Fitchburg State Falls To Bethany Lutheran, 66-56

Payette and Ridge register double-doubles in Falcons setback

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 29, 2008) - Senior Stephanie Payette (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex) and junior Michelle Ridge (Milton, Mass./Milton) combined for 28 points and two double-doubles as Fitchburg State fell to Bethany Lutheran, 66-56 in day two of the Land of Magic Classic in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Payette paced the Fitchburg State attack with a double-double, scoring 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Ridge also notched a double-double with 14 points and ten boards. Junior Krystle O'Brien (Malden, Mass./Malden) was also solid with nine points, six boards and four steals.

Senior Eva Voss (North Mankato, Minn./Minnesota Valley Lutheran) led the Bethany Lutheran attack with a game-high 22 points and 18 rebounds, while  Anna Cepek (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) tallied 13 points and three caroms. Junior Molly Erdman (Courtland, Minn./Nicolett) added four points, ten boards and three steals.

Bethany Lutheran jumped to an early eight point lead at the half, outscoring Fitchburg State 34-26 in the first frame. The Vikings shot 30.6% from the field in the opening period, hitting 11-of-36 shots, while the Falcons were held to only 9-of-34 shots.

In the second half, Fitchburg State closed the gap to 48-47 as sophomore Kim Duprey (Bernardston, Mass./Pioneer Valley) capped an 18-9 run with a shot from beyond the arc. As the Falcons inched closer, Bethany Lutheran exploded for an 11-3 run over the final minutes to secure its fifth victory of the season.

Fitchburg State (6-5, 0-0 MASCAC) will be in action again January 8^th as it host Emerson College at 6 p.m. Bethany Lutheran (5-7, 0-2 UMAC) will travel to Crown College on January 9^th at 5:30 p.m.

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Bethany Lutheran 66, Fitchburg State 56