Fitchburg State Runs Past Salem State, 77-52
Junior Laura Cote (Ashby, Mass.) scored 25 points and added five steals as the Fitchburg State women’s basketball team opened up Massachusetts State Collegiate Conference play with a 77-52 victory over the Salem State Vikings at Twohig Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
32 | 45 | 77 |
|
|
29 | 23 | 52 |
Team Stats
Salem St.
| Game Statistics | Fitchburg St. | Salem St. |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (31-77) | (17-67) |
| Field Goal % | 40.3% | 25.4% |
| Rebounds | 51 | 53 |
| Assists | 19 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 27 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 25 | 11 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 18 | 25 |
| Bench Pts | 22 | 16 |
Cote leads Falcons to first MASCAC victory with 25 points and five steals
SALEM, Mass. (January 9, 2014) – Junior Laura Cote (Ashby, Mass.) scored 25 points and added five steals as the Fitchburg State women's basketball team opened up Massachusetts State Collegiate Conference play with a 77-52 victory over the Salem State Vikings at Twohig Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
The win evens the Falcons' record at 5-5, 1-0 in the MASCAC, while the Vikings slip to 5-8 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Both teams pressed early as Salem State built an early 8-2 lead, but a 10-4 run by Fitchburg State evened the game at 12-12 at the 14:34 mark. Both teams remained scoreless over the next three half minutes and continued to trade baskets throughout much of the first half before Cote gave the Falcons their largest lead of the half (28-24) with 1:56 remaining. Three free throws by Rachael Carter (Merrimack, NH) brought Salem State to within a point 30-29 but a bucket by Anna Peck (Shirley, Mass.) gave the Falcons a 32-29 lead with two seconds remaining in the period.
In the second half, Fitchburg State increased its pressure, forcing 15 second half turnovers to open the game up early in the frame. A Cote three extended the Falcon lead to 48-36 at the 13:35 mark, igniting a 17-6 run to put the game away. Fitchburg State held Salem State to zero field goals (0-7) over that stretch.
The Falcons dominated the second half, outscoring the Vikings 16-4 in the paint and posting 15 points off turnovers. A jumper by Lucy Holewa (Londonderry, N.H.) put the Falcons up by 26 points, 77-51 before settling for a 77-52 victory.
Senior Amy Fahey (Wilmington, Mass.) added 10 points and seven rebounds while Britney Payne (Franklin, Ky.) added eight points and eight rebounds for Fitchburg State. Carter finished with 24 points, and nine rebounds, while Ginny Fleming (Peabody, Mass.) contributed six points and seven rebounds for the Vikings, who turned the ball over 27 times.
Salem State will tip-off next Tuesday at 5:30 PM at home against Worcester State. The Falcons play again Saturday at 1:00 PM against Framingham State.