By Tyler Wahl
The Framingham State Rams Basketball team came out on top against Curry College in a 92-61 blowout Nov. 10.
The atmosphere in the gym was full of excitement for the return of Rams basketball. The bleachers were packed and ready for tip-off, and the team was eager to play on their home Loor after the cancellation of last year’s season.
Following a loss to Dean College Nov. 5, the team looked to pick up their first win of the season at home.
To start the first half, both teams kept it close. Solid defense was played on both sides of the ball and shots from the perimeter were defended excellently.
Curry opted to take a 30-second timeout early into the first half after a few successful offensive possessions for the Rams.
Following the timeout, it was clear that the Rams would largely focus on cleaning up the glass and playing lockdown defense for the remainder of the game.
This strategy worked perfectly, as the Rams out-rebounded Curry 52-24 by the time the final buzzer sounded.
This also resulted in the Rams converting on 15 second-chance points compared to Curry’s five.
Once the game was tied at 18-18, Framingham State went on an 11-0 run to gain their first large lead of the match.
The Rams’ 2-3 defense forced Curry into unfavorable perimeter jumpshots while the FSU offense pushed into the paint for higher-quality looks.
The score was 45-28 to finish the half, and the Rams made sure to maintain composure and keep their lead for the remaining 20 minute second half.
Sophomore point guard Jalen Bruce was a great leader on both the offensive and defensive end for the Rams, and he showed admiration for his team’s performance after the game.
“I’m really proud of my team. We didn’t take our foot off the gas and when the momentum was going Curry’s way, we didn’t fold under the pressure,” said Bruce.
Despite the Rams mounting such an imposing lead, the team never settled, and they constantly worked on maintaining and building their lead in the second half.
Even when Framingham was up 30 in the second half, their defensive intensity never wavered. The Rams forced 19 turnovers throughout the game, resulting in a few fastbreak buckets as well.
Bruce also talked about the importance of defense after the game, adding, “We worked really hard on our 2-3 in practice but it’s about us working even harder on defense. We still have some more improvement with the 2-3, but I’m proud we worked hard on the defensive end.”
Freshman guard Ivan Nyantenji Pnished with a game-high 24 points on an astounding 90% shooting night. He also knocked down four of his five shots behind the arc.
Junior guard Marshall Martin wrapped up the game with 7 rebounds, and Bruce almost acquired a double-double finishing with 10 points and nine assists.
The Framingham State Rams look to push their record to 2-1 against Emmanuel College Friday night Nov. 12.