one.

On the next possession, Framingham State answered as McCarthy connected from beyond the arc to give the Rams a 63-61 advantage with only 0:41 remaining on the clock. The Falcons answered again however as Henneberry found Valliere down-low to force a five minute overtime period.

In the extra frame, Fitchburg State quickly caught fire, rifling off four consecutive points with lay-ups from Kimber and Ingram-Rubin. The Falcons continue to hustle, using a 6-2 run down the stretch to clinch the victory. Selby ignited the run with an open court lay-up while Kimber and Ingram-Rubin followed suit with back-to-back points in the paint.

For the contest, Fitchburg State finished 28-of-68 from the field, including 6-of-11 in the overtime period, while Framingham State was limited to just 2-of-7 in the extra frame. The Falcons held a slim 46-44 margin on the glass and used 12 steals to cause 23 Ram turnovers.

Fitchburg State (8-4, 1-1 MASCAC) will be back in action on Tuesday as it hosts Worcester State at 7:30 p.m. Framingham State (8-7, 1-2 MASCAC) will host Salem State on Tuesday at 8 p.m.