Senior Mike Kernan notched his second double-double of the season (11th career) to lead Stonehill tonight. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

18-0 late second half run keys Hawks to victory

Freshman Allen Harris (Roslindale, Mass./Suffield Academy) led Saint Anselm with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field, including 3-for-8 from three-point range, to go with four rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot. Classmate Dino Mallios (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) added 15 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor, 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, while converting all eight free-throw attempts. Senior Thomas Baudinet (Watertown, Conn./Taft) contributed 13 points and four assists, while junior Jack Keough (Owego, N.Y./Owego Free Academy) rounded out the Hawks double-figure scorers with 11 points, on 5-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots.

Senior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) led Stonehill with a double-double of a season-best 17 points, on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor, and a game-high ten rebounds. Junior Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) added 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor, draining his lone three-point attempt, and converting all four free-throw attempts to go with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Sophomore Brian Hamor (Guilderland, N.Y./Bishop Gibbons) contributed ten points, three boards and three assists. Junior Ivan Almeida (Praia, Cape Verde) chipped in with eight points and seven boards.

Junior Patrick Lee added 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. (PHOT BY Richard Orr)

Saint Anselm took advantage of 26 Stonehill miscues to post a 24-17 advantage in points off turnovers. The Hawks finished shooting 44.2-percent (23-for-52) from the field and converted 14-of-17 free-throws (82.4%) on the night. Stonehill shot 48.1-percent (25-for-52) from the field overall, but just 41.7% (10-24) in the second half, and went to the line just nine times, making seven (77.8%). The Skyhawks dominated the glass with a 37-23 margin, holding the Hawks to just four offensive rebounds, but second chance points were an even 8-8 for the night.

Saint Anselm trailed by ten (55-45) after Stonehill senior Daniel Heppert (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) drilled a three-pointer with 7:46 to play. The Hawks then reeled off an 18-0 run to reverse the lead and open an eight point cushion (63-55) after a pair of free-throws by Mallios with 45-seconds left. Keough sparked the run with a three-point play and scored the first five points of the stretch. Harris knotted the score at 55-55 with a jumper with 5:07 remaining and Baudinet followed with a jumper to put the Hawks in front for good after a Stonehill turnover with 3:44 to play. Harris and Baudinet had four points each during the stretch.

Hamor canned a three to pull Stonehill within five (63-58) with 30-seconds left. After Harris made one of two at the line at the other end, Kernan scored a putback with ten ticks left to pull the Skyhawks within four (64-60). Baudinet made both at the other end to ice the win before Hamor closed out the scoring with a layup with a second to play.

Stonehill came out shooting at the start, opening an 11-2 lead after an Almeida three 3:09 into the contest. Saint Anselm came back to take its first lead (14-13) with a 12-2 run over the next five minutes after back-to-back three's from Baudinet and Harris. The Hawks built a six point lead (23-17) after a layup from sophomore James Morse (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) with 8:05 left in the half. Stonehill closed the half with a 16-6 run to carry a four point cushion (33-29) into the lockerroom. Lee had five points in all during that stretch, capping the half with a banked three as the shot clock was winding down.

Harris opened the second half with a three-pointer to draw Saint Anselm within a point (33-32), but Stonehill regained a six point lead (40-34) after an Almeida jumper with 17:24 to go. The lead varied between three and six points for the Skyhawks until growing to a game-high ten after Heppert's three with 7:46 to go before the Hawks game-winning rally.

Stonehill (4-2, 2-2 NE-10) is right back in action on Saturday when it visits Southern New Hampshire University for an NE-10 matchup at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks don't return home again until Wednesday, January 5, when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University at 7:30 p.m. Saint Anselm (5-1, 3-1 NE-10) hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.