Men's basketball secures victory in home opener

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor By Avery Slavin Staff Writer The Framingham State Rams dominated in their home opener, defeating the Colby-Sawyer College Chargers 79-64 in a non-conference match Nov. 18. This win improves the Rams’ overall record to 3-2. Head Coach Donald Morris Jr. said winning the home opener was “a good start. We always want to try to do our best and hold down the home court.” Morris said he thought the team “played pretty well. Without our best player, Joshua Saint Jean, we have some guys stepping into different roles that they haven't been in before. I think they stepped up and showed that we have some depth, and we have some guys that can meet the challenge when it's presented.” FSU made the first basket of the game, with a jump shot by junior Domonick Victor. Colby-Sawyer then attempted a jump shot. After they failed, FSU junior Lorenzo Washington got the rebound and brought the ball down the court. Unable to score, Washington turned over the ball. Washington said the team’s “biggest mental challenge was bouncing back from a tough loss on the road. This was our first home game of the season, and we were also missing one of our key players, so we had to adjust on the fly. “For me, it was about staying locked in, keeping the group together, and making sure we didn’t let that last game affect how we performed tonight,” he added. On their next possession, the Chargers were stopped when senior Vondre Chase stole the ball, passing it down the court until Washington sent it to junior Dyree Rogers, who was able to net a 3-pointer. Colby-Sawyer battled back with a 3-point shot of their own, bringing the score to 5-3. Not 20 seconds later, the Rams regained their 5-point lead on another 3-pointer made by Rogers on an assist from Washington. With the ball on the Chargers’ side of the court, Framingham fouled, allowing CSC’s Sean Peterson to score on two free throws. After nine scoreless possessions by both teams, Colby-Sawyer finally scored on a layup. Following a turnover by the Rams, the Chargers were able to score on a layup, taking the lead 9-8. CSC scored two more 3-pointers on their next two drives, and with a jump shot by Rogers, the Chargers held the lead 15-10. Thirty seconds later, senior Fallou Koite scored for FSU on a layup, closing the gap. Not allowing Colby-Sawyer to pull away, Washington stole possession and brought the ball down the court for a layup. After getting fouled by the Chargers’ defense, Victor stepped to the foul line, sinking both foul shots awarded to him - the first to tie the match, the second for a lead change. Framingham’s defensive plays kept CSC from coming within shooting distance of the net, and on their next offensive drive, Chase scored on a jump shot. On the Chargers’ next possession, they missed a 3-point attempt. Shortly after, Framingham fouled, granting Colby-Sawyer two foul shots, only one of which they were able to take advantage of. On the next play, CSC was fouled. Yet again, they succeeded on only one of their two free throws. Framingham’s next points were put on the board by junior Ja’Quin Taylor, who scored on a 3-point jump shot, assisted by junior Makyle Hayes. The two teams traded baskets for the next few plays. Colby-Sawyer scored two points on a jump shot and two on free throws, and the Rams followed with a layup from Rogers. The Chargers capitalized on their next two plays, taking back control of the game with a jump shot and a dunk. The lead changed again when Hayes scored on a 3-point jump shot. This did not last for long, as on their next drive, CSC scored on a 3-pointer of their own, pulling ahead by one point. Koite regained the lead for FSU with a 3-point jump shot on the next play, bringing the score to 32-30. Over a minute passed with neither team able to score. Finally, with 5:15 left before the half, Colby-Sawyer tied the game with a jump shot. Washington continued to be a key offensive player, scoring on a layup and allowing Framingham to pull ahead once again. Following another foul, the Chargers attempted two free throws. Finding success with both shots, the game was tied 34-34. Rogers broke the tie, earning four points on two layups. Both teams set their focus on defense for the next few turnovers, with neither team scoring for the next 1:30. The next points came on two successful free throws by the Chargers, shrinking their deficit to two points. With 1:46 left before the half, Victor scored two points on a layup. Colby-Sawyer fouled FSU once again, resulting in Framingham earning a point on a free throw. The Chargers, having yet to learn their lesson, fouled the Rams once again. Victor stepped to the line