Men’s Basketball Closes First Semester with 57-54 Win over Alfred
Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University men's basketball team closed the first half of their season with a 57-54 victory over Alfred University this afternoon in non-conference action at Framingham's Athletic Center.
The Rams head into the semester break at 7-4, while the Saxons are now 2-7 on the year.
The first half went back and forth as the game was tied five times and the lead changed hands twice. Alfred took a 15-10 advantage on a three by Ryan Mahon (Oneonta, NY) with 7:49 left in the half that capped a 5-0 run by the Saxons.
The Rams countered with a 13-1 run over the next three minutes to take a 23-16 lead. The Rams used their defensive pressure to turn a pair of Saxon turnovers into easy baskets by junior Yemi Ajao (Randolph, Mass.) and freshman Tim Sheridan (Rutland, Mass.) to cap the run.
The Saxons closed the half with an 8-1 run to head into the break tied at 24 all.
The Rams took the lead in the opening minute of the second half on a Patrick Cuff (Medway, Mass.) put back and never looked back. Framingham extended the lead to as many as ten (40-30) midway through the second.
The Saxons chipped away at the deficit and pulled within two (48-46) on a three pointer by Tim Costello (Windsor, NY) with 2:23 left in the game, but the Rams countered with a three from freshman Saleek Marshall (Avon, Mass.) to push the lead back to five.
The Saxons cut the Rams lead down to three twice in the final minute on a three point play from Costello and layup by Dalton Walsh (Stockton, NY), but the Rams went 4-for-4 from the line to seal the victory.
The Rams were led offensively by Marshall who came off the bench in the second half to score nine points on three three pointers. Figueroa, Cuff and Ajao finished with eight points apiece, while Cuff grabbed a game and career-high 12 boards including five on the offensive glass. Sheridan had a solid game off the bench for the Rams with seven points and nine boards, while freshman Elijah Chisholm (East Boston, Mass.) chipped in seven points and six boards.
The Saxons were led by senior Brett Dennis (Webster, NY) and junior Thomas Tsatsis (Neponsit, NY) who each recorded a game-best 10 points, while sophomore Tim Pacheco (Mt. Pocono, PA) chipped in eight.
The Rams return to action after the New Year when they host Babson on January 2nd at 8 p.m., while the Saxons travel to Ithaca on January 4th at 8 p.m.