Men's Basketball Suffers Overtime Setback at Fitchburg State

Fitchburg, Mass. – The Framingham State University men's basketball team suffered a 71-65 loss this afternoon in overtime to Fitchburg State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) match up as the Falcons picked up their first conference win of the season.

Four Falcons collected double-figures in the victory with senior Jeremy Kimber (Fitchburg, Mass.) leading the way with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. Classmate Brandon Selby (Baltimore, Md.) added 14 points to the mix, while seniors Tom Henneberry (Lexington, Mass.) and Zach Valliere (Douglas, Mass.) combined for 24 points and 20 rebounds.

Senior Tyrone Figueroa (Revere, Mass.) led the Rams offensive efforts, totaling a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 17 rebounds, while freshman Tim McCarthy (Wilmington, Mass.) chipped in with ten points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from downtown.

Framingham State came out strong, posting a nine point lead (15-6) at the 14:10 mark, but Fitchburg State battled back throughout the half, bringing the game to a one basket difference (21-18) with 6:03 remaining. Freshman Demetrius Hammond (Fitchburg, Mass.) sparked the Falcons with back-to-back treys, but Framingham State closed the half with an 11-4 run, grabbing a ten point advantage at the break (35-25).

In the second half, Fitchburg State swung the game's momentum, bringing its deficit to only two (38-36) behind an 11-3 opening run. The Falcons continued their streak to post a 43-41 advantage following a Mike Ingram-Rubin (Boston, Mass.) bucket at the 11:53 mark, but the Rams fought back to take a five point lead at the 8:17 mark after a pair of Figueroa free throws.

With the score knotted at 56-56 and just under three minutes remaining in regulation, both teams continued to drive, exchanging leads three times over the last minute of play. The Rams held a one point advantage with 1:02 remaining, but a steal by Selby and his ensuing dunk put Fitchburg State up one.

On the next possession, Framingham State answered as McCarthy connected from beyond the arc to give the Rams a 63-61 advantage with only 0:41 remaining on the clock. The Falcons answered again however as Henneberry found Valliere down low to force a five minute overtime period.

In the extra frame, Fitchburg State quickly caught fire, rifling off four consecutive points with lay-ups from Kimber and Ingram-Rubin. The Falcons continue to hustle, using a 6-2 run down the stretch to clinch the victory. Selby ignited the run with an open court lay-up while Kimber and Ingram-Rubin followed suit with back-to-back points in the paint.

For the contest, Fitchburg State finished 28-of-68 from the field, including 6-of-11 in the overtime period, while Framingham State was limited to just 2-of-7 in the extra frame. The Falcons held a slim 46-44 margin on the glass. 

Fitchburg State (8-4, 1-1 MASCAC) will be back in action on Tuesday as it hosts Worcester State at 7:30 p.m. Framingham State (8-7, 1-2 MASCAC) will host Salem State on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Release courtesy of Fitchburg State Sports Information.