MCLA Men's Basketball Team Beats Salem, 77-72

By Jeffrey PuleriMCLA Sports Info
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts junior John Jones led a balanced scoring attack in which six Trailblazers tallied double-figures as MCLA held off Salem State, 77-72, this evening in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

The Trailblazers snapped a three-game skid with the win, improving to 4-9 (1-0 MASCAC) in the process. Salem State falls to 9-5 overall and evens their league mark at 1-1.
 
Joining Jones in double figures were Paul Maurice (15), Richard Johnson (12), Ramon Viches (11), Bilal Shabazz (11), and Ruben DelRosario.
 
Salem was paced by Nate Simpson's game highs of 27 points and 14 rebounds.
 
After Salem State grabbed an early lead, the hosts shot in front in the opening half and never looked back. With the visitors holding an 18-14 lead, MCLA went on a 13-2 game-changing run to take command at 27-20 with 5:56 left in the opening half. The Trailblazers cruised into the locker room holding a 36-31 lead.
 
Salem scored the first two buckets of the second half to pull within one, but MCLA responded once again. This time they used a 13-3 spurt ignited by Shabazz and Viches with five points each, grabbing their largest second-half lead at 49-38.
 
MCLA held the lead over the next several minutes before Salem made one final run.  With the score now at 71-66 with a minute remaining, Simpson converted a jumper in the lane to pull within three with just 36 seconds left. MCLA's Maurice was fouled on the next possession and calmly pushed the lead back to five at 73-68.
 
After Salem's Andrew White converted a pair of freebies to pull within 73-70, MCLA missed a pair of free throws on their end giving Salem a chance to tie.  Viking Justin Nieves had a solid look at a corner three, however he came up short and Salem was forced to foul with 12 seconds left.  After an intentional foul was called, Trailblazer guards DelRosario and Maurice each knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the win.
 
For MCLA, Johnson added a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Simpson was 10-20 from the floor for Salem en route to his strong night. Andrew White was the only other Viking in double figures, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds.
 
MCLA held the high-scoring Vikings to just 35 percent shooting compared to 43 percent for themselves.
 
The Trailblazers are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Worcester State to face the Lancers at 5:30 p.m.
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Clarksburg Gets 3 Years of Free Cash Certified

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials have heaved a sigh of relief with the state's certification of free cash for the first time in more than three years.
 
The town's parade of employees through its financial offices the past few years put it behind on closing out its fiscal years between 2021 and 2023. A new treasurer and two part-time accountants have been working the past year in closing the books and filing with the state.
 
The result is the town will have $571,000 in free cash on hand as it begins budget deliberations. However, town meeting last year voted that any free cash be used to replenish the stabilization account
 
Some $231,000 in stabilization was used last year to reduce the tax rate — draining the account. The town's had minimal reserves for the past nine months.
 
Chairman Robert Norcross said he didn't want residents to think the town was suddenly flush with cash. 
 
"We have to keep in mind that we have no money in the stabilization fund and we now have a free cash, so we have now got to replenish that account," he said. "So it's not like we have this money to spend ... most of it will go into the stabilization fund." 
 
The account's been hit several times over the past few fiscal years in place of free cash, which has normally been used for capital spending, to offset the budget and to refill stabilization. Free cash was last used in fiscal 2020.
 
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