Men's Basketball Holds Off Bulldogs

FITCHBURG, MA: Fitchburg State men's basketball gathered their first win of the season this afternoon after taking down the Bulldogs of Dean College in non-conference action.

THE BASICS:

- Date: 11/18/23

- Score: Fitchburg 78, Dean 71

- Records: Fitchburg (1-4), Dean (2-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

-  The Bulldogs jumped out quickly to a ten-point lead through the first six minutes of the contest. That lead was driven by the play of Charles Walker, Tyler Newsom, and AJ Weston. That lead, however, didn't last the rest of the first half. The Falcons found their groove offensively behind Frederick Siayor (Worcester, MA) and Matthew Drayton (Boston, MA). Fitchburg's defense also tightened up drastically, holding the Bulldogs at 23 points for almost three minutes while they cut into the deficit. Siayor hit the go-ahead layup with 6:31 left in the half, which would go back and forth the rest of the way. Drayton would hit a big three with 12 seconds left to send the Falcons into the break with a 36-32 lead.

- The second half saw Fitchburg play the best defense of the young season. Forcing 11 turnovers on six steals. The Falcons would build a commanding 15-point lead at its peak. With 12:10 left in the half, they found themselves up 59-45. Dean would go on a run, holding the Falcons at 59 points for a solid two minutes while they cut their deficit to seven. Siayor would break that run with two of his 11 points in the half. The Bulldogs would get within three, but solid defense and 80% from the free throw line helped lift the Falcons over Dean.

- Fitchburg was paced by Siayor with a game-high 24 points. Kamau Franks (Converse, TX) had a big second half, getting his point total up to 14. Drayton and Colin Quinn (South Hadley, MA) both contributed 11 points. Drayton also cleaned up on the boards with a team-high seven rebounds.

- Dean was topped by Jayden Madise, who, after getting into first-half foul trouble, had a strong second half, finishing with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Walker was next with 16 points, followed by Weston with 13.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

-  Shooting %: Fitchburg 44.3%, 3-PT 47.4%, FT 71.4%. Dean 48.1%, 3-PT 36.4%, FT 55.6%.

-  Rebounds: Dean 38, Fitchburg 34

-  Assists: Fitchburg 15, Dean 10

UP NEXT:

- Fitchburg State men's basketball will be back on Monday against WPI at 6 PM in Parkinson Gymnasium.

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