Smith Scores 16 Points And Grabs Six Boards, Stevanovic And Clarke Combine For 21 Points As Men's Basketball Drops 63-58 Northeast-10 Decision At American International

January 17, 2007

STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Butova Gymnasium, Springfield, Mass.

FINAL: AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 63, STONEHILL 58

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-- Junior Jeff Dosado (Montreal, Que.) scored 19 points to lead three players in double figures as American International used a 15-2 run midway through the second half to post a 63-58 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball victory over Stonehill Wednesday evening at Butova Gymnasium.

The host Yellow Jackets (9-8, 7-5 Northeast-10) trailed by five at 44-39 with 13:36 remaining in the contest but scored the game's next 11 points to take a six-point cushion (50-44) on a lay-in by senior Jenar Harrison (Queens, N.Y.) with 10:32 to play. A jumper by senior Lance Clarke (Cambridge, Mass.) pulled the visiting Skyhawks (12-6, 7-6 Northeast-10) back to within four points, but American International capped its run with four unanswered points to take an eight point lead (54-46) on a Harrison dunk with 9:10 remaining. The Yellow Jackets held that eight-point edge into the closing minutes of play, but a quick 6-0 Stonehill burst, capped by a three-pointer by sophomore Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.), enabled the visitors to close to within a bucket at 58-56 with 3:21 remaining. Dosado helped ice the American International triumph in the final 2:38 of action, as he hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the Yellow Jacket win.

Stonehill overcame a four point deficit midway through the opening half of action with a 9-0 run over a 4:05 stretch that gave the Skyhawks a 22-17 lead, and after American International closed to within two at 22-20, the visitors scored nine of the game's next 11 points to take a nine point edge (31-22) on a Smith jumper in the final minute of the half before settling for a 33-27 lead at the break. Stonehill then scored five of the first seven points following intermission to regain a nine point lead, setting up the decisive Yellow Jacket run in the final 10 minutes of play.

Freshman Aikeem Vanderhorst (Bay Shore, N.Y.) added 11 points and eight rebounds in the win for American International, which also received 10 points from Harrison and a game-high 12 rebounds from senior Magen McNeil (Philadelphia, Pa.). The Yellow Jackets shot 41 percent from the field and held a 39-36 rebounding edge in posting their first regular season win over the Skyhawks in four years.

Smith led the way with 16 points and six rebounds in the setback for Stonehill, which also received 11 points from freshman Nikola Stevanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) and 10 points from Clarke. The Skyhawks shot 38 percent from the field and connected for seven three-pointers for the contest as well.

Stonehill hosts Franklin Pierce in a Northeast-10 outing on Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium beginning at 3:30 p.m., while American International heads to Manchester, N.H. on Saturday afternoon to square off with Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 match-up that also begins at 3:30 p.m.