FITCHBURG, Mass. - Sophomore forward Nicholas Motta (Fairhaven, MA) posted a double-double with a career-high 28 points and 13 rebounds, and senior forward Roland Millien (Stoughton, MA) scored 19 points including the 1,000th of his career, to lead the Bridgewater State College men's basketball team to an 82-80 MASCAC win over Fitchburg State this afternoon in Fitchburg.
Needing nine points to reach the 1,000-point plateau, Millien scored all 19 of his points in the second half to become the 24th player in BSC men's basketball history to accomplish the feat. The milestone basketball came on a layup with 4:14 remaining in the game.
Junior Tim Graham (Arlington, MA) registered a team-high 24 points to go along with five rebounds to lead the Falcons. Graham guided the Fitchburg State offense with his team-high 24 points, shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw stripe.
Junior Colin London (Worcester, MA) was also solid for the Falcons, totaling his second consecutive double-double with 22 points and ten boards, while senior Brian Torres (North Dighton, MA) added 20 points and six caroms.
Fitchburg State used an 11-0 run midway through the first half to grab a seven point advantage (29-22) and closed the half with a 42-38 lead. Motta led the Bridgewater State first half scoring with 17 points, while London and Torres notched 13 and 11 points respectively for the Falcons.
In the second half, Bridgewater State quickly chipped away at the Fitchburg State lead, posting a 16-6 run in the opening minutes to take a 54-50 advantage. Fitchburg State battled back, taking a two-point lead (70-68) at the 4:55 mark, but Millien put the Bears back on top, scoring 11 points over the final four minutes to seal the 82-80 victory for the Bears.
Fitchburg State (7-12, 1-7 MASCAC) will be in action again on Tuesday as it travels to Worcester State College at 7:30 p.m. Bridgewater State (15-5, 8-1 MASCAC) will host Bowdoin College on Tuesday at 7 p.m.