Men's Basketball suffers tough defeat, fall to Rams 67-64

North Adams, MA- The visiting Framingham State men's basketball team received 17 points from Tyri Hampton as the Rams defeated the MCLA Trailblazers 67-64 this evening in MASCAC play in the Amsler Campus Center Gym.  The Rams snapped a 13 game losing streak as they earned their second win of the season.  They are now 2-20 overall and 1-8 in the conference.

MCLA has lost three of their last four and is now 14-8 overall and 7-3 in the league.  

In the opening half, MCLA led just 15-14 but then embarked on an 8-0 spurt to take their largest lead of the half at 23-14.  Noah Yearsley scored all eight points in the run off the bench for MCLA.  The Rams answered however with a run of their own.

Framingham went on an 11-2 run to tie things up at 25-25 with just two minutes until halftime.  The Rams would outscore MCLA 7-4 over the final minutes to take a 32-29 lead into the locker room.  MCLA held the Rams to just 36% shooting in the opening half but they were hampered by 8 first half turnovers.

The second half was tight down the stretch after the Rams built their largest lead of the night at 39-31 but with more than 18 minutes left to play.  From there, MCLA chipped away and the teams swapped the lead on numerous occasions.  MCLA took the lead back at 50-48 on Ki-Shawn Monroe's triple with ten minutes left, but the Rams answered immediately on a three by Hampton.  From there, neither team led by more than five points.

With 2:22 left to play, Framingham's Cameren McCloud-Thomas converted a jumper to give Framingham the lead for good at 63-62.  After the teams traded possessions, Jared Gordon-Anderson was fouled and he made both FT's to increase the lead to 65-62.  MCLA's Monroe answered with two FT's of his own to get within one before a frantic final minute.

Framingham's Hampton was whistled for a charge with under a minute to play giving the ball back to the Trailblazers.  MCLA's Bright Afful followed with a charge of his own to give the Rams back possession.  MCLA got a defensive stop and had a chance to surge ahead, but yet another charge, this one on Monroe gave the Rams the ball with just 4.4 seconds left.  Forced to foul, MCLA put Framingham's Keith Hollman on the line.  He swished both FT's to make it 67-64.  

MCLA still had a chance, but another turnover, their 19th of the night, sealed the win for the Rams.

Hampton was 7-17 shooting and added 6 rebounds in the win.  Gordon-Anderson notched 14 points, grabbed 7 boards, and 6 assists.  McCloud-Thomas scored 12 points for the Rams.  

MCLA was paced by Noah Yearsley's 14 points, but he was just 6-16 shooting.  Antoine Montgomery ended with 13 points and 6 rebounds.  Monroe ended his night with 11 points while Quentin Gittens collected 10.

The Trailblazers host Worcester State on Saturday at 1pm.