for his two free throws, sinking both shots to bring the score to 43-36 - the largest gap in the score so far. CSC spent the following minute chipping away at Framingham’s lead, scoring on a layup and two free throws. Both Chase and Victor attempted 3-pointers as the clock ran down, but the first half quickly wrapped up, the scoreboard showing 43-40 in favor of FSU by just three points. Framingham’s momentum heated up in the second half, with a layup by Chase just 15 seconds in. Colby-Sawyer battled back with two jump shots, a layup, and a free throw, taking the lead 47-45. On the next play, Rogers fought to tie the game with a layup. After an uneventful minute, the Chargers capitalized on a free throw, earning the team a one-point lead. Chase regained the lead for FSU with a 3-pointer, following up with a jump shot on the very next possession. With a 3-point jump shot and a layup, CSC stole back the lead. On the next play, Chase once again caused a lead change, contributing to the score with a 3-pointer. A foul by the Chargers earned the Rams two free throw attempts, one of which went in. Following a brief timeout, Framingham returned to the court with renewed determination, holding Colby-Sawyer scoreless for the next two possessions. At 11:18, Washington scored on a layup. A minute later, Colby-Saywer battled back with a jump shot. Two minutes later, Rogers stole possession of the ball to make a layup, keeping the Rams in the lead. After being fouled on the same play, Rogers missed his first free throw, but made his second. With not much action from the Chargers, the Rams were able to score on a jump shot, a layup, and a dunk without any points from CSC. Junior Korbin Gann made two free throws in a row, and Rogers made a jump shot a minute later. Washington scored on a layup in the last 45 seconds, ending the game with a final score of 79-64, securing the victory for Framingham. Morris said the team is taking things “one day at a time. We have so many new faces, and some of these games are getting really close. “I think that's a big thing - taking these games, learning from them, building more cohesiveness with some of the new faces, and hoping that by the time we get to January, we're that much better,” he added. Morris said he just wants the team to work on improving consistently. He said, “Last year, we had the most wins in the last 15 years. I thought that was due to the fact that we had so many guys who had been there for the last two or three years, so the cohesiveness had carried over. I think this year, with so many new faces, it just depends on how well we can channel that cohesiveness. If we can do that, we can do something very special.” Morris said the non-conference games are a good way for the team to gel before playing other teams within the MASCAC. He said, “Every team has a different identity and brings a different challenge. Some of them are similar to what we'll play in our conference, and some of them are very different, but I think it's great for us. For a team that has so many new pieces and new parts, it gives them a chance to play a bunch of games.” Washington said, “Even though we’re a new group, we’ve already shown a lot of resilience and toughness. Our defense has really been a strength early on, and you can see how committed everyone is to compete. “I want to keep growing as a leader for this group and help us continue to mesh as the season goes on. The more chemistry we build, the better we’ll be,” he added. Morris said the team’s defensive skills have greatly contributed to their overall success so far this season. “That's the thing we try to hang our hat on. We're not so much worried about scoring ninety or eighty points - our big thing is, ‘Can we hold people in the 30s?’” He said, “We gave up too many points in the first half, but then we did a better job, only letting [Colby-Sawyer] have 26 points in the second half. “I think if we're a team that can maintain what we do defensively each and every night, then regardless of whether we're shooting the ball well, if we’re making them miss shots, we’ll always be in the game,” he added. Washington said, “We know these non-conference games are going to prepare us for conference play. We’re taking it one game at a time, staying locked in, and doing whatever it takes to reach that goal. “We’re 3-2 right now, and honestly, as a group, we feel like we should be 5-0. That alone is motivation as we move into a more intense part of the season. We all share one common goal, and that’s to win the MASCAC Championship,” he added. As of press time, the Rams lost 83-67 in a non-conference matchup against MIT. Framingham travels to Roger Williams University for another non-conference game Nov. 22.