Rudowitz, Stallworth Combine For 28 Points And Late Game Heroics, Scanlon Grabs 13 Rebounds As Men's Basketball Opens Northeast-10 Schedule With 78-75 Victory Over Southern New Hampshire
November 20, 2006
STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL
Monday, November 20, 2006
Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.
FINAL: STONEHILL 78, SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 75
EASTON, Mass.-- Freshman AJ Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.) scored 15 points, including the go-ahead lay-in with 45 seconds remaining, and grabbed seven rebounds as Stonehill overcame a late six-point deficit to post a 78-75 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball victory over Southern New Hampshire in the league opener for both teams Monday evening at Merkert Gymnasium.
The host Skyhawks (2-0, 1-0 Northeast-10), who at one point held an 18-point first half advantage, trailed by six at 73-67 with 3:08 remaining but ended the game by scoring 11 of the final 13 points of the contest. A quick seven point burst, keyed by a three-pointer by senior Lance Clarke (Cambridge, Mass.) and a pair of lay-ins by freshman Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.), gave Stonehill a 74-73 lead with 1:18 to play, but the visiting Penmen (0-1, 0-1 Northeast-10) regained their final edge of the night on the ensuing possession on a pair of free throws by sophomore Modestas Riauka (Kaunas, Lithuania). Rudowitz's backdoor lay-in gave the hosts a one-point lead once again, and following a Southern New Hampshire missed three-pointer and foul, Rudowitz provided an insurance bucket on an offensive rebound and lay-in with 24 seconds remaining, as the Penmen missed a pair of jumpers in the final nine seconds of play.
Stonehill shot 52 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes of play to take a 46-35 edge at the break, as the Skyhawks used a 17-4 run midway through the first half to take that 18-point lead (38-20). Southern New Hampshire shot 65 percent from the field in the first 10-plus minutes after intermission to erase its deficit and build a pair of six point leads before Stonehill collected its triumph with the late run, as the Penmen shot 50 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes of action.
Stallworth collected a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 assists in the win for Stonehill, which also received 14 points and seven boards from senior Soap Toun (Cranston, R.I.). Clarke added 13 points in the triumph for the Skyhawks, who also received nine points and six rebounds from freshman Nikola Stevanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) as well as eight points and a career-high 13 rebounds from sophomore Colin Scanlon (Centreville, Va.). The hosts shot 45 percent from the field for the night and held a 47-30 rebounding edge (including a 17-6 advantage on the offensive glass alone) to overcome 17 turnovers.
Sophomore Chris Brickley (Manchester, N.H.) scored a game-high 22 points, including 15 in the second half, to spark the comeback for Southern New Hampshire, as he added seven rebounds and five assists. Junior P. Jay Bernard (Brockton, Mass.) added 16 points and four steals for the Penmen, who also received 13 points and six caroms from junior Sam Carey (Manchester, N.H.) and 10 points and seven rebounds from Riauka. The visitors shot 45 percent from the floor and canned eight three-pointers on the night as Stonehill claimed its third straight victory in the series between the two schools dating back to last year.
Stonehill travels to Bridgeport, Conn. on Wednesday afternoon to take on Mercy in a non-league contest that will be played at Harbor Yard beginning at 4:30 p.m., while Southern New Hampshire heads to Syracuse, N.Y. on Sunday afternoon to take on LeMoyne in a Northeast-10 outing that begins at 3:00 p.m.