By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams faced a tough battle in a conference matchup against the Worcester State Lancers Feb. 19. The first points of the game came off a 2-point jump shot from Framingham senior Michelle Moreno just 10 seconds in. Worcester fired back with a jump shot just a minute later. A jump shot from freshman Jackie Schels and a 3-pointer from senior Captain Katie Haselton increased the Rams’ early lead. Following a basket from the Lancers, FSU put more points on the board, scoring on a layup from freshman Faith Greene as well as a layup and a 3-pointer from junior Kiara Cerruti. The first quarter closed with a score of 14-12 in favor of the Rams. Thirty seconds into the next quarter, Greene scored 2 points on a layup. Following this, WSU scored 5 points on a layup and a jump shot, tying up the game at 16-16. Two free throws from Haselton earned the lead back for Framingham, along with a layup from Schels. However, owing to several more successful shots from Worcester’s offense, the opponents pulled ahead for the first time. The Rams would not back down, with Greene and Schels scoring on layups with just 4 minutes to go in the half. In a quick and unexpected turn of events, the Lancers took offensive control, accumulating 7 more points and coming into the second half with a 12-point lead. Two foul shots from Schels started the Rams off on the right foot in the third quarter. Thirty seconds later, Moreno grabbed a quick rebound and maneuvered her way toward the basket for a layup. Within the same minute, Schels passed the ball to Greene who scored in the paint once again. A well-calculated steal by senior Chloe Rayko led to a layup from Moreno off a missed shot from Haselton. Four successful shots from the free-throw line and a layup from Hasleton, two 3-pointers from Cerruti, and a layup from Greene closed the gap as the teams entered the final quarter of the game. Few baskets were scored by either team during the last quarter. Greene, Rayko, and Schels all scored 3-pointers within the first few minutes. Unfortunately, the Lancers were able to match their pace, scoring more baskets of their own. Two free throws from Schels brought the Rams closer to a lead change, but a layup from WSU offset their advance. Worcester scored several more times in the final minutes of the game. Layups from Greene and Haselton brought FSU within a mere 9 points of the lead as the seconds ticked down, but the game ended with a score of 76-67 in favor of Worcester. The Rams surpassed the Lancers in field goal attempts, outshooting them 66-65. Additionally, they scored and shot more free throws as well as 3-pointers. Greene said in terms of layups, WSU just had more success in hitting the shots. As the Lancers began to pull ahead, the Rams continued to give the game their all. Greene said, “We do what every team does - keep our head up and keep going. We never give up. The game didn't end until we heard the final buzzer. … It didn’t matter if we were winning or not.” Schels said to keep the score close, Framingham “tried to match Worcester’s physicality and keep attacking the rim. We also tried to look to kick out for the 3 if possible.” Moreno noted that WSU just “seemed to want it a little more. “I think they caught the flow of the game and were able to keep that momentum even with the hiccups we gave them,” she added. Greene said, “I know the loss today is going to cause a lot of buzz, but for Framingham, it’s not over. Don't count us out just yet.” Schels said the team will spend the next few practices “mastering” their offense and “tightening up” their defense. Schels added, “Going into playoffs, we are looking to play together as a team, have a clean slate, and look to take it game by game and ultimately win that championship.” Moreno said the Rams plan to “work as a team and have fun doing what we love, as well as just playing our roles as best as we can. “As of right now, my goal is just to give it all I can for the next two weeks and continue to feed good energy into my teammates as we get ready,” she added. FSU has one remaining game in their regular season, facing off against the Fitchburg State Falcons this Saturday, Feb. 22.
