Worchester, Mass. - (1/2/2020) – Chestnut Hill College met Assumption College at Laska Gymnasium today, Thursday, January 2, for both teams' first action of 2020. The hosting Greyhounds took control of the contest in the first half, pacing the Griffins to a 42-23 halftime score. The second half was played much more competitively, but the early separation was too much for the Scarlet and Gold to recover from in a 91-69 end. Freshman guard Scottie Spann Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) came off the Chestnut Hill College bench to lead the team in scoring with 24 points.
 
Assumption College (7-4) established a comfortable eight-point perch (17-9, 11:59) in the opening eight minutes of the contest. Responsorial buckets from freshman guard Conor Regan (Mullica Hill, N.J.) helped Chestnut Hill College (2-11) cut the Greyhound lead to three points, 17-14 (10:40), before the first half reached its midway point. Unfortunately, it was soon after that Assumption College began to pull away as junior forward Malik Brown (Waldorf, Md.) scored his third layup of a 13-6 run that gave the Greyhounds a 30-20 advantage with 5:24 left to play. In the time remaining, their lead grew to 19 points, 42-23 (0:26), with a flurry of plays from senior guard Branislav Vujadinovic (Belgrade, Serbia). In the second half, 20 points from Spann and another 10 from sophomore guard Trevonn Pitts (Wyncote, Pa.) helped the Chestnut Hill College stay competitive as the Assumption College lead never reached 30 points and settled at 22 thanks to a Spann layup with only a second left of the clock (0:01).
 
All five Greyhound starters finished in double figures; Brown and Vujadinovic led the way with 19 points apiece. Brown added 13 rebounds, three assists, and block, and a steal to his point total, while Vujadonovic additionally provided three rebounds and two assists. Freshman guard Isiah Graiter (Meriden, Conn.) offered 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and four steals. Junior guard Matthew Kelly (North Potomac, Md.) chipped in 12 points, four assists, and a steal, while sophomore forward Cal Connelly (Rochester, N.H.) finished the affair with 11 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.

Spann's 24-point performance was his second of 20 points or more this season and just a point shy of his season-high 25 points that he scored in the Griffins' 89-61 loss to Adelphi University on December 14. He hit four three-point baskets (4-of-7, .571) in a 9-of-16 (.563) shooting effort that came with a 2-of-4 (.500) showing at the free throw line, eight rebounds, and an assist. Pitts finished with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block, while sophomore forward Keyon Butler (Chester, Pa.) added 11 points, seven rebounds, and an assist.
 
Chestnut Hill College resumes their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) on Sunday, January 5, when they welcome Dominican College to campus for a 3:00 p.m. contest.