Men's Basketball

GREYHOUNDS TO EVANSVILLE! Assumption Men's Basketball Wins East Regional Final

Assumption Wins Its First Regional Title in 50 Years

NCAA DIVISION II BRACKET

Assumption Advances to Elite Eight for Sixth Time

BOX SCORE

AMHERST, N.Y. - 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. 

- Recap provided by Assumption Athletics- 
 

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