Mike Baldarelli, Corey Diethorn pace men's basketball past Saint Michael's, 84-60, in battle of 1,000-game winners

January 10, 2008

ASSUMPTION 84, SAINT MICHAEL'S 60

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Freshman forward MIKE BALDARELLI (Sutton, MA/Holy Name) scored a season- and career-high 20 points off-the-bench in a superb 17-minute performance and senior forward COREY DIETHORN (Pittsburgh, PA/Sewickley) added his 17th career and sixth season double-double 17 points and 12 rebounds as Assumption College men's basketball ran past Saint Michael's College, 84-60, in Northeast-10 Conference action THURSDAY at the Laska Gym.

The game marked the first meeting ever of New England Division II 1,000-game winners. Saint Michael's joined the exclusive club earlier in the season and the Greyhounds defeated Post, CT University December 29 to win their 1,000th game since the program's inception in 1922-23.

Assumption is now 13-4 overall as the most improved team in the New England region (they finished just 11-17 last season) and have won eight of their last nine games. Their all-time record is now 1,003-820. Saint Michael's has now lost its last six outings to fall to 6-7 overall and 4-5 in the conference. Their all-time record is now 1,004-930.

The Greyhounds employed a tenacious defensive performance limiting the usually sharpshooting Purple Knights to a substandard .323 accuracy from the floor (21-for-65) and just five-of-29 (.172) from three-point territory.

With the score tied 7-7 after a long three-pointer by senior forward GREG TWOMEY (Groton, MA/Groton-Dunstable), the Greyhounds went on a 31-12 run to move to a 19-point lead, 38-19, with 3:27 left.

Sophomore point guard COURTLAND BLUFORD (Ft. Washington, MD/St. Vincent Pallotti) sparked the spurt with three quick layups and a pair of steals. Diethorn was the finisher for the Greyhounds scoring 11 of 14 last points including an emphatic dunk off his own steal.

The Hounds finished the half strong as Baldarelli and Twomey scored inside and senior forward MIKE FOTI (Franklin, MA/Franklin) dropped home a pair of free throws to move to a comfortable 21-point advantage, 48-27---their best halftime offensive performance of the season. Diethorn led the individual scoring with 11 points, while Bluford chipped in eight. Saint Michael's struggled with a one-for-12 performance from three-point territory.

A layin by junior forward PATRICK SHEA (Salem, MA/Salem) off a Bluford steal and assist, a jumper in the paint by junior guard MITCH BAJEMA (Whitinsville, MA/Whitinsville Christian) and a free throw by Baldarelli upped the count to 24 points, 66-42, with 10:00 left.

Baldarelli would key another run later in the half making a top-of-the circle three-pointer, a coast-to-coast layin and a pair of free throws to give the Greyhounds their largest lead of the game, 26 points, at 84-58.

Bluford finished with 14 points on seven-for-10 shooting with three assists and two steals, while Twomey added 10 points. Saint Michael's senior forward BRIAN MONAHAN (Kinderhook, NY/Christian Brothers) finished with a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds, Sophomore guard RYAN RODRIGUES (Acushnet, MA/New Bedford), the son of former Greyhound standout ED RODRIGUES '76, finished with six points in his 23-minute stint.

The Greyhounds are next in action WEDNESDAY when they travel to the University of Massachusetts Lowell for a 7:30 p.m. Northeast-10 Conference contest.

GREYHOUND NOTES: Diethorn has now scored 922 points in his career and the Northeast-10 Conference leader in blocked shots now has 128 in his career (sixth on the Greyhound list) . . . Twomey now has 864 career points . . . with 12 regular-season games and an untold number of postseason games remaining both could join the 1,000-point club this season . . .

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