Unbeaten Hounds beat Merrimack, 58-54, in women's basketball; Coach Kerry Phayre reaches win No. 200!

November 19, 2008

Assumption 58, Merrimack 54

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. --- Senior guard/captain BETHANY PLASSKI (Fall River, MA/Durfee) scored 15 points and made six-of-six free throws in the final seconds as undefeated Assumption College held on to defeat Merrimack College, 58-54, in the Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball opener for both teams here WEDNESDAY night at the Volpe Center.

The Greyhounds, now 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference, also received solid performances from sophomore forward MOLLY GRIFFITHS (Walpole, MA/Ursuline Academy) (16 points, 10 rebounds) and junior guard LESLIE LUPIEN (Pomfret Center, CT/Woodstock Academy) (11 points, 4 rebounds).

The victory was the 200th in the long career of Coach KERRY PHAYRE here at the College. Her all-time Assumption College mark now reads 200-148!

Merrimack (0-2, 0-1) was paced by junior guard CASEY MILLER (Fairbanks, AK/West Valley) (20 points) and senior guard AMANDA SHANNON (North Andover, MA/North Andover) (18 points).

The game proved to a be a statistician's delight as the teams combined to make 13-of-43 three-pointers . . . Merrimack was seven-for-24 . . . and commit 37 turnovers. The Greyhounds however outrebounded the Warriors, 48-25.

The Greyhounds moved to a 26-21 halftime advantage as Griffiths and freshman forward KELLY MEREDITH (Franklin, MA/Franklin) both made jumpers in the last 20 seconds.

In the second half Assumption increased its advantage to 11 points, 43-32, with 10:26 remaining as Plasski drilled a baseline jumper.

However the relentless Warriors came back as freshman forward HANNAH DE GRAFFINREED (Raleigh, NC/Millbrook) made a pair of free throws with 4:33 left to cut the gap to 50-46. After Lupien duplicated the feat at the other end for the Greyhounds, Miller drilled a top-of-the-circle three-pointer and then converted a DeGraffinreed steal and feed into a layin and a one-point game, 52-51, with 3:35 left.

Shannon tied the game, 52-52, with 53 seconds left and then Plasski took over at the free throw line making six-of-six down-the-stretch, while the Miller made just two-of-four for Merrimack. The last 1:17 of the game featured no attempts from the field after Griffiths rimmed a three-pointer.

The Greyhounds host Saint Anselm College Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in another Northeast-10 Conference matchup.

Click here for ASSUMPTION-MERRIMACK box score