In a spirited MASCAC basketball contest at Parkinson Gym on Saturday afternoon, the Fitchburg State men’s basketball was unable to unable to hold off Bridgewater State despite holding a double-digit lead in the second half, falling 71-81.

The game kicked off with Fitchburg State (5-18, 2-8 MASCAC) taking an early lead, with Nathaniel Semedo (Bridgewater) hitting a big 3-pointer, assisted by Matthew Drayton (Boston). Both Semedo and Drayton were on fire in the initial minutes, propelling the Falcons to an early 8-3 lead.

Despite the strong start, Bridgewater State managed to close the first half with a 37-33 lead.

The second half saw both teams trading leads. The Falcons surged, highlighted by back-to-back scores from Semedo and Drayton.

However, as the game unfolded, Bridgewater exploited lapses in the Falcons’ defense, eventually securing a 10-point lead and winning the game.

Semedo had an impressive performance, scoring a game-high 28 points, while Drayton contributed 21 points performance. Jalin Pitts (Palatka, FL) dominated the boards for Fitchburg, finishing with eight rebounds.

The Falcons return to action on Wednesday, hitting the road for a conference tilt at Salem State starting at 7 p.m.

Women’s basketball

Bridgewater State 85, Fitchburg State 58 >> The Falcons (3-20, 0-8 MASCAC) fell in conference play at Parkinson Gymnasium, dropping their 14th straight contest.

Rylie Harlow pace Fitchburg State with a team-high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, while Kathryn Hart added 10 points. Kaelynn Tanner had nine points and six rebounds in defeat and Stephanie Hart added five points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Falcons return to action Wednesday, hitting the road for a MASCAC contest at Salem State with a 5 p.m. tipoff.

Boys basketball

Ayer-Shirley 56, Maynard 50 >> Grant Ebika poured in a game-high 22 points for the second-seeded Panthers (20-1) in a Clark Tournament Small School quarterfinal, while Tommy Bergin chipped in 16 for the winners. The Panthers advance to face No. 3 David Prouty in a semifinal Monday at 1:30 p.m. at Clark University.

Lunenburg 46, Shepherd Hill 43 >> Evan Comesana had a game-high 17 points and Jackson Camerano contributed 13 as the third-seeded Blue Knights (15-4) won a Clark Tournament Large Schools quarterfinal at Shepherd Hill. Lunenburg will face the winner of Saturday evening’s game between Millbury and Northbridge Monday in the semifinals at 6:15 p.m. at Clark University.

Girls basketball

Oakmont 43, Northbridge 36 >> Olivia Martin led the second-seeded Spartans (19-0) with 12 points in a Clark Tournament Large Schools quarterfinal Ashburnham, while Amaiya LeBlanc and Jada LeBlanc each added eight. Oakmont advances to play seventh-seeded Littleton in the semifinals.

Nashoba 62, Groton-Dunstable 30 >> Lexi Prybyla scored 13 points as the top-seeded Wolves (14-5) rolled to a win in a Clark Tournament Large Schools quarterfinal at Oakmont Regional. Anna Lagarde and Izzy Bandini each added 12 for Nashoba, which advances to Hudson in the semifinals.