UMass Lowell stops Greyhound men in NE-10 playoff, 91-79

February 27, 2010

Massachusetts Lowell 91, Assumption 79

LOWELL, Mass. --- Senior guard KEVIN CARR (Lancaster, OH/Lancaster) and freshman forward MATT WELCH (Lowell, MA/Lowell) each scored 18 points to lead four double-figure scorers as No. 7 University of Massachusetts Lowell defeated No. 10 Assumption College, 91-79, in the first-round of the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs Saturday at the Costello Athletic Center.

Senior guard/captain COURTLAND BLUFORD (Fort Washington, MD/Saint Vincent Pallotti) scored a season- and career-high 23 points in his final game to key the Greyhound offense. Senior center SAVOY FRAINE (Grenada Hills, CA/Grenada Hills) added 16 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Also playing well in support roles for the Hounds were sophomore guard/forward TIM BEINERT (Floral Park, NY/Holy Cross) (18 points, six rebounds) and junior forward/captain MIKE BALDARELLI (Sutton, MA/Holy Name) (14 points).

The teams combined to make 19 three-pointers in the free-wheeling offensive show with UMass Lowell finishing 11-of-23 and the Greyhounds eight-of-15.

Senior forward ALI KANAAN (Montreal, Quebec/Georges-Vanier) (17 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots) and sophomore guard KYLE CAIOLA (Parma, OH/Normandy) finished with 16 points and seven assists contributed for the River Hawks. UMass Lowell, now 17-11 overall, will travel to No. 3 seeded Bentley University for a quarterfinal game Wednesday. The Greyhounds, the 2009 postseason champion, complete their season at 13-15.

The River Hawks bolted to a quick 48-28 with 3:19 left in the first half and led 54-40 at the break. UMass Lowell drilled nine-of-17 three-point attempts in the first half and 11 Hound turnovers contributed. Fraine scored seven points and Bluford his a pair of jumpers down-the-stretch to cut the gap to 14 points.

In the second half the Greyhounds came out fast outscoring the home team 16-7 to narrow the margin to 61-56 with 13:56 remaining. Top-of-the-circle three pointers by Baldarelli and Bluford highlighted the run finished off by a free throw by Fraine which cut the gap to five points.

GREYHOUND NOTES: Bluford completed his career with 1,244 points (22nd on the career list) . . . Baldarelli will have 1,030 points entering his senior season . . . the Greyhounds are now 1,050-849 in 82 years as the winningiest team in New England Division II history . . . the first game next season will be the 1,900th in their long history . . .

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