Hounds get key three-pointers in final four minutes to seal 13th-straight home win

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 30, 2002) - Assumption College, ranked No. 17 in this week's NABC/Division II Bulletin poll, got a pair of key three-pointers in the final four minutes to surge past Franklin Pierce College, 84-73, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Laska Gymnasium this evening.

Sophomore Shahar Golan's three-pointer with 4:03 to play gave Assumption the lead for good and senior Shane O'Donoghue's bomb with the shot clock winding down at the 1:13 mark pushed the Greyhounds lead to four and Franklin Pierce never recovered. Assumption drained all six free-throw attempts in the final minute to seal its 13th consecutive home victory.

O'Donoghue finished with 16 points, on five-of-eight shooting for the night, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sophomore O McGee-Sharp recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Classmate James Lambert added 16 points and four steals off the bench, while freshman Jared Linnell also came off the bench to bury four-straight first half three-pointers for 12 points.

Senior forward Kevin Scott (Mississauga, Ontario/Iona Catholic) led the Ravens with a game-high 24 points, in 10-14 shooting from the floor, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Junior V.J. Kwity (Torrance, Calif./West) finished with 22 points, on 8-13 shooting from the field and 5-6 from the line, after netting 17 points in the opening 20 minutes.

No other Raven reached double-figures and Franklin Pierce was out-rebounded by a 39-22 margin for the night.

Both teams connected at a torrid pace in the first half, with Franklin Pierce shooting 65.4-percent (17-26) in the opening half and Assumption 61.3% (19-31). But, the Ravens hit just 34.5% (10-29) in the final half compared to 52% (13-25) for the Greyhounds.

Franklin Pierce (11-9, 8-8 NE-10) returns home on Saturday to host American International College at 3 p.m. Assumption (17-2, 13-2 NE-10) travel to UMass Lowell on Saturday at 4 p.m.