Fitchburg State Soars Past Rivier, 71-57
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rivier (0-4, 0-0 GNAC) | 25 | 32 | 57 |
|
Fitchburg St. (2-0, 0-0 MASCAC) | 39 | 32 | 71 |
Cote and Wodzinski combine for 32 points in Falcons second victory of the season
FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Fitchburg State women's basketball team used a strong defensive effort with 12 steals and 20 caused turnovers to defeat the Raiders of Rivier University, 71-57 in non-conference action this evening at the Recreation Center.
Fitchburg State was led offensively by senior Laura Cote, who finished with a team-best 17 points and four caroms. Classmate Megan Wodzinski was also solid with 15 points, two boards and five steals, while senior Britney Payne and junior Tori Cyrus added nine and eight points respectively.
Senior Deanna Purcell led the Raiders charge, posting a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore Savannah Butterfield collected 15 points and seven caroms. Sophomore Caitlyn Perry put forth a solid performance, totaling 13 points, two steals and a pair of assists.
Fitchburg State opened a 14 point lead after one half of play behind a 13 point effort from Cote. The senior guard sparked the Falcons down the stretch, connecting for a three pointer with 0:28 seconds remaining in the half as the Falcons went into the break with a 39-25 advantage
Cote paced the first half efforts, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor and 2-of-3 from the charity strip, while Wodzinski added nine points and five steals. Perry was strong for Rivier, registering 10 of her 13 points in the opening 20 minutes of play.
In the second half, the Green and Gold broke open the contest, taking a 30 point advantage roughly eight minutes into the frame. The Falcons strung together a 10-6 run with lay-ups from Wodzinski, Payne, Cyrus and sophomore Shabeli Villa en-route to the 71-57 victory
For the game, Fitchburg State controlled the glass, holding a 53-44 margin in rebounds as well as shooting 42.4% from the floor and knocking down 12 of 16 free throws, while the Raiders finished 20-of-65 from the floor and 15-of-34 from the charity stripe.
Fitchburg State (2-0, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Pine Manor College for a contest starting at 1 p.m. Rivier (0-4, 0-0 GNAC) returns to the court on Tuesday as it visits Daniel Webster College at 7:30 p.m.