Worcester, Mass. (November 16) -- The Assumption College women's basketball team, receiving votes in the USA Today Sports Division II Preseason National Poll, opened its home schedule on Saturday night with a 64-51 victory over Caldwell College on day one of the Assumption College Tip-Off Classic.
In game one of the classic, No. 7 ranked Stonehill defeated Concordia by a 96-37 final. Stonehill takes on Caldwell on Sunday afternoon at Laska Gym beginning at 1:30 p.m.
In a slow-moving opening five minutes, the Hounds jumped out to a quick 5-3 lead behind five points from senior Shannon Ray (Yonkers, N.Y./Ursuline Academy). Assumption kept up the offensive pressure and after a three from the left side by freshman Kelly Carey (Long Beach, N.Y./Holy Trinity), the Hounds held a double-digit lead at 14-4. With the lead at 18-8 with 9:42 left, back-to-back baskets from junior Caitlin Ackerman (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) extended the lead out to 22-8 with under minutes on the clock.
Ackerman scored with 4:36 left to push the lead up to 15 for the first time at 27-12 with just 4:36 remaining in the opening half. Caldwell cut the lead to 11 with 2:04 left to force an Assumption timeout, but a three from the left wing from senior Tafanie Roye (New Britain, Conn./Central Magnet Prep) made it a 32-18 margin again as the half approached the final minute. The Hounds held the Cougars to just 24.1 percent shooting from the field in the opening half as they took a 34-20 margin into the halftime break.
In the second half, Assumption led all 20 minutes by a double-digit margin and by as many as 20 as the Hounds improved to 2-0 on the season after a pair of non-conference wins. Caldwell falls to 0-2 overall with the loss, with both defeats coming to Northeast-10 opponents.
Roye and Ray led three Hounds in double figures with 17 and 13 points, respectively, as both posted double-digit totals for the second straight game. Ackerman finished the game with a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double as well.
Assumption is back in action on day two of the Assumption College Tip-Off Classic on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. as the Hounds host Concordia. Following the conclusion of the tournament, five players from the participating teams will be recognized as members of the All-Tournament Team.
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