Lynn, MA --- Senior Kyle Ferreira (Westport, MA) netted a game-best 26 points – with a remarkable 8-for-10 performance from beyond the arc – as he helped pace Worcester State to an 89-75 victory over Fisher in non-conference men's basketball action this evening at the Facteau-Leary Gym.
In the first-ever meeting between the two squads, the Lancers improved their record to 11-12 while the Falcons slip to 8-19 on the season.
Ferreira equaled a school record that was set by Lancer Hall of Famer Alan Pettway against Framingham State almost 20 years to the day while he also grabbed six boards.
Junior Dane Jobst (Athol, MA) also notched 17 points and he pulled down 17 points en route to his 15th double-double of the season while classmate Robert Hunter (St. Louis, MO) finished with 13 points and seven caroms.
Freshman Alex Lopez (Springfield, MA/Commerce) scored 10 points and dished out seven assists in the triumph for WSU.
Fisher was propelled by senior Ryan McCorkle (Bellevue, WA) who tallied 20 points and a squad-high eight rebounds as freshman Tyler Shular (Norwalk, CT) added 11.
Sophomore teammates Chris Green (Middle Island, NY) and Sam Nwadike (Houston, TX) along with junior Kyle Murphy (Orlando, FL) all chipped in nine points apiece.
Both squads put on a clinic from beyond the arc as they combined to sink 46 percent of their attempts from three-point land in the contest (22-for-48) with Fisher draining 13 of their 29 bids from downtown.
The hosts originally staked the early 19-10 advantage just 7½ minutes into the contest before the Blue and Gold came right back with an 11-0 run to take over the 21-19 edge at the midway point of the first period.
Following three ties by Fisher, they then used a pair of treys by Nwadike and second-year Tyler Radicioni (Westerly, RI) to go on a 12-1 spurt to open up a 34-27 margin with 5:49 remaining in the opening frame.
Ferreira, however, had other plans of his own as he buried four triples in an 18-4 surge to close out the period with the Lancers on top, 45-38.
Hunter opened the second half with a lay-up for the nine point lead, but the Falcons chipped away at the deficit and strung together a 19-6 run for the 57-53 lead with 15:22 remaining in the game. The hosts drilled five three-pointers in the uprising including two by Green.
Worcester State responded with a 10-0 skein that included five consecutive lay-ups in the paint for the 63-57 advantage near the halfway mark.
Fisher maintained their distance and made it a four-point game twice over the next six minutes and they trailed 74-70 with 5:27 left in the contest.
But the Blue and Gold took advantage of missed shots and turnovers to build up a double-digit lead. From that point, the visitors went on an 11-1 run capped off by a Ferreira trifecta for the 83-71 edge with 3:13 remaining.
Worcester State also went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final minutes of regulation to seal up the win on the road.
The Lancers used a 44-33 advantage to the control the backboards while also dominating the paint (48-16). WSU connected for nearly half of their shots for the game (33-for-67 – 49 percent).
Fisher distributed the ball well as they finished with 20 helpers for 27 made field goals and they also poured in a modest 41 percent of their bids from the field in the contest (27-for-66).
Worcester State closes out their regular season with a pair of key games in the next week starting with Bridgewater State at home on Thursday at 8 PM on "Senior Night" before they head to Salem State on Saturday for a 5:30 matchup.
The Falcons head to Cazenovia for a 1 o'clock meeting on Sunday.