Toun Nets Career High 26 Points In Connecting On Eight Three Pointers, Smith Adds 14 Points As Men's Basketball Drops 86-62 Exhibition Decision At Division I Rhode Island

November 10, 2006

STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL

Friday, November 10, 2006

The Ryan Center, Kingston, R.I.

FINAL: RHODE ISLAND 86, STONEHILL 62

KINGSTON, R.I.-- Sophomore Kahiem Seawright (Uniondale, N.Y.) notched a double-double effort of 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead four players in double figures as Rhode Island shot 58 percent from the floor in the second half to pull away with an 86-62 college men's basketball victory over Stonehill Friday evening at The Ryan Center.

The host and Division I Rams (1-0) broke free of a 21-21 tie with an 11-4 burst over the final 5:58 of the first half to take a 32-25 edge at the break, and after the Skyhawks, who played the game as an exhibition contest, crept back to within four points in the first 1:50 after intermission on a three-pointer by senior Soap Toun (Cranston, R.I.), Rhode Island used a 15-5 run over a five-minute stretch to take a 14-point lead (51-37) on a Seawright jumper. The Rams then pulled away in the final 5:38 of action by scoring 18 of the game's final 28 points to account for the final score.

Junior Will Daniels (Hyde Park, N.Y.) added 18 points in the win for Rhode Island, while junior Joe Mbang (Yaounde, Cameroon) collected 17 points and seven boards off the bench for the Rams, who also received 10 points and six caroms from senior Darrell Harris (Cleveland, Ohio). Rhode Island shot 49 percent from the field for the evening and held a 38-14 scoring edge in the paint to go with a 40-27 rebounding advantage in the first meeting between the two teams since December 1986.

Toun led all scorers with a career-high 26 points on a 9-of-14 shooting effort overall that included a career-best 8-of-12 performance from three-point range in the setback for Stonehill, while sophomore Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) was also in double figures with 14 points. Sophomore Colin Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) added eight points and a team-high five rebounds for the Skyhawks, who also received seven points from freshman AJ Rudowitz (Monroe Tonwship, N.J.) as well as five assists from freshman Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.). Stonehill connected for 10 three-pointers on the evening but hurt itself with 17 turnovers on the night that led to 22 Ram points.

Stonehill officially opens regular season play on Wednesday evening when the Skyhawks head to Sparkill, N.Y. to take on St. Thomas Aquinas as part of the Northeast-10/East Coast Conference Challenge at 7:30 p.m., while Rhode Island hosts Houston in a non-league contest on Monday evening at The Ryan Center that begins at 7:30 p.m.