Box Score 
THE BASICS:
- Score: Assumption 82, Saint Michael's 78
- Records: Assumption (2-2, 2-0 NE-10), Saint Michael's (0-4, 0-2 NE-10)
- Location: Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gymnasium)
- The Lead: The Assumption College Men's Basketball team defeated Saint Michael's College, 82-78 earlier today as the Hounds open up NE-10 Conference play 2-0 for the first time since the 2012-2013 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Saint Michael's came out scorching in the first quarter, scoring 15 of the first 18 points to open up an early 15-3 lead over Assumption. The Purple Knights then increased their lead to its largest of the game at 20-6, forcing the Hounds into a timeout. From there, Assumption started chipping away at the lead as Saint Michael's cooled off from the field. A jumper by senior Karl Ziegler (Annandale, Va. / Annandale) and a three pointer by freshman Branislav Vujadinovic (Belgrade, Serbia / St. Joseph) in consecutive possessions cut the deficit to nine points (20-11).
- After Matt Bonds scored his ninth point in the opening ten minutes of play (28-15), sophomore Justin Tuckson (Stafford, Va. / Christ Chapel Academy) connected on a three pointer and Ziegler made a jump shot, bringing the Hounds to within eight points at 28-20. Another Ziegler basket and a three pointer from sophomore Damien Rance (Melbourne, Australia / Pope John XXIII) cut even further into the deficit, as the Hounds trailed by five points (30-25). A quick five points by senior Declan Soukup (Melbourne, Australia / Hallam Senior College) and four from classmate Marcus Murray (Washington, D.C. / John F. Kennedy) sent the teams to their respective locker rooms with the score 40-36 in favor of Saint Michael's.
- Rance opened the second half with a layup (40-38), Ziegler sank a pair of free throws and freshman Patrick Fleming (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. / Iona Prep) made a jump shot to complete the comeback, as the score was now tied at 42 points apiece. The two teams exchanged baskets before a three pointer by Murray and a jumper by Ziegler gave the Hounds their first lead of the game, 49-47.
- Assumption kept the momentum in its favor as Rance converted on a four point play to up the Hounds advantage to 57-51 with 11:25 remaining in the second half. Saint Michael's refused to go away as the Purple Knights scored five unanswered points to pull within one (57-56). A layup by sophomore Nick Pasquale (Shrewsbury, Mass. / Worcester Academy) and a three pointer by Vujadinovic made the score 62-56 with 07:14 remaining to play.
- Assumption's largest lead of the night came with 04:16 to play when Ziegler sank two free throws, giving the Hounds a 68-61 advantage. Assumption equaled its largest lead with 01:41 left to play, when Tuckson and Soukup hit back-to-back three pointers to make the score 74-67. From there, the Hounds knocked down their free throws to end the game at 82-78.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ziegler led Assumption on the offensive end, registering 20 points in his second game back from injury to go with six rebounds. Soukup and Rance each chipped in with 16 points, while Tuckson came off the bench and produced a stat line of nine points, four rebounds and five assists.
- Saint Michael's was led by Bonds who scored a game high 25 points to go with 15 rebounds and two steals. Levi Holmes III contributed 11 points while Winston Jones II and Zaire Williams each tallied ten points.
- As a team, Assumption shot 45.0% (27-60) from the field and 37.9% (11-29) from long range, while holding Saint Michael's to 42.9% (27-63) shooting from the floor and 35.3% (6-17) from three point land.
UP NEXT:
- Assumption returns to action on Tuesday, November 22nd as the Hounds travel to Bentley University for a Northeast-10 matchup with tip-off tentatively set for 7:30 p.m.
STAY CONNECTED:
- For the latest on Assumption College Athletics, follow the Hounds via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
