Red Raiders overcome Mountaineers in OT

February 6, 2026 | Fitchburg erased an eight-point halftime deficit and exploded in overtime to defeat Wachusett 57–45 on senior night at the Doug Grutchfield Field House on Friday.

First half

Both teams opened in a 2–3 zone, feeling each other out in a slow-paced first quarter. ‘26 Michael Beaulac canned Fitchburg’s first three to tie the game 7–7, but the Red Raiders struggled to solve Wachusett’s zone and trailed 13–7 after one. Tyrese Green’s mid-range pull-up and some interior touches kept Fitchburg within striking distance, yet Wachusett’s ’27 Will Njoroge’s slashing ability pushed the Mountaineers ahead 20–14. The visitors carried a 26–18 advantage into halftime after holding Fitchburg to just 18 points over the first two quarters.

Third quarter response

Coming out of the break, Beaulac caught fire from deep against the 2–3, drilling his second three to trim the margin to 28–22 and then adding another trey to answer a Wachusett bucket at 31–25. As the quarter wore on, forwards ‘26 DJ Jean, ‘27 Tyrese Green and ‘26 Juju Kilson started finding seams in the zone, attacking gaps and getting downhill to collapse the defense. Their adjustment helped Fitchburg finally wrestle away momentum, and the Red Raiders closed the quarter on a surge to take a 36–35 lead into the fourth.

Fourth quarter battle

The fourth quarter turned into a grind with every possession heightened. Green continued to do what he does best, battling inside for tough baskets and key offensive rebounds as the game tightened to 38–37. Wachusett briefly reclaimed the lead and had Fitchburg on its heels, going up 42–41 with a minute remaining. Green answered again with a go-ahead bucket to make it 43–42 Raiders, but Wachusett split free throws, and a last-second driving layup rimmed out to leave the game tied 43–43 and headed to overtime.

Overtime takeover

OT belonged to Fitchburg. Beaulac opened the extra period with his fifth three-pointer to put the Red Raiders up 46–43, completely swinging the momentum. He quickly added a sixth triple, and ‘28 Yaniel Guzman assisted Jean for a layup to cap an 8–0 burst and make it 51–43. Wachusett never recovered and remained scoreless deep into the frame as Fitchburg pushed the margin to 55–43 before closing out a 57–45 victory.

Standout performances

Senior point guard Michael Beaulac’s perimeter shooting was the offensive story as he finished with 20pts, burying six threes, including two huge daggers in overtime that broke the game open. Green was a force in the middle, chipping in timely scoring with 13 points, physical rebounding, and the late regulation layup that extended the contest. Jean’s lane attacks were vital in the second half as Fitchburg finally picked apart the Mountaineers’ 2–3 zone.