Nelson Nets Career-High 22 Points And Grabs Seven Rebounds To Lead Four Players In Double Figures As Men's Basketball Picks Up Sixth Victory In Seven Outings With 63-51 Northeast-10 Triumph Over 2005 NCAA National Runner-Up Bryant

December 10, 2005

STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.

FINAL:STONEHILL 63, BRYANT 51

EASTON, Mass.-- Senior Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass.) scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead four players in double figures as Stonehill continued its best start in eight years with a 63-51 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball victory over Bryant Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium.

Nelson netted 19 points in the first half alone for the host Skyhawks, who improve to 6-1 overall for the first time since the NCAA Sweet Sixteen campaign of 1997-98 with their fourth straight victory and 4-1 in Northeast-10 play with the triumph. Stonehill built an early eight-point advantage and increased that margin to 12 points before settling for a 33-25 lead at the break, but the visiting Bulldogs (5-3, 2-3 Northeast-10), last year's NCAA Division II national runner-up, whittled that margin to six (41-35) with 15:03 remaining on a lay-in by junior Chris Burns (Merrimack, N.H.). The Skyhawks regained a double-digit lead less than three minutes later and extended their advantage to 11 points for most of the remainder of the contest, as Bryant got no closer than six points in the final 5:25 of action.

Senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif.) added a double-double effort of 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win for Stonehill, which also received 12 points, six rebounds and three steals from senior Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont.) as well as 12 points and three assists from junior Lance Clarke (Somerville, Mass.). Senior Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J.) dished off six assists on the day for the Skyhawks, who shot 47 percent from the field and held a 40-32 rebounding advantage (34-23 on the defensive side alone) in posting their third straight win in the series with Bryant.

Burns was the lone Bulldog in double figures with 17 points in the setback for the visitors, which also received eight points and three assists from senior John Williams (Springfield, Mass.) as well as seven points and eight boards from sophomore Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, N.J.). Junior Dan Hammond (Brunswick, Maine) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Bryant, which shot just 30 percent from the field on the afternoon, including a 25 percent clip (6-24) from three-point range.

Stonehill travels to Lowell, Mass. on Monday evening for a non-league match-up with UMass Lowell that begins at 7:00 p.m., while Bryant will be idle until Wednesday, December 28th when the Bulldogs square off with Bloomfield in opening round play of the Bryant Comfort Suites Holiday Tournament in Smithfield, R.I. beginning at 5:00 p.m.