Huge Second Half Propels Women's Hoops Past Fitchburg

WORCESTER, Mass. - Senior captain Kate Surprenant (Pelham, N.H.) lead the way for the Lancers with 26 points as the Worcester State University women's basketball team downed the Fitchburg State Falcons 96-73 Saturday afternoon in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference action at John P. Brissette Court.

The Lancers improve to 18-5 on the season, 9-1 in the MASCAC. Fitchburg falls to 9-13 overall, and 2-8 in MASCAC play.

Surprenant got things going for the Lancers with back-to-back layups in the game's opening minute. After the fast start for the Lancers, the Falcons found their shooting stroke. They would take the lead at the 4:50 mark on an Angelina Marazzi (Manchester, N.H.) jumper. She would tally 11 points in the period. Fitchburg continued to maintain their lead, up 26-18 after one.

In the second, the Lancers gradually chipped away at the Falcon lead. However, Marazzi went off for the Falcons, scoring 16 of her team's 19 points in the quarter. Surprenant would tally eight more of her own to give her 14 points going into the locker room, with Fitchburg leading 45-41.

After returning from the break, the Lancers came out of the gates strong, managing to take their first lead since the beginning minutes on a fast break layup by Surprenant at the 6:49 mark. The two teams would go back and forth with Marazzi tying the game at 56 a piece with 4:02 to go in the quarter. At 3:15, sophomore guard Colleen Cutting (Auburn, Mass.) would make both her free throws to put the Lancers up 58-56. Three-pointers by Cutting and sophomore guard Sam Maglione (Lancaster, Mass.) had the Lancers up 64-58 going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was all Lancers right from the start. Maglione hit three straight triples to open the period up for the Lancers, putting the Lancers ahead 75-58 Lancers just 2:16 into the fourth. The Lancers would cruise the rest of the way to secure the victory, outscoring the Falcons 32-15 in the game's final 10 minutes.

Surprenant was the high scorer for the Lancers with 26 points. Coming off the bench, Maglione was right behind her with 22 points, hitting six threes on the afternoon. Senior Kaitlyn Berkel (Waterford, Conn.) and Cutting would also score in double figures with 15 and 11 points respectively. Senior Brittany Herring (West Brookfield, Mass.) finished with a solid eight points, seven blocks, and five boards in the victory.

Worcester State shot a lights out 56.9 percent (37-of-65) from the floor on the day, and out-rebounded the Falcons 42-29.

For Fitchburg, Marazzi would finish with 29 points as the game's leading scorer, with 27 coming in the first half.

Next up for the Lancers, they'll host Bridgewater State for Senior Night on Wednesday evening at John P. Brissette. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

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