AMHERST, NY. -- For the first time in 50 years, the Assumption University men's basketball team has won the Division II East Regional. This time, the No. 6 seeded Greyhounds knocked off the No. 5 seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College 97-90 in the Sweet Sixteen Tuesday evening inside Charles L. & Gloria B. Lumsden Gymnasium on the campus of Daemen University. 
 
THE BASICS:
Scores: No. 6 Assumption University 97, No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas College 90
Records: Greyhounds (22-9, 14-6 NE10), Spartans (25-10, 13-3 ECC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After falling being 2-0, Assumption went on an 8-0 run led by Daouda Dembele and Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton, scoring three points apiece. Luis Risquez halted the run with a three-pointer at 16:21, which would send the game to the game's first media timeout. St. Thomas Aquinas continued to chip away at the deficit and would draw within three (16-13), but Kyle Hicks would hit a pair of free throws, and Baril Mawo scored a transition layup to put the Hounds up seven (20-13). 
 
The offensive pace accelerated in the second half, as Assumption outscored St. Thomas Aquinas 32-27 in the final 11 minutes. Njavan Stewart led the charge for the Hounds, scoring seven points. The Blue and White held STAC to 8-of-23 shooting (34.7 percent) to close out the first half, leading 52-40. 
 
Coming out of the break, Dembele and McCown scored two quick baskets to push the Hounds' lead to 16 (56-40). After the two teams traded the baskets over the next few minutes, the Greyhounds went on a 9-2 run, where Stewart and Noah Payne combined for all nine points to go up 19 (70-51). St. Thomas Aquinas responded with a 25-7 to get within one (77-76), but the Greyhounds answered with an 8-2 run to stretch their lead to 85-78 with three minutes left. The Spartans attempted the comeback, but Assumption connected on 10-of-13 free throws down the stretch to clinch their sixth East Regional Championship and the first since 1975. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Daouda Dembele led the Greyhounds with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win. 
• Lenny Tangishaka (16), Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton (14), Njavan Stewart (14), Zee McCown (12), and Jamal Barnes (11) joined Dembele with double-digit points. 
• St. Thomas Aquinas won the rebounding battle 48-43 with 19 offensive rebounds, compared to eight for Assumption. 
• The Greyhounds stuck to their name as they outscored the Spartans in transition 32-9. 
• Cunningham-Pemberton was named the Most Outstanding Player, averaging 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 59.1 percent from the field. 
• Lenny Tangishaka joined Cunningham-Pemberton on the All-Tournament Team. 
• This is Assumption's first regional title since 1974-75 and their sixth in program history.
• The Greyhounds are the lowest seed to win the East Region since Bryant won it as the sixth seed in 2005. 
• This win extends the Northeast-10 Conference's reign over the region, as they have won seven straight Regional Titles (excluding the COVID years). 
• 22 wins on the year, which is the most since the Hounds won 23 during the 2008-09 campaign. 
• Assumption leads the all-time series 4-3. 

 
UP NEXT:

• Assumption will play in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight (Evansville, Ind.), on Tuesday, March 25. 

 
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