Assumption Holds Off
Franklin Pierce, 71-65
Diethorn’s double-double leads Greyhounds
to victory in NE-10 opener 

RINDGE, N.H. (November 20, 2007) – Assumption College held Franklin Pierce University to 31.9-percent shooting from the field to claim a 71-65 victory in the Northeast-10 Conference men’s basketball opener for both at the Fieldhouse tonight.

            Senior forward Corey Diethorn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Sewickley Academy) led Assumption with a double-double effort of 20 points and 16 rebounds (seven offensive) to go with five blocked shots. He hit 6-of-8 shots from the field and converted 8-of-10 free-throw attempts in the victory.

Senior Greg Twomey (Groton, Mass./Groton-Dunstable) followed for the visitors with 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while junior Patrick Shea (Salem, Mass./Salem) added 13 points and six boards. Sophomore Courtland Bluford (Fort Washington, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) chipped in with 12 points, two assists and two steals.

Freshman Steve Ramos (Lynn, Mass./Hebron Academy) paced Franklin Pierce with a season-high 14 points to go with five rebounds and three assists. Redshirt freshman Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) followed with 12 points, hitting 4-of-8 three-pointers, while junior Craig Shepherd (Grantham, N.H./Trinity) chipped in 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.

Assumption did not trail in the first 20 minutes of action after Shea began the night with a three-point basket, but the Ravens hung with the Greyhounds and did not allow the lead to grow to more than nine points. After Assumption took a nine-point lead with 3:59 remaining in the half, Franklin Pierce responded with a quick 7-0 run to trim the lead to two and the teams went into the half with the Greyhounds up only one.

Franklin Pierce came out strong to begin the second half, stringing together a 12-2 run on the strength of a pair of Manchester three-pointers to give the team its biggest lead of the night at 43-34. Assumption responded quickly, putting together an 11-0 run of its own over the next 3:08 as five different players recorded points and regain the lead.

The teams then traded buckets for nearly five minutes, until the Greyhounds used a key 9-0 run that turned a tie game (56-56) into a 65-56 Assumption lead with 2:54 to play. Diethorn was big for the Greyhounds during that stretch, scoring six points and blocking a pair of shots.

A pair of buckets by Franklin Pierce, including a Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) three-pointer, narrowed the deficit to four with 1:24 remaining in the game, but the team could get no closer as the Greyhounds closed the game out with 4-for-4 shooting at the line in the final minute.

Franklin Pierce was held to 31.9-percent (22-69) shooting for the night, including 10-33 (30.3%) from three-point range and were out-scored 27-11 at the free-throw line. Assumption shot 38.5% (20-52) from the field, including 45.5% (10-22) in the second half – compared to 33.3% (12-36) shooting by the Ravens over the final 20-minutes.

Franklin Pierce (2-1, 0-1 NE-10) will enjoy a short holiday before returning to Northeast-10 action on Sunday afternoon, when the team travels to Bryant University at 3:30 p.m. The Ravens are back home next Wednesday to host Pace University at 7:30 p.m. Assumption (3-1, 1-0 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

BOXSCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY