THE BASICS
-Score: Assumption College 91, NYIT 74
-Record: Assumption (1-0), NYIT (0-1)
-Location: Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gymnasium)
-The Lead: The Assumption College men's basketball team opened the 2019-20 season with a victory over the Bears of the New York Institute of Technology on Friday evening, in the second game of the Assumption Tip-Off Classic. The Hounds will take on Caldwell University in day two of the Classic tomorrow. The Cougars fell to Saint Michael's College today, 114-88.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Bears jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, kicked off by a three-pointer from senior Jeffrey Hayden. The Hounds tied the game at seven when sophomore Cal Connelly (Rochester, N.H. / Spaulding / Tilton) knocked down a shot from behind the arc at the 18:17 mark. Seniors Branislav Vujadinovi (Belgrade, Serbia / St. Joseph) and Patrick Fleming (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. / Iona Prep) hit back-to-back threes to pull ahead 13-9, and this sparked a 4-0 run that extended their lead to 20-9 with 14:32 on the clock.
-First year guard, Aaron Fowlkes put up 10 points, including two buckets from three-point range, to lead NYIT in the first half.
-Assumption led by as many as 23 points in the first half and were led by Vujadinovi who put up 13 points over the first 20 minutes. The Hounds took a 49-30 advantage into the halftime break.
-The Bears pulled within 16 points as Fowlkes knocked down three shots at the foul line (57-41). Red-Shirt Junior Malik Brown (Waldorf, Md. / Northpoint) went on a run with three made layups and a three-pointer, to add nine points in two minutes and extend Assumption's lead to 66-41. Brown finished the half with 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
-Freshman guard, Brandon Redendo came alive for the Bears in the second half with 21 points off the bench.
-First year Saxon Thompson (Allen, Texas / The Episcopal School of Dallas / Wilbraham & Monson Acad.) came off the bench with eight points for the Hounds in the second half to help boost them to the 91-74 final victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Brown led the Hounds with 20 points and nine rebounds on the night. Vujadinovic and Thompson both finished with 14 points to go along with four and three rebounds respectively. Junior Matthew Kelly (North Potomac, Md. / Quince Orchard) rounded out double-digit scoring with 13 points to go along with four assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
-Redendo led all scorers with 21 points for NYIT. Fowlkes added 16 points off the bench while sophomore Opong Bramble led the team defensively with seven rebounds.
-Assumption shot 57.9% from the field and 42.1% from behind the arc. The Hounds went 17-for-27 at the free throw line and finished the night with 35 total rebounds.
-NYIT shot 40.6% from field goal range and 40% from behind the arc. They were 12-for-16 at the free throw line and finished with 34 total rebounds.
-The Hounds took their largest lead of the game, 29, with 12:44 to go in the second half.
UP NEXT
-The Bears will take on Saint Michael's College back in Laska Gym tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Assumption takes on Caldwell University in the second game of the night starting at 6:30 p.m.