Pride Men’s Hoop Opens Season with Comeback Victory

WESTON, Mass. - Down by double digits midway through the second half, Regis College rallied back in its 2022-23 season opener, coming from behind to defeat Fitchburg State University, 68-60, Tuesday night in a non-conference men's collegiate basketball game at Higgins Court.

Russell Rau (Fitchburg, Mass.) led the Pride with his fifth career double-double, scoring a career-high 23 points on 9-for-12 field goal shooting, including three three-pointers, and pulling down 12 rebounds. Devante Thompson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) scored 15 points, and Justin Evelyn (Uniondale, N.Y.) finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and a game-high six assists. Zakaria Latifi (Holliston, Mass.) added eight points and seven rebounds, and Jamir Harvey (Robbins, Ill.) had a solid debut contest with seven points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Ahead by three at halftime, Fitchburg State scored the first six points of the second half and then put together an 11-2 scoring run, capped by a three-pointer from Frederick Siayor, to extend its advantage to 51-38 with 11:27 remaining in the half. Regis responded with its own 11-2 scoring stretch over a four-and-a-half-minute span, punctuated by a three-pointer from Rau, to close to within two at 55-53.

Nathaniel Semedo made one of two free throws before the Pride took the lead for good on a jumper by Evelyn, another three-pointer from Rau, and a layup by Harvey with 1:44 left in regulation. On their next possession, the Falcons closed to within one at 60-59 on a three-pointer by Siayor, but Evelyn hit a jumper and a layup to increase the Regis advantage, and the Pride would prevent the Falcons from making any more field goals the rest of the game.

Siayor led the Falcons with 17 points and four steals, while Tyrone Manderson finished with 12 points and Semedo and Javon Taylor scored nine points apiece. Dayne Allen collected eight points and eight rebounds, and Quincy Taylor paced Fitchburg State with 12 rebounds as the Falcons enjoyed a slight rebounding edge, 45-43.

As a team, the Pride shot 41.3 percent (26-for-63) from the field, including 7-for-24 from behind the three-point line, and 50 percent (9-for-18) from the free throw line. The Falcons shot 36.9 percent (24-for-65) from the field, including 4-for-15 from behind the three-point line, and 47.1 percent (8-for-17) from the charity stripe.

Early in the first half, Regis rattled off 12 unanswered points for its largest lead of the night at 15-5 five minutes into the game. Fitchburg State closed to within two at 24-22 on a three-pointer by Manderson, and then outscored the Pride 12-3 over the final five minutes of the first half, capped by a layup from Quincy Taylor, to bring a 34-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Regis College (1-0) will participate in the Wheaton Tip-Off Tournament this weekend, starting with a game against the host Wheaton College Lyons Friday, Nov. 11, starting at 7 p.m. Fitchburg State (0-1) hosts Emmanuel College Thursday, Oct. 10, beginning at 5 p.m.