March 7, 2009
MBB: ASSUMPTION UPENDS DOLPHINS, 77-63, IN NE-10 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Worcester, Mass. - Graduate student Greg Twomey scored 15 second half points as Assumption College upended the Le Moyne College men's basketball team, 77-63, on Saturday afternoon in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship game at Laska Gym. The loss, Le Moyne's second to the Greyhounds since January 24th, snaps the Dolphins' 11 game winning streak.
Senior swingman Phil Barnes (Georgetown, Cayman Islands/Clinton C.C.) led the Dolphins with 16 points, including 12 in the final 4:44 of the first half. Junior guard Damani Corbin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglass), an all-tournament team selection, registered 14 points and three assists, while Northeast-10 Conference player of the year Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) added 12 points, a game-high eight rebounds and four blocked shots to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. With the eight rebounds and four blocks, Ekperigin set the program's single-season record in each category. Ekperigin passed Jene Grey for most rebounds with 354, eclipsing Grey's total of 351 in 1977-78 and topped John Tomsich's mark of 78 blocks in 1995-96 with 81 this season. Twomey hit 5-of-8 shots in the second half and added five free throws in the closing minutes. All-Tournament team member Courtland Bluford came off the bench to score 14 points, while Patrick Shea posted 13 points and six assists. Northeast-10 Tournament Most Valuable Player Mike Baldarelli and Mitch Bajema each tallied 10 points.
The Greyhounds, who receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA East Regional, opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take the lead for good. Fraine started the streak with a put-back layup, Twomey stole the ball in the backcourt and converted a layup, while Shea and Bluford recorded layups. Ekperigin hit a foul shot, his only point of the second half, and junior forward Kevin Hassett (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Mountain/Iona College) buried a three-pointer from the right wing to bring the Dolphins within two points with 12:58 remaining in the game.
Assumption responded with eight straight points to open up a 10 point lead on a pair of layups by Tobin Haase around baskets by Bluford and Twomey. The Dolphins, playing without reserve freshman guard Chris Johnson (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) due to injury, answered back with a 9-2 run of their own to close their deficit to three points. Sophomore forward Kevin Roth (Lake View, N.Y./St. Francis HS) connected on two layups, while Barnes recorded a conventional three-point play and reserve guard Durett Miles (Schenectady, N.Y./Schenectady) hit a jumper.
Following a 30-second timeout by Assumption, Twomey hit a layup and Shea drilled a shot clock-beating three-pointer from the right wing as the Greyhounds took control of the contest with 4:41 remaining. After exchanging points over the next two minutes, Twomey converted four straight free throws and Baldarelli registered a three-point play to give the Greyhounds a game-high 15 point lead at 69-54. Le Moyne tallied nine of the final 17 points to close out the game.
Assumption opened the game with the first five points en route to taking a 12-7 lead in the first 4:19. Bajema and Baldarelli each connected on a three-pointer and a jump shot in the streak. Ekperigin posted all seven points in the stretch for the Dolphins. Following Baldarelli's three-pointer, Corbin hit layup in transition and Ekperigin made a layup to close the game to one point.
Bajema responded with a three-pointer at the 13:40 mark before the two squads traded points over the next eight minutes with the lead fluctuating between one and five points. Bluford and Barnes traded two three-pointers each before Barnes connected on a conventional three-point play to give the Dolphins a 31-30 lead with 3:37 remaining in the stanza. The Greyhounds tallied six points around a dunk by Ekperigin to take a 36-33 advantage at the 49-second mark. Barnes tied the game with a three-pointer from the left wing following an offensive rebound by Miles to deliver a 36-36 halftime score.
Le Moyne, which finishes the season at 20-11, won 13 of its final 15 games, with the two setbacks coming against the Greyhounds. The 20 victories mark the most in a season since the 1997-98 season.
-agate-
Assumption 77, Le
Moyne 63
Le Moyne (20-11) 36 27 - 63
Assumption (22-9) 36 41 - 77
