Women’s basketball conquers the Vikings

By Izabela Gage

Sports Editor

By Avery Slavin

Editorial Staff

Following a tie early in the second half, the Framingham State Rams ran away with the lead in the fourth quarter to secure a 77-57 conference win against the Salem State Vikings Feb. 7.

This win brings their conference record to 8-2 and their overall record to 12-9.

The Vikings missed three layups before putting the first points on the board off a jump shot.

Senior Kiara Cerruti was fouled on the next play, and she made the awarded free throw to bring the score to 2-1.

After two uneventful possessions by both teams, Captain Abigail Martin, a senior, made a defensive rebound and junior Ava Mckeon scored on a layup, assisted by sophomore Jacqueline Schels.

Salem attempted to score on their next drive, but Schels snagged the rebound and sophomore Faith Greene made the 3-pointer to earn the team a 6-2 lead.

Martin stole the ball on the next Salem possession, and Schels scored with a layup.

The next minute and a half was scoreless for both teams before the Vikings made a layup to shrink the gap to 8-4.

Greene took control of the next drive after stealing the ball and scored on the subsequent layup before being fouled by Salem. She then made the free throw to take a 7-point lead for Framingham.

The next two possessions were unsuccessful for each team, but Greene was fouled again and scored on both free throw shots to bring the score to 13-4.

The Vikings broke the stalemate with a jump shot less than 20 seconds later.

Martin made a steal for the Rams, and shortly after, the Vikings fouled Cerruti, who sank one of her two free throws, putting Framingham in the lead 14-6.

Each team turned over the ball before Schels drained a 3-point jump shot, assisted by freshman Zaria Anderson.

The Rams fouled the Vikings, giving them two free throw shots, but they could only sink one to bring the score to 17-7.

After a missed 3-pointer from both Anderson and Salem’s Shakera Fullenwilder, Captain Kelsey Yelle, a senior, was fouled, and she converted both free throw shots to points for Framingham.

The Vikings scored on a buzzer-beater jump shot to end the first quarter with a score of 19-9 in favor of the Rams.

Just 12 seconds into the second quarter, Salem made a layup and then earned a free throw following a foul by Framingham, which was successful, bringing the score to 19-12.

Another foul by the Rams gave Fullenwilder two free throw shots, but she could only score on one.

On the Rams’ next play, Greene made a layup, assisted by Anderson, giving Framingham an 8-point lead, 21-13.

Salem missed two layups on their following possession, and Schels made a defensive rebound before Cerruti sank a jump shot for the Rams, assisted by Martin.

The Vikings scored on a layup and a free throw, but freshman Evi Higgins didn’t let it go unanswered, making a layup of her own.

Just 15 seconds later, Fullenwilder made a layup, but the Rams maintained their lead, 25-18.

After two unsuccessful drives for each team, Greene committed a foul, but Salem’s Ernidia Golcalves could only make one of the two earned free throws.

Less than 10 seconds later, the Vikings’ defense fouled Yelle, and she sank one of the two free throws to bring the score to 26-19.

Salem’s Maria Orfanos was awarded two free throws after a foul by the Rams, but she made only one.

The next 2 minutes were uneventful, with both teams strong on defense, making important blocks and steals.

Cerruti was fouled by Fullenwilder, and she was able to sink the two free throws to put Framingham up by 8 points.

The Vikings put two more points on the board on free throws after a foul by sophomore Shaelagh Green.

Salem worked to close the gap before halftime with a layup, but under a minute and a half later, Yelle responded with one of her own, assisted by Higgins.

With 16 seconds remaining in the first half, the Vikings made one last layup, and the score stood at 30-26, with the Rams in the lead.

Salem started the second half with a layup and a jump shot, tying the score.

After another layup from the Vikings, Mckeon helped Martin bounce back with one of her own, ensuring Salem didn’t get ahead.

Martin scored points on both of the free throws she earned from the Vikings’ foul, pushing Framingham past Salem on the scoreboard by two points.

Cerruti helped the Rams keep their lead and sank two 3-pointers, both assisted by Mckeon, and brought the score to 40-34.

The Vikings missed the two free throws they earned from a foul by Cerruti.

After a missed jump shot from Greene, Salem fouled, and the Rams scored on their two free throws.

The Vikings got another chance to score on their free throws after their last attempt, but were only able to make one, keeping them 7 points behind Framingham.

Salem made a layup, but the Rams’ strong defense kept the Vikings on their toes as Framingham stole possession of the ball and made a jump shot.

When Salem regained possession, they missed two layups and fouled the ball, passing it back to the Rams, allowing Yelle to score on a free throw.

The score didn’t change until the Vikings fouled yet again, and Schels sank both her free throws, giving the Rams a 10-point lead.

Closing out the third quarter, the Rams made two more layups and a jump shot, leaving Salem struggling to keep up.

Within the first minute of the last quarter, the Vikings committed a foul, allowing Schels to score on free throws, sinking them both.

Cerruti made a layup, and Salem answered with one of their own.

A technical foul from Salem gave Framingham two more points on free throws, courtesy of Greene’s accuracy.

Greene made one more after a dead-ball rebound, and the Rams continued leading the game with a score of 60-39.

Schels scored on a layup shortly after, which was answered by a layup from Salem.

The Vikings regained possession of the ball and started getting aggressive, but continued to struggle putting points on the board.

Both teams fouled and scored two points each on free throws, but Salem still couldn’t catch up to the Rams, who had maintained their 21-point lead.

Framingham stayed aggressive and scored 5 more points, forcing the Vikings to work harder to get their hands on the ball.

Following a 3-point jump shot from Schels, Salem was able to start catching up, scoring 7 points until they fouled, allowing Mckeon to put two points on the scoreboard with free throws.

Yelle made the last two shots of the game, scoring Framingham 3 more points before Salem scored the last layup as the buzzer sounded, ending the game with a score of 77-57 in favor of the Rams.

Yelle said after losing to the Vikings 72-65 on Jan. 14, “Nobody on the team was happy. … So we had to use it as fuel to keep going and to keep pushing ourselves. Salem is a good team, but deep down, we know we can be better, and the performance from last time was not our best and does not define us.

“In practice, we try to keep high energy so it can be translated to the games. Not every day is perfect, so Abby and I have to push everyone to be their best selves,” she added.

Most recently, the Rams traveled to Worcester State and defeated the Lancers 71-53 in a conference contest on Feb. 11.

This win brings their conference record to 9-2 and their overall record to 13-9.

The Rams will face the MCLA Trailblazers on their home court in another conference game on Feb. 14.

Yelle said with only three games left in the regular season, “Everyone on the team is looking forward to the playoffs, but we have to remember to take one game at a time. Focus on the game we are playing next.”

She added, “Each day, the plan is to always make ourselves better, and I still feel like we are improving each and every day. We are a team, and we will face all the challenges together. We must just remember to bring each other up and remind each other to keep fighting.”