Trailblazers Defeat Rams 57-51

By MCLA athletics

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NORTH ADAMS – The Framingham State University men’s basketball team once again squared off with the MCLA Trailblazers and the Rams stifling defense held the hosts to just one second half field goal, but the comeback fell short as the Trailblazers held on for a 57-51 victory Wednesday evening in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at the Amsler Campus Center in North Adams.

MCLA improves to 9-10 overall and 4-4 in the Conference.

Framingham State falls to 3-19 overall and 1-9 in the Conference

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• The Trailblazers held off the hard charging Rams and earned the win despite going just 1-of-19 from the floor and scoring just 12 points in the second half. 
• The Rams were paced offensively in the game by a team-high 15 points from Keith Hollman. Hollman connected on 6-of-12 from the floor and added four rebounds and a steal. 
• JD Okafor just missed a double double for the Rams scoring 13 points and grabbing eight boards. 
•  The Trailblazers saw a trio of players tally double figures led by 15 points apiece from Dylan Morris-Gray and Quentin Gittens, while Hayden Bird finished with 12 points on 4-of-8 from behind the arc. 

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HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The Trailblazer played very well in the first half and took a 45-27 lead into the locker room.  They shot a solid 56% in the half which included an 8-of-20 showing from three-point land.  The second half was a completely different story. 
• Framingham State held MCLA without a field goal for more than 20 minutes of game action spanning the end of the first half and deep into the second.  In the process, the Rams began to chip away at the MCLA lead.   
• With the score at 46-31 early in the half, the Rams went on a 17-4 run covering 12 minutes of game action to slice the deficit to just 50-48.   
• The Rams had a chance to take the lead but would come up empty.  On MCLA’s next possession, Gittens drew a foul and converted both free throws to give the hosts breathing room at 52-48, still with 3:35 left to play. 

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• FSU wouldn’t go away as Trevor Manyak made a difficult floater and then Okafor made one of two free throws to pull within one at 52-51 with 2:25 left.   
• The Trailblazers, desperately in need of offense, finally found it when Morris-Gray delivered from three with 1:37 left to push back to a four point margin.  The field goal would mark the only basket of the second half for MCLA.  Framingham had chances to answer but kept coming up short.  Forced to foul, the Rams put MCLA’s Gittens on the line and the junior delivered with two clutch free throws to ice the contest and give MCLA the win.. 

UP NEXT: The Rams are back in action next Wednesday, when they host Salem State at 7:30 p.m. 

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