Stonehill Men's and Women's Basketball Opens NE-10 Schedule Tuesday Against Merrimack
9th-ranked
Skyhawk women tip off against Warriors at 5:30 p.m.
Skyhawk men host No. 15 and NE-10 preseason favorite Warriors at
7:30 p.m.
EASTON, Mass. (November 23, 2009) - The Stonehill College men's and women's basketball teams open their Northeast-10 Conference schedules tomorrow night when they host Merrimack College for a doubleheader at Merkert Gymnasium. The 9th-ranked Skyhawk women will start things off against Merrimack at 5:30 p.m., before the men tipoff against the 15th-ranked and NE-10 preseason favorite Warriors at 7:30 p.m.
Admission for both games is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and senior citizens. The game will also be webcast live via www.stonehillskyhawks.tv for $6.99. Fans can also purchase an All-Access pass for www.stonehillskyhawks.tv for $59.99 and gain access to the archives and be able to watch all events webcast by the College at anytime.
The Stonehill men's basketball team, picked fifth in the Northeast-10 preseason coaches' poll (earning one of the 16 first-place votes), have split their first two regular season games of the year heading into tomorrow night's Conference opener. The Skyhawks look to build off Saturday's 69-45 non-conference win over the University of the District of Columbia in its home opener on Saturday.
Rudowitz |
Senior forward A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township), a first team All-Northeast-10 pick last winter, is averaging a Northeast-10 best 21.5 points through two games, shooting 60.7-percent (17-for-28) from the field, to go with 6.5 rebounds in 33-minutes per game. Sophomore Ivan Almeida (Santiago, Cape Verde) has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Skyhawks, averaging 14.5 points, eight rebounds (9th NE-10), two steals and a blocked shot in 23 minutes per game. He is shooting 50-percent (11-for-22) from the field, including a team-best 42.9-percent (3-for-7) from three-point range. Junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) is pulling down a team-high ten rebounds (4th) per game.
Merrimack, which collected seven of the 16 first place votes in the NE-10 preseason poll, has dropped two of its first three games of the season, including a 72-58 decision to 9th-ranked Bentley University in its season and NE-10 opener last Wednesday in North Andover. The Warriors then split two non-conference games in Philadelphia over the weekend, dropping a 68-64 setback at No. 25 Philadelphia University on Saturday before topping Holy Family University 87-81 on Sunday.
Junior Darin Mency (Hagerstown, Md./St. John's Catholic Prep) is leading Merrimack with 20.7 points (7th NE-10), 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 45.8-percent from the field, including 12-for 24 (50%) from three point range (8th), while converting 85.7-percent (6-7) of his free-throws. Senior All-American Darren Duncan (Briarwood, N.Y./Christ the King) is averaging 14 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists (4th) and 4.0 steals (1st) per game. He has also made 15-of-16 (93.8%) free-throw attempts so far (6th).
The Stonehill women, ranked 9th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II preseason poll, open their NE-10 schedule as preseason favorites in the Conference's preseason coaches' poll. The Skyhawks are coming off a pair of comfortable non-conference wins over Concordia (N.Y.) College (82-28) and Felician College (69-52) at the Courtyard Marriott Classic, hosted by Assumption College, on Friday and Saturday.
Simonds |
Senior honorable mention All-American Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman), who has earned All-Tournament honors at both events Stonehill has played in so far this season is averaging a team-best 17.2 points (7th NE-10) to go with 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocks (5th) in 23.5 minutes per game. She is shooting 54.-percent (38-for-70) from the field, including 3-for-6 (50%) from three-point range. Simonds broke Stonehill's career record for blocked shots earlier this season and will enter tomorrow night's game with 193.
Junior guard Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) earned All-Tournament team honors at the Courtyard Marriott Classic over the weekend and is averaging 12 points, three assists and 1.5 steals per game. Classmate Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) earned All-Tournament team honors at the Disney Division II East Coast Tip Off Classic earlier this month and is contributing 10.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a steal per game.
Merrimack has dropped three of its first four games to start the season, including a 71-62 decision to Bentley University in its NE-10 opener last Wednesday. The Warriors split a pair of games in its Courtyard by Marriott Classic, defeating Tiffin College 59-56 on Friday before falling to 22nd-ranked University of Tampa on Saturday, 70-59.
Sophomore Gennifer Roy (Granby, Mass./Granby) leads the Warriors through four games with 15 points (11th NE-10), 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Senior Casey Miller (Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) is adding 14.3 points, 2.3 steals and two assists per game, while junior Tiffany Colon (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence) contributes 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds (4th) per outing.
Both Stonehill teams will return to action after Thanksgiving with NE-10 matchups at Saint Michael's College on Sunday with the women at 1:30 p.m., and the men at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks will return home again on Saturday, December 5, when they host Southern New Hampshire University at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
