Manchester nets game-high 22 points as Ravens drop sixth-straight

Boxscore 

WORCESTER, Mass. (February 18, 2009) - Assumption College avenged an earlier loss to Franklin Pierce University this season by rolling to a 93-72 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Laska Gymnasium tonight.

Junior guard Courtland Bluford (Fort Washington, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) led a balanced Assumption offense which featured four players in double figures and eight with seven or more with a team-best 16 points (14 first half) on 6-of-12 shooting from the field while converting 3-of-4 free-throw attempts to go with four rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench. Sophomore Mike Baldarelli (Sutton, Mass./Holy Name) added 12 points, on 6-of-9 shooting, and three rebounds, while senior Mitch Bajema (Whitinsville, Mass./Whitinsville Christian) made 5-of-6 shots from the field, draining both three-point attempts, for 12 points. Sophomore Dominique Price (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) chipped in ten points, on 5-of-6 shooting, a team-best seven rebounds (four offensive), four assists and three steals.

Sophomore guard Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) was the lone Franklin Pierce player in double-figures with a game-high 22 points (16 first half) on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range. Classmate Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) added eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sophomore Mike Barrow (Mattapan, Mass./Hebron Academy) chipped in nine points and three rebounds (all offensive) off the bench, while freshman Adedamola Abu (Mattapan, Mass./Marblehead) grabbed a team and season-high seven rebounds (five offensive).

Assumption finished shooting 54.8-percent (40-for-73) from the field, including 57.5% (23-40) in the first half to help build a 16-point (53-36) halftime lead. Franklin Pierce shot 45.2-percent (28-for-62) from the field, but just 40% (14-35) after the break. The Greyhounds posted a 37-12 advantage in points off turnovers, including a 21-1 edge in the first half alone, as they committed just 14 turnovers, compared to 28 for Franklin Pierce. Assumption also connected on 7-of-17 (41.2%) three-point attempts.

Franklin Pierce led by three (10-7) early after a Manchester jumper 5:02 into the contest. Manchester netted eight of the Ravens first ten points, burying a pair of three-pointers during the opening stretch. Assumption answered with six-straight points, capped by a three-ball by sophomore Tobin Haase (Ridgefield, N.J./Ridgefield), to take the lead for what would prove to be for good (13-10) less than two minutes later.

The burst was part of a greater 14-2 Assumption run that saw its lead grow to nine (21-12) after a Price layup with 11:40 left in the half. Franklin Pierce posted a 10-2 run over the next two and a half minutes to pull back within a point (23-22) after a Barrow jumper with 9:07 to go before the break. Manchester scored eight more points during that stretch, including two more three's. However, Assumption responded with a 12-3 run over the next three minutes to extend its lead into double-digits for the first time (35-25) after a layup from senior Patrick Shea (Salem, Mass./Salem) with 6:20 on the clock.

After Barrow scored a layup for Franklin Pierce, Assumption reeled off a 9-2 spurt, sparked by three-pointers from Bluford and freshman Kevin Donahue (Pawcatuck, Conn./Stonington), to push the Greyhound lead to 15 (44-29) with 4:24 remaining. Bajema buried a three to send Assumption into the break up 17 (53-36) and then opened the second half with a jumper to extend that cushion to 19 (55-36) and the Greyhounds kept Franklin Pierce at arms length the rest of the way.

Franklin Pierce (10-16, 7-14 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it rounds out the regular season with its final home game of the season against American International College at 3:30 p.m. The Ravens are currently tied with the University of New Haven (8-17, 6-14 NE-10) in the loss column for the 12^th and final spot in the upcoming NE-10 Tournament. Franklin Pierce can clinch a playoff spot with a win or should the Chargers lose their remaining regular season games at UMass Lowell (Saturday) and Merrimack College (Tuesday). Assumption (17-8, 14-6 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.