Fitchburg State Nips Men’s Basketball, 97-96

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Men's Basketball team welcomed the Fitchburg State University Falcon into the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium for a MASCAC clash. Craig Williams scored 31 points, but the Falcons had five players finish with double-digit point totals to hold off the Trailblazers for a 97-96 win.

THE BASICS

• Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026
• Score: Fitchburg 97, MCLA 96
• Records: Fitchburg State University Falcons 9-3 (MASCAC 3-3) | MCLA Trailblazers 4-11 (MASCAC 1-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams spent the opening minutes feeling each other out and playing to a 5-5 stalemate before Fitchburg went on a 14-2 run in just under four minutes. The run included two three-pointers for both Nicolas Von Zboray and Matthew Drayton, allowing the Falcons to seize control and dictate the tempo of play.
• The Trailblazers would respond with a three-pointer and a layup by freshman guard Frank Field (Adams, MA) to stop the bleeding and cut the visitor's lead to single digits.
• Late in the first half, MCLA's defense clamped down, holding Fitchburg off the scoreboard for three full minutes, erasing an eight-point deficit. Field, junior guard Colin Quinn (South Hadley, MA), and senior guard Craig Williams (Dover, DE) all contributed baskets and putting the home team up 40-38 with 2:40 left in the first half. A 5-1 run by the Falcons would close out the half, to send the teams into the locker room with the road team leading 43-41.
• Quinn would tie the game in the Trailblazer's first possession of the second half but Fitchburg would respond with a 12-0 run that started with a put back layup by Joshua Jean Charles and was capped with Charles sandwiching two free throws around a free throw by Zboray, rebuilding a double-digit cushion.
• The Falcons would continue to throw haymakers at the home team, but the Trailblazers refused to go down and were still hanging around when junior guard Kamau Franks (Converse, TX) drained a pair of free throws with 3:12 to play, making the score 91-85 and starting a 8-1 for MCLA. Franks scored six of the eight points, including hitting all four free throw attempts during the run. Williams' layup 101 seconds to play would bring the Trailblazers within one point at 92-91 and forcing Fitchburg to call a timeout.
• Some tense offense for defense switches by both teams would see the Falcons staying ahead with success at the charity stripe, while MCLA would respond with multiple layups by Williams and a free throw from Franks. The clock would run out before the Trailblazers could retake the lead.
• MCLA's 96 points was the most they have scored in a game since also scoring 96 points last year in a 96-73 win over VTSU-Lyndon.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Field Goals / %: Fitchburg 31-67 / 46.3%, MCLA 32-57 / 56.1%
• 3 Points / %: Fitchburg 11-22 / 50%, MCLA 12-24 / 50%
• Free Throw / %: Fitchburg 24-33 / 72.7%, MCLA 20-24 / 83.3%
• Rebounds: Fitchburg 36, MCLA 28
• Points off Turnovers: Fitchburg 24, MCLA 23
• Second Chance Points: Fitchburg 22, MCLA 7
• Points in the Paint: Fitchburg 38, MCLA 30
• Bench Points: Fitchburg 17, MCLA 9

UP NEXT

On Wednesday, MCLA will be back in action when it travels to Twohig Gym for a MASCAC matchup with the Salem State Vikings. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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