FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Fitchburg State women's basketball team defeated the Colonels of Curry College, 71-61 in non-conference action Thursday night at the Parkinson Gymnasium.

Fitchburg State was led by sophomore Katelynn Rizzuto (West Boylston, Mass.), who finished with a game-best 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and three steals, while freshman Allysa Rivera (Chelsea, Mass.) added 12 points, four rebounds and one assist.

For Curry, sophomore Emily Irwin (Billerica, Mass.) registered 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, while junior Nicole Rice (Woburn, Mass.) finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, one assist and four blocks for the Colonels.

Curry opened up 16-point advantage (22-6) after one quarter of play, going on a 17-2 run with 6:40 left in the opening frame as Rice ignited the run with seven of her 13 points, while newcomer Erica Ulrich (Westminster, Mass.) added five points during the stretch.

In the second quarter, Fitchburg State slowly chipped away at the deficit as senior Briana Pelton (Acushnet, Mass.) knocked down a three pointer with just over four minutes remaining in the half to start a 7-0 run for the Falcons to cut the lead to 30-27 before Curry closed out the second stanza with the final four points to take a 34-27 margin into the break.

Following intermission, the Green and Gold regained the lead for good on a trey ball from Rivera midway through the frame (42-41). The hosts upped its advantage, outscoring the Colonels 12-0 with 1:07 left in the third, capped by a layup from Rizzuto for the 57-43 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Curry cut the deficit to 61-51 on a jumper by Irwin with 6:38 left in the contest, but the Falcons put the game out of reach as senior Shabeli Villa (Lawrence, Mass.) connected on a pair of free throws, while Rizzuto added a layup, en-route to the 71-61 final.

For the game, Fitchburg State shot 33.8% (26-for-77) from the field, including 8-for-34 (23.5%) from beyond the arc. Curry finished 24-for-54 (44.4%) overall and 23.1% (3-of-13) from downtown. The Falcons also controlled the glass, holding a 52-42 margin.

Fitchburg State (3-3, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Tuesday as it hosts the Mustangs of Mount Ida for a contest starting at 7 p.m. Curry (2-5, 0-1 CCC) will travel to Roger Williams on Saturday for a 1 p.m. start time.

(Game Recap Courtesy of Fitchburg State Sports Information)