WORCESTER, Mass. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team sustained its first Northeast-10 Conference loss on Wednesday evening, falling by a 68-67 count against Assumption University in Laska Gymnasium. The Purple Knights, who were seventh in this week's D2SIDA East Region Poll, entered the contest tied with Dominican (N.Y.) University for the region's best record.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (6-2, 2-1 NE10), Assumption (4-3, 1-2 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Junior Joël Kabimba (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo/Middleburg Academy/Bryant), 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 offensive rebounds, 9-for-14 field goals
• Junior Romar Reid (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Woodstock Academy/Manhattan), 14 points, 4 assists, 3-for-4 three-pointers
• Sophomore CJ Crews (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian School), 7 points, 2 assists, 2 steals
• Sophomore Chuma Oyigbo (Stoughton, Mass./Redemption Christian [N.Y.] Academy), 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2-for-4 three-pointers
• Sophomore Nahshon Battle (Scotch Plains, N.J./Woodstock Academy), 6 points
• First-year Alan Brzezinski (Örebro, Sweden/Western Reserve Academy), 5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
• Sophomore Jacob Duniver (Fredericksburg, Va./Woodstock Academy), 8 rebounds, 3 offensive rebounds

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Kani Glover, 17 points, 5-for-8 three-pointers
• Junior Njavan Stewart, 14 points
• Junior Cooper Creek, 10 points, 12 rebounds, 4 offensive rebounds, 2 blocks
• Junior Isiah Gaiter, 8 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists

GAME FACTS

• The Purple Knights outshot Assumption from the floor (40.3%-33.8%) and three-point range (47.6%-40.0%) while committing nine turnovers to the Greyhounds' 11, but the hosts converted a 21-8 offensive rebounding lead into a 18-8 scoring edge in second-chance points.
• Saint Michael's entered the day one of the final three teams with a perfect NE10 record.
• The one-point final came after the teams went to overtime four times in their prior nine meetings in Laska Gymnasium.
• Six of the Purple Knights' contests have been determined by eight points or fewer.
• All eight of the Purple and Gold's games have either occurred in the Ross Sports Center (five) or at Laska Gymnasium (three).

THE ACTION

• Reid scored eight of the Purple Knights' first 10 points to keep the visitors within 14-10 by 15:01 of the opening half before Glover and Stewart knocked down three-pointers in helping Assumption extend its lead to 24-11 at 11:36.
• Battle hit a triple to kick off a half-ending 7-0 run, with Kabimba and Brzezinski adding buckets to bring Saint Michael's within 33-29 by the intermission.
• After Glover made a three at 16:17 of the second stanza to extend the Assumption lead back to 44-33, Reid, Oyigbo and Duniver all connected on treys of their own in a 1:35 stretch, and the Purple Knights trailed 48-44 by 14:21.
• Stewart's jumper at 6:17 still had his team up 64-55, but the Purple and Gold scored 12 of the final 16 points. Reid's jumper made it 66-63 at 3:43, and Oyigbo's triple created a 68-66 contest with 1:34 to go.
• Reid came up with a steal on the next possession before splitting two free throws at 42.6 seconds. Assumption committed a shot clock violation at 11 seconds, giving Saint Michael's one final possession. Reid's last-second drive through the lane was met by four Assumption defenders, and Duniver fought for the loose ball as time expired.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. American International College, 3:30 p.m.