Mitch Bajema, Savoy Fraine key Greyhound men's basketball past A.I.C., 81-54, in Northeast-10 Conference action

January 8, 2009

Assumption 81, American International 54

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Senior guard/captain MITCH BAJEMA (Whitinsville, MA/Whitinsville Christian) and sophomore center SAVOY FRAINE (Grenada Hills, CA/Grenada Hills) each scored 14 points to lead Assumption College past American International College, 81-54, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action THURSDAY night in the Laska Gym.

The win improves the Greyhounds' overall record to 9-5 and 7-3 in the conference and moves the team into a virtual four-way tie with Stonehill (6 2), Saint Anselm (6-2) and Merrimack (6-2) for first place in the league standings.

American International College is now 8-6 overall and 5-5 in the conference. Freshman guard ISIAH WALLACE (Springfield, MA/Sabis International) led the Yellow Jackets with 17 points.

Another major part of this win was the Greyhounds' defense as it limited the Yellow Jackets to 24-for-65 accuracy from the floor (.369) and an amazing 0-for-17 from three-point territory---the best defensive performance in the team's history. Quinnipiac was 0-for-12 in a game played February 2, 1991 as the only other double-figure ‘oh-for' game shooting threes.

The Greyhounds scored 20 points off Yellow Jacket turnovers, outscored A.I.C., 28-18, in the paint and showed considerable bench strength with a 33-7 advantage in points off-the-bench.

After senior forward LUCIUS MILLINDER (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) gave the Yellow Jackets their only lead of the game at 2-0 with an inside move, Fraine converted inside, Bajema drilled a long wing three pointer and Fraine made a turnaround jumper to make it 7-2.

An 8-0 spurt with the score 19-13 gave the Greyhounds their largest lead of the first half at 27-13. Fraine hit a straightway jumper, junior guard COURTLAND BLUFORD (Ft. Washington, MD/St. Vincent) (11 points, 3 steals) made a layup off a freshman guard KEVIN DONAHUE (Pawcatuck, CT/Stonington) give-and-go pass, Bluford drilled a straightway jumper on a pass from senior forward MAREK KULIG (Brick, NJ/Msgr. Donovan) (4 assists) and Bluford finished the streak with a coast-to-coast layin.

A wing jumper by postgraduate forward COLSON SENAT (Montreal, QUE/Vanier College) cut the Greyhounds' lead to eight points, 36 28, with 50 seconds left however sophomore forward MIKE BALDARELLI (Sutton, MA/Holy Name) (12 points, 6 rebounds) made a corner three-pointer with 19 seconds to account for an 11-point halftime advantage, 39-28.

Baldarelli started the second half with a pair of free throws ?J