THE BASICS:

- Score: Queens 93, Assumption 87 (OT)

- Location: Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gymnasium)

- The Lead: In the 2016-2017 season opener, the Assumption College men's basketball team dropped a thrilling 93-87 overtime contest to Queens College. Sophomore Damien Rance (Melbourne, Australia / Pope John XXIII) dropped in 30 points to go with eight rebounds in his Assumption debut to lead the Hounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- The first half was tightly contested as the score was tied on seven different occasions. Rance kept the Hounds in the game with 17 first half points to go with five rebounds.

- Queens used a 9-2 run behind two baskets by Tyree White to take the biggest lead of the half for either team at ten points (38-28). Assumption then went on an 11-0 run to take a 39-38 lead, highlighted by Rance's layup then three pointer in consecutive plays to give the Hounds the slight advantage. Sophomore Justin Tuckson (Stafford, Va. / Christ Chapel Academy) bookended the first half with a pair of threes, as he opened the game with a three before closing the half with the long ball to send the teams into halftime tied at 42 apiece.

- The second half opened up with Queens turning up the defensive pressure as they forced the Hounds into back-to-back turnovers on their way to a six point lead (50-44). Senior Declan Soukup (Melbourne, Australia / Hallam Senior College) spurred the Hounds back into the lead as he scored nine straight points in 1:18, sinking two three pointers, a jumper and a free throw.

- The lead was short lived as White converted on a layup and a foul, pushing the Knights advantage to 62-54. After Simon Green nailed a three pointer to make it 65-56, the Hounds went on an 11-4 run to bring the deficit down to two (69-67).

- Assumption trailed by four (79-75) with 1:21 to play in the second half, but a layup by  Nick Pasquale (Shrewsbury, Mass. / Worcester Academy) and two free throws from senior Marcus Murray (Washington, D.C. / John F. Kennedy) tied the game up at 79, sending the game into overtime.

- Murray opened the first overtime period with a jumper, giving the Hounds an 81-79 lead. Assumption built its advantage to 87-83, but a quick 5-0 run by the Knights put them out in front 88-87. A 5-0 run by Queens finished the game at 93-87.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- Rance led Assumption on offense with a 30 point night in his first game in a Hounds uniform. Rance was a near perfect 11-13 from the floor while hitting 3 out of 4 from three point land. The sophomore also chipped in with eight rebounds and three assists.

- Soukup chipped in with 16 points, while Pasquale recorded his first ever double digit scoring effort with 15 points to go with six rebounds.

- Kyheim Chaplin led Queens on the evening with 27 points, connecting on five three pointers. White registered a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds to go with three assists, four steals and a block.

- As a team, Assumption shot 47.1% (32-68) from the floor and 30.8% (8-26) from beyond the arc. Queens shot 49.3% (35-71) from the field and 33.3% (9-27) from three.

UP NEXT:

- The Hounds wrap up their Assumption Tip-Off Classic tomorrow evening as Assumption squares off with Nyack College in Laska Gymnasium at 6 p.m.

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