Late Free Throws Tip MCLA Men

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Becker's Guney Kilitcioglu converted a pair of free throws with just 2.2 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Hawks to a hard fought 71-70 win over the MCLA Trailblazers.
 
Kilitcioglu scored a team best 18 points in the win as Becker improved to 3-4 on the season.  
 
The game was tied up at 35-35 at halftime and neither team led by more than eight points at any time. Becker led 45-42 after Antoine Montgomery converted one of two at the for MCLA with 15:43 remaining. Becker outscored MCLA (3-3) 10-5 over the next few minutes to take their largest lead of the day at 55-47.
 
MCLA chipped away at the deficit and finally take the lead again at 61-60 after a pair of Noah Yearsley FTs, but with still 5:41 left to play. MCLA  increased its lead to 66-62 on Ki-Shawn Monroe's three, but Becker responded with a 7-2 run capped off by Jamir Carr's triple putting the Hawks on top 69-68.
 
After each team turned the ball over, MCLA had possession with less than 30 seconds left. Coming out of a timeout, Yearsley drove to the hoop and convert, giving MCLA the lead 70-69 with just 15 seconds left.  
 
Becker set up for a final shot and pushed the ball inside to Kilitcioglu. He was fouled with just 2.2 on the clock and calmly swished them both to put Becker in front. MCLA, without a timeout remaining, was forced to heave a shot from three-quarter court that was off the mark giving the Hawks the win.
 
Kilitcioglu was 4-for-5 shooting, but more importantly 9-for-9 from the line for his 18 point night. He was joined in double figures by Mateus Ribeiro who ended with 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
 
MCLA was paced by Yearsley's game high effort of 21 points on 5-8 shooting from three point range. Antoine Montgomery chipped in with 13 points while Taconic graduate Quentin Gittens came off the bench to add 12.
 
The Trailblazers are back in action on Tuesday night when they host Williams.
 
Women's Basketball
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Utica's Sydney Przygoda scored 28 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the women's basketball team past MCLA, 80-54, in non league play.
 
Utica (4-1) led 14-9 after one quarter and then built a 36-23 lead at halftime. From there, it was Przygoda. She scored 21 of her 28 points after halftime to blow the game open. The forward would score six straight points out of the locker room to increase the lead to 42-25. Utica went on to dominate the third quarter and led 66-38 after three quarters.
 
MCLA (2-3) did outscore the Pioneers in the fourth quarter, however the game was already decided.
 
Przygoda was 11-18 from the floor and added 2 assists and 3 steals in the win. Nicolette Conkin added 15 points and five assists.  
 
Utica shot 44% in the win and canned ten shots from beyond the arc. It overcame 24 turnovers in the win.
 
MCLA was paced by Kylah Langston's team best 11-point night. Emily Burke chipped in with 10.
 
The Trailblazers shot just 32% and fell victim to 22 turnovers of their own.
 
Utica also held a sizable 51-38 edge off the glass.
 
MCLA is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Fisher at 5 p.m.
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Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
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