WORCESTER, Mass. (November 24, 2021) – A 54-point first half gave the Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team a nine-point halftime lead, but the Ravens were unable to hold on at Assumption on Tuesday night. The host Greyhounds turned the tables with 54 points of their own in the second half to snag a 99-87 victory at Laska Gymnasium. Junior Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) led four Ravens in double digits with 31 -- his third 30-point outing in five games to start the season -- in the losing effort.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-3 (1-1 NE10), while Assumption improves to 3-1 (1-1 NE10).

A strong first half from Moore and the Ravens put Franklin Pierce up 54-45 at halftime, thanks to eight three-pointers made during the opening period. Juniors Maxwell Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) and Brandon Kolek (Cumberland, R.I.), along with Moore, all hit from beyond the arc multiple times in the half.

The second half was a different story, as the Ravens were outscored 54-33 by the Greyhounds. Led by graduate student Omar El Sheikh and junior Isiah Gaiter, Assumption erased the halftime deficit within the first four minutes of the second stanza and later took the lead for good with just under 11 minutes to play.

Moore -- the reigning NE10 Player of the Week -- led all players with 31 points on 11-for-15 from the floor, and added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal for the Ravens. Zegarowski added 13 points and a team-best six rebounds, with three assists. It was 14 points and five rebounds for sophomore Sean Bresnan (Yonkers, N.Y.), while freshman Mohamed Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.) chipped in 12 points to make it four Ravens in double digits.

Assumption put four in double digits as well, led by El Sheikh, who stole the show with a 23-point, 13-rebound double-double. The Egyptian went 8-for-16 from the floor and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line and also dished out a game-best five assists. Graduate student Matthew Kelly went 7-for-13 to tally 16 points and matched El Sheikh with five assists. Junior Jordan White (12 points) and senior Cal Connelly (11) were in double digits as well, while sophomore Cooper Creek snagged seven rebounds off the bench.

The Ravens return to play after the Thanksgiving holiday on Sunday, Nov. 28, when they host Caldwell University in the Fieldhouse at 1:30 p.m.