By Adam Levine
Sports Editor
The Framingham State Rams lost their past two games, facing setbacks to the Worcester State Lancers 72-59 Jan. 20 and the Fitchburg State Falcons 61-59 Jan. 24.
The Rams fought a tough game against the Lancers in a seemingly lopsided matchup.
Worcester’s victory marked their 17th consecutive win in the MASCAC after a perfect 12-0 record last season, including winning the 2023 MASCAC Championship.
Framingham’s Head Coach Donald Morris Jr. said, “Our mindset was, ‘We have nothing to lose, only something to gain.’
“I thought we played really well and we competed really hard,” he added.
Framingham point guard Bryan Thompson, one of six returning players on the 17-man roster, said, “Our game plan was just to keep it close because we know Worcester is a good team.”
Morris said a contributor to the loss was freshman standout forward Joshua Saint Jean’s injury toward the end of the first half.
Prior to his injury, Saint Jean scored 6 points and recorded five rebounds and two steals. He is averaging 10.2 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game for the season and has earned MASCAC Rookie of the Week three times.
Morris said after Saint Jean’s injury, “Kids competed and stepped up.
“A lot of them are very young. But you know what, they really, really dug in and competed,” he added.
Despite the loss, the Rams shot 46.2% on 3-point attempts and 78.6% on free throw attempts, both of which are improvements on the team’s season averages of 28.5% and 62.7%, respectively.
Framingham contested Worcester’s powerful offense through the first 28 minutes of the 40-minute game.
There were seven lead changes and two ties in the game, which was indicative of Framingham’s unwavering fight.
The Rams lost their following matchup to the Falcons 61-59.
The Falcons took an early lead and never gave it up. Their biggest lead was with seven minutes remaining in the first half, commanding a 29-14 lead.
Framingham finished the half strong, cutting the Falcon’s lead to 9 points.
Fitchburg maintained a steady lead for the beginning of the first half before Framingham began to attempt a comeback.
After a burst of Framingham’s offense capitalizing on defensive stops, Fitchburg’s lead quickly fell to 5 points.
The Rams crept closer to the Falcons, but their comeback attempt ultimately fell short.
The Rams now hold an overall record of 5-14 and a conference record of 0-6, tying their number of wins from last season with six games still remaining in the season.
Framingham travels to Westfield State to begin the second round of MASCAC matchups Jan. 27.
Thompson said, “It is kind of hard to beat a team twice, so I think the second time around will be good because we’ve seen everything once.”
Morris said, “With each game, we have to adjust to the opponent.
“I think as much as it seems hard to believe, I think we're taking steps in the right direction because we're building continuity with the right type of recruits.
“I think day by day, they get better and better - it’s pretty positive,” he added