Fitchburg State Defeated by Colby, 81-63

Bermudez-Glean registers team-best 15 points for Falcons in non-conference setback

WATERVILLE, Maine – The Fitchburg State men's basketball team fell 81-63 to the Mules of Colby College in the title game of the 2016 Colby Classic this afternoon at the Harold Alfond Athletic Center.

Senior forward Patrick Stewart earned tournament MVP honors for the Mules after posting a game-best 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three blocked shots, while freshman guard Tyler Williams, who hit the game-winning shot against Pine Manor on Friday, was named to the all-tournament team.

In the first half, Colby raced out to an early 6-1 lead on a pair of three pointers by senior guard Joe Connolly before the Falcons went on a 14-3 run to take a 15-9 advantage as junior forward Josh Bosworth and senior guard Leonny Burgos sparked the run for the Green and Gold with four points each.

Following a layup by junior Jeremiah Ephraim to make the score 20-15, the Mules knotted the score (20-20) on a pair of free-throws by Connolly and jumper from freshman Sam Jefferson with just over seven minutes remaining in the opening stanza.

With the score tied at 27 apiece, Colby and Fitchburg State traded buckets as senior Jaleel Bell buried a three pointer for the Falcons, while sophomore guard Steven Daley connected on a layup for the Mules before Stewart knocked down a trey to give Colby a 32-30 lead going into the half.

Following the break, the Mules expanded their lead to 46-35 with 14:15 left in the game before going  on a 10-0 scoring run over the next five minutes to pull away for a 56-35 margin. Stewart hit three straight 3-point shots for Colby, while first-year Sean Gilmore hit another to put Colby up 62-39 with 8:49 to play.

The Mules received a big effort from sophomore Maximilian Steiner, who had a game-high 14 rebounds, 12 points, and five assists, while Connolly went 4-for-6 from 3-point range for 14 points. Gilmore added eight points, three assists, and two blocks, while Daley finished with seven caroms and six points.

Sophomore guard Carlos Bermudez-Glean led Fitchburg State with 15 points, four steals, and three assists, while Bosworth added 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting.  Bell was also strong for the Falcons, collecting 11 points and three steals to earn a spot on the all-tournament team.

Throughout the game, Colby went 31-for-64 (48.4%) from the field, including 51.9% (14-of-27) from beyond the arc, while Fitchburg State shot 39.7% (25-of-63) overall and 5-for-18 (27.8%) from down town.

Fitchburg State (1-2, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Tuesday as it hosts the Falcons of Albertus Magnus for a contest starting at 6 p.m. Colby (2-0, 0-0 NESCAC) will visit Thomas College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Portions of release courtesy of Colby SID office

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