Rudowitz Scores 16 Points And Grabs Six Boards, Stallworth, Toun Each Net 12 Points As Men's Basketball Drops 72-68 Northeast-10 Overtime Decision At UMass Lowell

February 6, 2007

STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Costello Athletic Center, Lowell, Mass.

FINAL: UMASS LOWELL 72, STONEHILL 68 (OVERTIME)

LOWELL, Mass.-- Freshman Kevin Carr (Lancaster, Ohio) scored 23 points, including six in the overtime period, to lead four players in double figures as UMass Lowell posted a 72-68 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball victory over Stonehill Tuesday evening at the Costello Athletic Center.

The two teams ended regulation tied at 59, but a three-pointer by junior Jerreh Saidybah (Montreal, Que.) on the first possession of the extra session gave the host River Hawks (8-16, 5-14 Northeast-10) the lead for good. A pair of buckets by freshman Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.) enabled the visiting Skyhawks (13-10, 8-10 Northeast-10) to close back to within one on a pair of occasions, but a three-pointer by freshman Craig Heatherly (Mishawaka, Ind.), coupled with four Carr free throws, extended UMass Lowell's lead to nine points in the closing seconds of overtime, as a Stallworth lay-in and a three-pointer by senior Soap Toun (Cranston, R.I.) in the final eight seconds of play for Stonehill accounted for the final score.

The Skyhawks raced out to an 11-4 advantage and led by as many as nine points in the opening 20 minutes of play before settling for a 31-28 advantage at the break, and the visitors grabbed a five-point edge midway through a second half that saw the two teams combine for seven ties. Stonehill took a 59-57 lead with 1:52 to play in regulation on a Stallworth jumper, but Saidybah answered with a jumper of his own with 35 seconds remaining for UMass Lowell. The Skyhawks had a pair of chances to take the lead in the closing seconds of regulation, including a missed three-pointer at the buzzer, setting up the River Hawk run in overtime.

Saidybah finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in the triumph for UMass Lowell, which also received 12 points from freshman Victor Colon (Morton Grove, Ill.) and 10 points from junior Dashon Harper (Columbus, Ohio). The River Hawks shot 42 percent from the field and connected for 10 three-pointers, including five by Carr, to sweep the regular season series between the two teams.

Freshman AJ Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.) scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in the setback for Stonehill, which received 12 points and six assists from Stallworth as well as 12 points on four three-pointers from Toun. Freshman Nikola Stevanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) added eight points for the visitors, who also received seven points each from senior Lance Clarke (Cambridge, Mass.) and sophomore Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) as the Skyhawks shot 44 percent from the field and canned nine three-pointers, but the hosts held a 12-5 scoring edge at the foul line for the evening.

Stonehill travels to Waltham, Mass. on Saturday afternoon to take on second-ranked Bentley in a Northeast-10 outing that will be televised live nationally on College Sports Television beginning at Noon, while UMass Lowell heads to Syracuse, N.Y. on Saturday afternoon to square off with LeMoyne in a Northeast-10 match-up that begins at 3:00 p.m.