Fitchburg State Falls To Bethany Lutheran, 66-56
Payette and Ridge register double-doubles in Falcons setback
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 29, 2008) - Senior Stephanie Payette (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex) and junior Michelle Ridge (Milton, Mass./Milton) combined for 28 points and two double-doubles as Fitchburg State fell to Bethany Lutheran, 66-56 in day two of the Land of Magic Classic in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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Payette paced the Fitchburg State attack with a double-double, scoring 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Ridge also notched a double-double with 14 points and ten boards. Junior Krystle O'Brien (Malden, Mass./Malden) was also solid with nine points, six boards and four steals.
Senior Eva Voss (North Mankato, Minn./Minnesota Valley Lutheran) led the Bethany Lutheran attack with a game-high 22 points and 18 rebounds, while Anna Cepek (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) tallied 13 points and three caroms. Junior Molly Erdman (Courtland, Minn./Nicolett) added four points, ten boards and three steals.
Bethany Lutheran jumped to an early eight point lead at the half, outscoring Fitchburg State 34-26 in the first frame. The Vikings shot 30.6% from the field in the opening period, hitting 11-of-36 shots, while the Falcons were held to only 9-of-34 shots.
In the second half, Fitchburg State closed the gap to 48-47 as sophomore Kim Duprey (Bernardston, Mass./Pioneer Valley) capped an 18-9 run with a shot from beyond the arc. As the Falcons inched closer, Bethany Lutheran exploded for an 11-3 run over the final minutes to secure its fifth victory of the season.
Fitchburg State (6-5, 0-0 MASCAC) will be in action again January 8th as it host Emerson College at 6 p.m. Bethany Lutheran (5-7, 0-2 UMAC) will travel to Crown College on January 9th at 5:30 p.m.
CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Bethany Lutheran 66, Fitchburg State 56
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Teams |
1 |
2 |
T |
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Bethany Lutheran (5-7, 0-2 UMAC) |
34 |
32 |
66 |
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Fitchburg State (6-5, 0-0 MASCAC) |
26 |
30 |
56 |
