Falcons Comeback Bid Falls Short on Senior Day
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Westfield St. (14-10, 6-5MASCAC) | 41 | 37 | 78 |
|
Fitchburg St. (17-6, 10-1MASCAC) | 32 | 40 | 72 |
Jones records double-double in losing effort
FITCHBURG, Mass. - Fitchburg State University nearly rallied from a 20 point deficit but ultimately fell short as they were defeated by Westfield State University, 78-72, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Conference (MASCAC) men's basketball matchup on Saturday afternoon.
With the loss the Falcons end the regular season with a 14-11 (6-6 MASCAC) record, while the Owls claim the regular season title with a 18-6 (11-1 MASCAC) mark.
After exchanging the lead three times in the opening half, the Owls would go up for good as they went on an 8-0 run ending at the 5:04 mark in the first on a three pointer by senior guard Robby Jones. The visitors extended their lead by as much as 14 by half's end with 1:21 remaining on another shot from the perimeter by Jones and took a 41-32 lead into halftime.
Westfield opened the second period just as they finished the first extending their lead to a game-high 20 points at 13:03 on a layup by senior guard Andre King. The Falcons would not go down without a fight, proceeding on a 25-8 run and forcing five Owl turnovers over a nine minute span to cut the deficit to two points. However, the comeback attempt fell short with Westfield State going 6-6 from the charity stripe in the final minute of play to hold on for the 78-72 victory.
Junior forward Givaughn Jones led the Green & Gold with 14 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while classmate Anthony Muccioli chipped in with 12 points. Junior forward Kwame Lee had 11 points and four caroms, while sophomore guard Leonny Burgos and classmate Jalen Williams each had 10 points.
Senior forward Grant Cooper had a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort for Westfield State, while Jones and King contributed with 19 points.
Fitchburg State shot 45.9% (28-61) from the field, while being held to 25% (3-12) from downtown. The Owls shot 28-57 (49.1%) from the floor and an overwhelming 52.4% (11-21) from beyond the arc. The Falcons held a 39-29 advantage in rebounds and 48-30 edge in points in the paint despite the loss.
At halftime the Falcons lone senior Juan Lopez was recognized as the guard will be graduating with a degree in Business from the university. This is Lopez's first season with the program after transferring from Framingham State.
The 14 victories is the highest win total for the FSU men's basketball program since the 2007-08 season where they had a 16-7 record in the regular season.
The Falcons will be back in action on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the MASCAC Tournament, as the third seeded Fitchburg State will host #6 Worcester State for a 7:00 pm tipoff. The top-seeded Westfield State will get a first round bye and will host the semifinals on Thursday.
