Jones leads MCLA as they hold off Fitchburg 80-78
Fitchburg, MA- Led by a 25 point, 10 rebound performance from senior John Jones, the MCLA Men's basketball team came slid past the pesky Fitchburg State Falcons 80-78 this afternoon in MASCAC action. The win improves the Trailblazers MASCAC mark to 4-5 and 7-14 overall. The Falcons drop to 2-17 overall and just 2-6 in league play.
The Trailblazers led by eleven points in the second half following a pair of Ramon Viches free throws with 14:22 left making it 49-38. The Falcons scored eight straight points to get right back into the game and it would be nip and tuck from there.
With the score now at 65-58 in favor of MCLA, Fitchburg would embark on a 10-1 run to retake the lead at 68-66 with seven minutes remaining. Neither team would lead by more than four points the rest of the way leading to many opportunities down the stretch.
With 4:10 remaining, Lincoln Wright knocked down three free throws to push the Falcon lead to 77-73. Jones would convert on the next possession and after a stop by the Trailblazer, Todd Hunt would pull MCLA back within a point with a free throw of his own with 2:32 left and the score now at 77-76 in favor of the hosts.
After a Falcon turnover, Jones finally gave MCLA back the lead with another layup to make it 78-77 with 2:05 left. From here, each team would waste some opportunities. In the final two minutes, Fitchburg would commit a pair of turnovers and miss a three point attempt. The Trailblazers also struggled to put the game away as they also committed a turnover and missed a pair of shots.
With the score still at 78-77 in favor of MCLA, the Falcons had possession seeking the last shot. After some defensive pressure, Wright's three point attempt was blocked by Jones and Viches grabbed the rebound and was fouled with four seconds left. He calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to three points.
MCLA chose to foul Fitchburg in the backcourt rather than let them attempt a game tying three pointer. Mike Ingram-Rubin made the first and was forced to miss the second intentionally. Trailblazer Jeremic Bennett grabbed the rebound and the victory was MCLA's.
Jones was 10-14 from the floor to collect his 25 points. Bennett added 14 points off the bench while Viches ended with 14 as well. Paul Maurice notched 13 points. Ruben DelRosario was held to 5 points, but dish out a season high 8 assists. MCLA shot 44% from the field.
Ingram-Rubin finished with 23 points, including the 1,000th of his career to lead Fitchburg. Anthony Muccioli added 20 points, while Wright ended with 11.
The Trailblazers will challenge Framingham State on Tuesday night as they look to continue their late season push towards the postseason.