Tweet #HFUTigers


BOX SCORE


Philadelphia, Pa. - The Holy Family University men's basketball preserved a 48-45 victory over visiting Assumption College in a non-conference contest on Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center Gymnasium on day one of the East Region Classic. 
 
Holy Family begins its season at 1-0, while Assumption starts the year off at 0-1 in the season opener for both teams.
 
Seniors Ervin Ezell (Deptford, N.J./Deptford High) and Alberto Munoz (Morrisville, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) combined for 23 points to lead the Tigers offense.  Ezell finished with a team-high 12 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals.  Munoz recorded 11 points and a team-best 11 rebounds to record a double-double.
 
Sophomore Derrick Stewart (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) chipped in seven points and had four rebounds in his first game as a Tiger, while redshirt senior Khiry Hankins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day School) added six points after shooting 2-of-3 from three-point range.  Sophomore Isaiah Gans (Philadelphia, Pa./Redemption Christian Academy) contributed seven points, five boards and three blocks before fouling out late in the second half.
 
For Assumption, junior Terrance Bobb-Jones led all scorers with 16 points to go along with a game-high 15 rebounds.  He also blocked a shot and had three steals on the defensive side.  Freshman Marcus Murray added seven points and six rebounds off the bench for the Greyhounds.
 
Holy Family led from the beginning to the end, as the Tigers never relinquished their lead once to the Greyhounds.  Holy Family opened the game with a 21-6 run over the first nine-plus minutes of the half.  A three-pointer by Hankins at the 10:23 mark gave the Tigers its biggest lead of the game at 15 points.
 
Assumption eventually cut the Tigers' lead down to single digits late in the half after a three-pointer by sophomore Chris Fitzgerald made the score 26-17 with 3:35 to play until halftime.  The Greyhounds capped the first half with a tip-in basket by freshman Jack Sullivan with one second remaining.  Holy Family led 28-21 at the half.
 
In the second half, Holy Family increased its lead back to double-digits on a few occasions with the later coming off an explosive dunk by Gans to make the score 39-28 at the 13:53 mark.
 
Assumption began chipping away at the lead, however Holy Family kept the Greyhounds in check despite leading by only one point with 1:19 to play.  A Bobb-Jones layup made the score 46-45.
 
That would be as close as Assumption would get as the Tigers held them scoreless the final 1:19.  Holy Family struggled from the free throw line all game, but came through with down the stretch when it mattered the most.  Ezell split a pair with 1:05 to play, while sophomore Turhan Griffin (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin Learning Center) split a pair with :19 seconds left.  Griffin finished the game with five points and a team-high four assists.
 
Assumption did have a chance to tie the game with a shot with two seconds remaining but the three-point attempt by freshman Jack Sullivan came up short as Munoz grabbed the defensive rebound as time expired. 
 
Holy Family is back in action on Sunday, Nov. 10 as the Tigers host the College of Saint Rose on the final day of the East Region Classic.  Game time is slated for 4 p.m.