THE BASICS:
- Score: Bentley 66, Assumption 65
- Record: Bentley (17-6, 10-6 NE10), Assumption (6-17, 2-14 NE10),
- Location: Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gym)
- The Lead: The two teams went back-and-forth all afternoon, with the Hounds taking a one-point lead in the final minute, however, the Falcons responded with a bucket and Assumption missed three shots in the final ten seconds as Bentley escaped with the one-point victory, 66-65, on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Assumption started with a layup from Damien Rance (Melbourne, Australia / Pope John XXIII / San Francisco State). However, Bentley answered with a three from Ryan Richmond. Matthew Kelly (North Potomac, Md. / Quince Orchard) quickly responded to Bentley's three with a triple of his own. After a back-and-forth battle, Michael Speight (Morningside, Md. / Wise / Canterbury) hit a tough layup to give Assumption an 11-10 lead with 12:23 left.
- The Hounds scored seven straight points, with a deep three from Cal Connelly (Rochester, N.H. / Spaulding / Tilton) for an eight-point lead, 18-10, prompting Bentley to call a timeout with 10:57 left. The Falcon offense awoke after a three from Colton Lawrence and a layup, but Assumption still held the lead after a Kelly three for the 24-19 advantage. Bentley found its offensive groove with an three-point play from Richmond and a go-ahead three from Jordan Mello-Klein to lead at halftime 33-31.
- Speight started the second half strong with a layup to tie it at 33-33. After Richmond and Rance traded buckets, Connelly hit a deep go-ahead three to make the score 38-35 in favor of Assumption. The teams continued to trade baskets, with Bentley holding a six-point lead midway through the period.
- Malik Brown (Waldorf, Md. / Northpoint) went on a six-point scoring spurt with a three and a hard and-one to tie the game up at 53-53. Connelly got into the mix with a tough finish to give Assumption the lead, 55-53, with 5:29 left. After trading buckets, Bryan Boehlert (Gaithersburg, Md. / Magruder) tied the game back up on a triple with 2:11 left. Connelly eventually gave the Hounds a 65-64 lead with 52 seconds left, but Richmond answered with 33 second remaining for a one-point lead. The Hounds managed three three-point attempts in the final ten seconds but they were all just off the mark as Bentley held on for the one-point victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Assumption shot 50 percent from the field in the contest and was 7-for-22 from downtown while going 2-for-4 from the free throw line. Bentley made all 12 of its free throw attempts and shot 46.2 percent overall, including 6-for-17 from beyond the arc. The Falcons also held a slight rebounding edge (30-27), while turning it over one fewer time (12-11).
- Connelly led the Hounds with 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Speight chipped in 11 points, one steal and one block. Kelly was in double figures with 11 points while Boehlert came through with ten points off the bench. Rance supplied eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.
- Richmond led Bentley with 31 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals while Mello-Klein added 12. Lawrence led the Falcons with seven rebounds while scoring eight points.
UP NEXT:
- Assumption returns to action on Tuesday when the team travels to face off against Saint Anselm at 7:30 p.m.
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