FITCHBURG, Mass. – Just one game after recording her 1,000th career point, Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Mass.) reached another milestone, one that no Mount Ida College basketball player has ever achieved.
Martinez became the first ever Mustang to record 1,000 career rebounds with a 20 rebound performance in a 74-43 loss to Fitchburg State in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at the Parkinson Gymnasium.
The senior center needed just eight rebounds to reach the historic plateau, and she hit that mark midway through the second quarter en route to a season high in caroms.
Now with 1,012 career rebounds, Martinez becomes the fifth member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) 1,000 rebound club, and is on pace to end her career as the all-time conference rebounding leader.
Unfortunately for Martinez and the Mustangs, Fitchburg State opened the contest on a 10-2 run as freshman Kyra Rose sparked the Falcons with six points, while sophomore Katelynn Rizzuto added four points and senior Briana Pelton connected on a three pointer.
Mount Ida cut into the deficit on baskets by senior Brittany Crosby (Riverside, R.I.) and junior Imani Bumpus (W. Hartford, Conn.) to make the score 13-6 before the Green and Gold took a 24-7 lead to close out the first quarter on a trey from newcomer Emma Thomson.
In the second quarter, the Green and Gold upped its lead (37-11) with 6:57 left in the half as sophomore Michaela McTomney and Rizzuto hit a pair of layups. The Mustangs chipped away at the lead with seniors Maryssa Dwyer (Quincy, Mass.) and Martinez hitting jumpers for Mount Ida to make the score 41-22 going into the intermission.
Following the break, Fitchburg State extended its margin to 55-25 following a three ball by freshman Catherine Coppinger before Mount Ida answered with a pair of baskets from Bumpus and Martinez (55-30) after three quarters of play.
In the final frame, with the score 55-32, the Falcons put the game out of reach, going on a 9-3 run on free-throws from Rose, Thomson and newcomer Jaliannette Marquez to take a 64-35 advantage midway through the frame, en-route to the 74-43 final.
Fitchburg State was paced by Rose, who posted a game-best 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and one steal, while Rizzuto added a double-double of 15 points and 11 caroms to go along with two assists, two blocks and five steals for the Falcons.
For the Mustangs, Martinez registered a team best seven points to go with her 20 boards, one assist and one block, while freshman Alisa Benson (Middletown, R.I.) chipped in with six points, five rebounds, two assist and one steal.
Throughout the contest, Fitchburg State shot 27-of-84 (32.1%) from the field and 25.9% (7-for-27) from downtown, while Mount Ida finished 15-for-61 (24.6%) overall and just 8.3% (1-of-12) from beyond the arc.
Fitchburg State (4-3, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action after the winter break as it hosts the Bison of Nichols College on Friday, December 30th at 3 PM.
Mount Ida (2-4, 0-0 GNAC) will host Wheelock College on Thursday at 5 PM.