Skyhawks' Senior Trio Sets Sights On Basketball Replay

Colin Scanlon and the Skyhawks face Northeast-10 rival Assumption on Saturday evening in the quarterfinal round on the NCAA Division II East Regional.

By Jim Fenton, Brockton Enterprise Staff Writer 

EASTON - They were wide-eyed freshmen during the best of times for the Stonehill College men's basketball program.

Matt Hall, Nick Smith and Colin Scanlon were introduced to the college scene by being part of a team that went on a remarkable run in the winter of 2006.

With four senior starters, the Skyhawks advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Div. 2 tournament before losing to eventual champion, Winona State, in Springfield.

It was a memorable ride for Stonehill, and Hall, Smith and Scanlon - who are now seniors - soaked up every aspect of the atmosphere along the way.

"It was amazing,'' said Hall, who returned home to Springfield for the Elite Eight that year. "I remember when we got to Springfield, busloads of students from Stonehill came to the game and we were sort of kings on campus, really. It was awesome.''

The Skyhawks (21-7) are back in the NCAAs for the first time since '06 and will open the East Regional on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. against Assumption College in Brookville, N.Y.

Hall, Smith and Scanlon are ending their careers the same way they began, with a trip to the NCAAs.

When they were freshmen, Hall, Smith and Scanlon were on a team that lost to Saint Anselm College in the title game of the Northeast-10 Conference tournament, then swept through the NCAA Northeast Regional that was held at Stonehill.

The top-seeded Skyhawks defeated Bloomfield, 96-77, Adelphi, 69-54, and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, 89-80, to earn a spot in the Elite Eight.

Stonehill, which set a school record with 27 wins, had seniors Chris Kraus, Sean Nelson, Marquis Taylor and Mike Lauricella leading the way on a magical ride.

"I remember everything,'' said Smith, who was the NE-10 freshman of the year, averaging 8.1 points off the bench. "I remember the first game here against Bloomfield to the last game where we lost to Winona State. It was real special. I've never been part of something like that.

"I came in and didn't know anything about it. The seniors were telling us what kind of opportunity we had, and we listened to them. We've been guiding the freshmen this year, just like the seniors did to us, and it's paid off.''

The Stonehill men's program had never had a season quite like the one that unfolded in 2005-06. The atmosphere around campus was electric, and the Skyhawks had the largest contingent of fans at the Mass Mutual Center for the Elite Eight.

"It was a great experience, especially in your first year of college,'' said Scanlon. "Looking back on it, I appreciate it more now than I did at the time.

"I remember just being with the guys for a week out there, just focusing on basketball. The facilities were great, you were on a national stage.''

Taylor, Kraus, Nelson and Lauricella had been together their entire careers, playing a combined 447 games, and together, they helped make that special Stonehill season take place.

The Skyhawks defeated Tarelton State University of Texas, 69-59, in the national quarterfinal round and built a lead against Winona State before being overtaken in the second half and losing, 83-73.

"What I remember about that season is that the seniors we had were great leaders and set a great example for us as freshmen,'' said Hall, who averages 13.2 points this season. "I think it's pretty ironic that our first year we get there and our last year we're right back in position to get to Springfield again.

"Hopefully, we can lead the way the seniors led us when we were freshmen.''

There are plenty of lessons that these seniors can share after taking part in the best of times in Stonehill men's basketball.

"The big thing is getting across to (the underclassmen), first of all, is how difficult it is to get to the NCAA tournament,'' said Scanlon. "You cherish that. We thought what happened to as freshman was going to happen all the time. We can show them the work ethic it takes to get here, but also to appreciate it.''

Said Smith: "I think it helps us a lot. We've got three players back from that team. Not many people get to do this. It's really an accomplishment. We're looking forward to getting back to Springfield.''