WPI Tops Fitchburg State, 85-47

Graham leads Falcons offense with ten, first-half points

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 2, 2010) - The Fitchburg State men's basketball team opened the new year at WPI this afternoon, falling to the Engineers 85-47 in a non-conference battle at Harrington Auditorium.

TIM GRAHAM

WPI sophomore Fernando Perez (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) and junior Ryan Brown (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) shared game-high scoring honors with 13 points apiece, while junior Kyle Nadeau (Webster, Mass./Bartlett) tossed in a season-best 11.

WPI led wire-to-wire, improving to 6-0 this season at home. The hosts used a pair of 9-0 and 10-0 runs in the opening half to grab a commanding 44-23 halftime advantage. The Engineers converted 11Fitchburg State first half turnovers into 20 points and controlled the boards in the initial 20 minutes by a 23-13 margin.

In the second half, WPI continue to control the game's tempo, outscoring Fitchburg State by 17 in the frame. The Engineers secure their tenth victory of the season early in the period, displaying a 14-3 spurt to gain a 33 point advantage at the 12:19 mark.     

Senior captain Tim Graham (Arlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic) led Fitchburg State with a team-best ten points and seven rebounds, while classmate Colin London (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) added seven points for the Falcons. Sophomore Kyle Berk (Putnam Valley, N.Y./John Jay) contributed five points in just eight minutes of action. 

Fitchburg State (3-7, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to the hardwood on Tuesday as it travels to Anna Maria College on 7:30 p.m. WPI (10-1, 0-0 NEWMAC) is back in action on Wednesday as it travels to Wheaton College at 5:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

WPI 85, Fitchburg State 47