Women’s Basketball Collected MASCAC Victory Over Trailblazers

Patch & DeSimone lead Green & Gold past MCLA

FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University women's basketball team used a dominant fourth-quarter surge to rally past MCLA, 58-53, in MASCAC action on Wednesday night at the Parkinson Gymnasium.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 58, MCLA  53

Records: Fitchburg State (4-20, 2-11 MASCAC) | MCLA (0-19, 0-13 MASCAC)

How It Happened.

After falling behind 11-3 midway through the period, Fitchburg State chipped away behind timely shooting and rebounding. Avery James connected from beyond the arc off a feed from Mikayler Patch at the 5:53 mark to put the Falcons on the board, and Kaelynn Tanner added a jumper later in the quarter to keep the offense within striking distance. With just 19 seconds remaining, Kyelah Smith came up with a steal and pushed the ball ahead to Alexis DeSimone, who knocked down a jumper to make it 11-8 after one quarter.

Kaelynn Tanner opened the second frame with a jumper off a Malaica Guillaume assist. The Falcons found their rhythm from beyond the arc as Alexis DeSimone and Tanner each connected from three. Avery James added a pair of key baskets, including a game-tying three at 24-24 midway through the period, while Kyelah Smith contributed on both ends with assists, free throws, and strong work on the glass. Fitchburg State closed the quarter as Erin McNamara drilled a three-pointer.

After trading empty possessions early in the third, the Falcons broke through when Kyelah Smith converted a layup off a Kaelynn Tanner assist to give Fitchburg a 31-30 edge. Alexis DeSimone later drained a key three-pointer from the wing to cut the deficit to five, and she added a pair of free throws at the 2:57 mark to keep it a one-possession game. Avery James and Malaica Guillaume controlled the defensive glass during the stretch, while Mikayler Patch added timely rebounds and a block.

Malaica Guillaume opened the scoring in the fourth with a layup off an Avery James assist, the Falcons chipped away behind baskets from Alexis DeSimone and Mikayler Patch, with Patch later burying a three-pointer to give Fitchburg a 46-45 advantage. Kaelynn Tanner tied the game at 47-47 midway through the frame, and Patch struck again from beyond the arc off a DeSimone assist to keep the pressure on en route to the 58-53 final.

Inside the Numbers

• Patch finished with a double-double, 10 points and 12 rebounds
• DeSimone led the Falcons with 15 points, and Guillaume had 17 boards
• Fitchburg State shot 21-78 (26.9%) from the field and (9-37) 24.3 % from three-point range
• MCLA went 20-64 (31.3%) overall and (11-29) 37.9% for beyond the arc
• The Falcons finished with a 57-47 margin on the glass

Up Next

The Falcons conclude the 2026 season on Saturday when they travel to Westfield State.

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