This Franklin Pierce University men's basketball recap is presented by Belletetes

RINDGE, N.H. (December 18, 2018) – Franklin Pierce University men's basketball junior guard Falu Seck (Washington, D.C.) tried to lead his team back after falling behind by 12 points at halftime scoring 11 of his 17 markers in the second half during a 79-68 loss to Northeast-10 Conference foe Assumption College Tuesday night in The Fieldhouse. With the win, the Greyhounds snap a four-game losing skid, move to 5-6 and capture their first conference win while the Ravens slide to 5-6 overall, 2-4 NE10.

Seck did most of his damage around the hoop, driving to the rack at will. He drained 5-of-12 (41.7%) of his shot attempts and was a perfect 6-of-6 (100%) at the free throw line. He hit on 4-of-8 (50%) after the break and led all players in second half scoring.

Teammate Jeremy Arthur (Westbury, N.Y.) was the only other Raven to reach double-figures. The graduate student produced 16 points on 5-of-9 (55.5%) shooting. Team captain Doyin Fadojutimi (Temple Hills, Md.) stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, six rebounds – four offensive, two blocks, two assists, and one steal. Graduate student Lolami Lola-Charles (Aberdeen, Md.) corralled a team-high seven boards and sophomore guard Sam van Oostrum (Sheffield, England) dished out a match-best six assists.

Assumption never trailed in this game and had the far superior post presence scoring 52 points in the paint compared to the Ravens 38. They also scored 22 points off the 17 Raven turnovers and outshot the Crimson and Grey (53.3%-to-42.9%).

Sophomore guard Matthew Kelly carried four Assumption double-digit scorers with a game-high 19 points on 5-of-11 (45.4%) shooting. Seven of his 19 markers came at the free throw line while he snared five boards and handed out three helpers.

Kelly dumped in the first five points of the game off a driving layup and a three-pointer to move the guests ahead 5-0 early on. Two minutes into the game, Raven freshman guard Brandon Kolek (Cumberland, R.I.) got his squad on the board via a left-wing three-ball. FPU outscored their counterparts 6-4 across the next couple of minutes with a sophomore guard Sean Fasoyiro (Houston, Texas) second-chance lay-in the key bucket which knotted the game 9-9.

The Greyhounds countered with an 11-0 run as junior guard Branislav Vujadinovic keyed the binge via a left-wing three-pointer and a steal to fast break reverse layup to push AC ahead 20-9. Raven freshman guard Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) and Arthur temporarily halted the run and made it a two-possession game, 20-14 with a driving left side take and a trailer top of the point trifecta. Kelly answered heaving a three-point attempt with the shot clock expiring from the midcourt logo that tickled the twine pushing the margin back to three possessions.

Trailing by double-figures at the eight-minute mark, Arthur sparked an 11-4 Raven binge by slamming a one-handed jam home. Junior forward Jameson Pierrelus (Martin County, Fla.) collected a left post-handoff by Seck and pushed a lay-up off the glass and in. Already in the bonus, the Ravens benefited from Assumption fouls and scored four points at the line. Pierrelus capped the spurt with a bucket to bring the Pierce deficit to three, 31-28 at the 3:31 mark.

Assumption closed the half on a 16-1 run with the key play being a Raven class a technical foul which led to three more points following a Michael Speight hoop and harm. FPU was behind 44-32 at the intermission.

The Ravens started the second half outscoring the Greyhounds 7-2 using steals from Moore and Arthur that steered to two fast-break layup chances. A Damien Rance drive regained the 10 point, 49-39 Assumption advantage five minutes into the half. FPU promptly went on another run, this time the 13-4 variety to make it a one-point game 53-52. Arthur commenced the spurt by drilling a stepback trifecta on the right wing making the score 49-41. Fadojutimi followed a missed Arthur three on the ensuing Raven possession and put the failed three-ball attempt back into the rack for the second chance bucket.

The Raven press and van Oostrum were the catalysts over the next couple of Raven possessions. van Oostrum guarded the inbounds pass and used his wingspan to get his hands into the passing lane. He collected the loose ball and found Seck for the uncontested layup cutting the Raven deficit to 49-46.

Chris Crespo and Speight knocked down their shot attempts regaining the two-possession lead 53-46. Two Fasoyiro freebies, a Pierrelus layup off a Kolek press theft and van Oostrum's only bucket of the game concluded the run midway through the final half, 53-52. Assumption moved back in the driver's seat following a Brown layup. Moore and Fadojutimi countered as Moore made 1-of-2 at the line and Fadojutimi corralled his own missed layup and tipped home the board while being hacked, however, he missed the free throw keeping the match tied 57-57 with 7:17 to go.

Both teams swapped points back and forth as AC built their edge back to two possessions 63-59 after Cal Connelly converted a layup. Two Arthur free throws made it a two-point game, but Patrick Fleming picked off a van Oostrum pass, threw an outlet pass to Kelly who was fouled while his layup attempt was good. Kelly drained the free throw pushing the Assumption margin to five 66-61.

A Seck take to the rack brought the Raven deficit to three, 66-63 until Kelly floated home another layup. FPU turned the ball over on their next possessions and Kelly split his free attempts making it a six-point game 69-63 with 2:30 to go. Seck moved the margin to a four-point game, 69-65 notching two charity stripe connections until Vujadinovic rifled home a runner at the free throw line. FPU was called for a line violation on their next possession as the Greyhounds hit their free throws down the stretch.

The Ravens face a stiff test in their next matchup when they welcome undefeated and no. 4 nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College to Rindge on Sunday, December 30, 2018, with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens ), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store). You can also follow the men's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensMBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpuravensmbb/).