WPI 84, Fitchburg State 74 (OT)
Box
Score
Fitchburg, MA --- Senior point guard
Adam Lirette (Dover, NH) netted seven of his 11
points in overtime to help lift WPI to a hard-earned 84-74 ovetime
victory over host Fitchburg State in non-conference men's
basketball action on Saturday afternoon. WPI, ranked #17 in
the latest D3hoops.com Top 25, raises its record to 7-1 while the
Falcons slip to 3-3.
Sophomore Ben Etten
(Hollis, NH) notched a team-high 21 points and nine boards to lead
the WPI attack. Etten hit 9-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-6
from long distance. Freshman Jerome Stewart
(Bloomfield, CT) netted 18 points and three steals for the
Engineers, while senior NT Izuchi (Boston, MA)
chipped in with ten.
Senior Brian Torres
(North Dighton, MA) notched a game-high 26 points to pace Fitchburg
State. Torres led the Falcon offensive threat with a hot
hand, shooting 11-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three
point range. Junior transfer Colin London
(Worcester, MA) was also strong for the Falcons, totaling 22 points
and five boards, while senior Jeff Kozik (Auburn,
MA) added six points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Fitchburg State held a slim 30-29 lead at the break, led by the
shooting of Torres. Torres collected 14 first half points for the
Falcons, while knocking down 3-of-4 three-pointers. Fitchburg State
grabbed a six point lead with 6:34 minutes remaining in the half,
but WPI rallied off a 10-5 run in the final minutes to come within
one point of tying the contest.
In the second half, both teams played evenly, exchanging leads
four times by the 11 minute mark. The Falcons gained some momentum
midway through the period, putting together a 14-4 run over a
4:41-span to gain a 57-48 advantage. The Engineers responded with
their own 22-13 run in the final five minutes to knot the game
70-70 at the end of regulation.
In overtime, WPI came out firing, outscoring Fitchburg 14-4 in
the period. Lirette led the Engineers with seven points, including
four clutch free throws late in the extra frame, while Etten hit a
dagger from beyond the arc.
Fitchburg State will be in action again next Thursday as it
hosts Anna Maria at 7pm. WPI will host UMass Boston on Tuesday at
7:30pm.
Release Courtesy Fitchburg State Sports Information
