Mike Baldarelli leads Greyhound men's basketball past Pace, 81-67, in Northeast-10 Conference action

January 6, 2009

Assumption 81, Pace 67

PLEASANTVILLE, NY --- Sophomore forward MIKE BALDARELLI (Sutton, MA/Holy Name) scored a team-high 20 points with nine rebounds to lead Assumption College past Pace University, 81-67, in a Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball game here TUESDAY night at the Goldstein Center.

Baldarelli has now scored 77 points (19.3 ppg) with 24 rebounds and 10 assists over the last four games and knocked down the game-winner in the win over New York Tech at the buzzer.

Assumption is now 8-5 overall and 6-3 in the conference in fourth place. Curiously enough the Hounds have beaten the first- and second-place teams, Saint Anselm and Stonehill. The Setters are 6-6 and 4-3.

The Greyhounds also got solid support performances from postgraduate forward GREG TWOMEY (Groton, MA/Groton Dunstable) (16 points, 9 rebounds), sophomore center SAVOY FRAINE (Grenada Hills, CA/Grenada Hills) (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) and freshman guard KEVIN DONAHUE (Pawcatuck, CT/Stonington) (11 points).

Junior guard LAURENCE MC GHEE (Linden, NJ/Linden) led the Setters with 21 points including making 13-of-15 free throws and freshman guard RYAN WOODS (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) with 17 points.

The Greyhounds defense proved to be a vital part of the win as they limited the Setters to 10-for-32 floor accuracy in the second half. Pace made just four-of-21 from behind the three-point circle. The Greyhounds outrebounded the Setters by a whopping 56-26 margin including 26 offensive rebounds which led to a 24-4 margin in second-chance points.

McGhee made both ends of a two-shot foul opportunity with 15:14 left in the first half to put Pace in front 10-7. Donahue then made a layin and then found Twomey on a second layin to give the Greyhounds to lead, 11 10, with 12:56 left in the half.

A three-pointer by Twomey, an inside move by Fraine and a layin by Baldarelli gave the Greyhounds their largest lead of the half, 11 points, at 32 21 with 4:12 remaining. They led 37-32 at the break.

Baldarelli and Fraine each hit three-pointers in the first minutes of the second half as the Greyhounds moved to a 43-34 advantage. A layin by senior guard/forward/captain PATRICK SHEA (Salem, MA/Salem) made it a 15-point cushion at 69-54 with 6:58.

The Greyhounds host American International College (8-5, 5-4) THURSDAY at the Laska Gym in another Northeast-10 Conference game at 7:30 p.m.

Click here for ASSUMPTION-PACE box score