Women’s Basketball Rally Late but Drop Conference Game to Fitchburg

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Women's Basketball team welcomed the Fitchburg State Falcons into the Amsler Campus Gymnasium for a MASCAC matchup of teams looking for their first conference wins of the season. The Trailblazers trailed by as many as 13 points before rallying in the fourth quarter to pull within a single point. Sadly, the rally would run out of time, and the Falcons would be the ones going home with their first MASCAC "W" of the year, 50-47.

THE BASICS

• Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026
• Score: Fitchburg State 50, MCLA 47
• Records: Fitchburg State University Falcons 3-14 (MASCAC 1-5) | MCLA Trailblazers 0-11 (MASCAC 0-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Falcons would "win" the first half, outscoring MCLA 10-8 in the opening quarter and then increasing their lead with a 11-4 second quarter.
• Fitchburg would stretch that lead to as many as 13 points when Avery James drove for a layup with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter, making the score 32-19.
• Over the final 13 minutes of play, the Trailblazers would chop away at the lead. The Falcons were still clinging to double-digit lead as the clock clicked under seven minutes to play. Junior guard Dakota Quick (Connelly, NY) would provide the catalyst that started MCLA's rally, burying a three from the right corner off a feed from sophomore forward Amare Williams (Woburn, MA), cutting the lead to 39-31.
• Quick's three kicked off a 13-3 run for the Trailblazers that included a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Abigail Scialabba (Williamstown, MA), a layup by first-year guard/forward Amaya Todd (North Adams, MA), and another pair of free throws, this time by senior guard/forward Hailey Peabody (W. Springfield, MA). Quick capped the run by sinking a jump shot while picking up and converting on the and one foul, making the score 42-40 less than four minutes to play.
• The Falcons would respond with a jumper by James and a driving layup by Kyelah Smith.
• MCLA wouldn't go away so easily, capitalizing on a pair of free throws by both Peabody and Quick before Scialabba buried a three from the right elbow, pulling within one point at 48-47 with barely 100 seconds to play.
• The Trailblazer rally would fizzle out as the clock ran down and Monet Augmon set the final score at 50-47 with a layup with 23 seconds to go.
• Fitchburg's Smith would lead all scorers with 17 points to go with 10 rebounds for a double-double. James added 10 points and Augmon had 10 boards to round out the Falcons double-digit stat totals.
• MCLA had a trio of double-digit point scorers, led by 15 from Peabody, while Quick finished with 12, and Scialabba had 10. Peabody also finished with a game-high 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the year, and second in her last three games.
• Trailblazers' senior forward Ashlyn Bill (Windham, CT) just missed her first career double-double, pulling down 10 rebounds while scoring eight points.
• MCLA's rally was fueled by an 18 of 19 (94.7%) showing at the charity stripe, while the Falcons struggled, converting on only nine of 17 shots.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Field Goals / %: Fitchburg 19-73 / 26%, MCLA 13-55 / 23.6%
• 3 Points / %: Fitchburg 3-28 / 10.7%, MCLA 3-22 / 13.6%
• Free Throw / %: Fitchburg 9-17 / 52.9%, MCLA 18-19 / 94.7%
• Rebounds: Fitchburg 52, MCLA 49
• Points off Turnovers: Fitchburg 11, MCLA 13
• Second Chance Points: Fitchburg 8, MCLA 9
• Points in the Paint: Fitchburg 20, MCLA 8
• Bench Points: Fitchburg 11, MCLA 12

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 5 p.m.

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