Megan Urban, Molly Griffith lead Greyhound women's basketball past UMass Lowell, 61-53, for fourth straight win

January 2, 2008

ASSUMPTION 61, MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL 53

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Senior center MEGAN URBAN (Portland, ME/Deering) and freshman guard MOLLY GRIFFITHS (Walpole, MA/Ursuline) both scored in double-figures while leading Assumption College women's basketball past the University of Massachusetts Lowell, 61-53, in Northeast-10 Conference action WEDNESDAY at the Laska Gym.

The Greyhounds, now 11-3 overall and 5-2 in the conference, won their fourth straight and seventh of their last eight games. The team has received votes (19) in the latest WBCA/USA Today/ESPN national poll which has them 30th overall. Six teams in the conference are among those mentioned in the poll. UMass Lowell is now 6-6 overall and 1-6 in conference play.

Urban finished with 14 points (10 in the second half), while Griffiths ended with 12 points including 10 in the first half. Senior forward/captain CHARDE FLOYD (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy) played well in a support role chipping in nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds (10 on the defensive end). She now has 953 career rebounds!

Greyhounds' senior forward SARA CZARNECKI (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) scored on a fastbreak layin off a sophomore guard LESLIE LUPIEN (Promfret Center, CT/Woodstock) steal and assist with 4:15 remaining in the first half to tie the game at 24-24. River Hawks' sophomore forward JEN VALENTE (Prospect, CT) then connected on a lane jumper with 3:52 remaining to give UMass Lowell its last lead.

Hounds' junior guard/captain BETHANY PLASSKI (Fall River, MA/Durfee) drilled a long three-pointer off a feed from junior point TRISH GARDNER (Dartmouth, MA/Dartmouth) to give the home team its first lead, 27-26. Freshman forward PAM MOBLEY (Worcester, MA/Doherty) scored off her own offensive rebound with six seconds left to make it a three-point game (29-26) at the half.

The Greyhounds ran the first 10 points of the second half to move to a 13-point advantage, their largest lead of the game at 39-26.

Urban made a pair of free throws and then a driving layup off a feed from Floyd who then cashed in two free throws and layin. Urban capped the run with a baseline jumper from Lupien with 13:58 left.

UMass Lowell would cut the gap to six points (43-37) with 6:59 left on a junior center RIVITAL CARMON (Bat-Yam, Israel/Kiryab-Sharet) free throw, but a three-pointer by Gardner with 5:35 left capped an 8-2 run by the Greyhounds and the lead was 12 points, 51-39.

Senior forward LIRON ASHER (Givataim, Israel/Blich) led the River Hawks with a double-double 13 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard RAHSHALA VALENTINE (Cincinnati, OH/Ursuline) finished with 11 points.

The Greyhounds are next in action at conference rival Le Moyne College SATURDAY at 1 p.m. (note time change). UMass Lowell is at Saint Anselm College FRIDAY at 5:30 p.m.

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