Senior Andre Tongo led the Skyhawks scorers for the third straight game, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and three steals. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
Skyhawks turn up defense to pull away in the second half
Stonehill held UMass Lowell to just 29.2-percent (7-for-24) shooting in the second half, including 3-for-11 (27.3%) from three-point range. The Skyhawks finished the game with a 27-9 advantage in points off turnovers, making the most of UMass Lowell's 17 giveaways while turning the ball over just 12 times themselves, and the hosts out-rebounded UML 40-34 and enjoyed a 24-2 advantage in bench scoring.
Senior Andre Tongo (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) led Stonehill in scoring for the third-straight game with 17 points, shooting 3-for-6 from three-point range and converting all four free-throw attempts, to go with four rebounds and three steals. Junior Adam Fazzini (Drums, Pa./Crestwood) led the bench contingent with a career-high 15 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and converting both free-throw attempts, to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 21 minutes.
Senior Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) fell a point shy of a double-double, finishing with nine points and a game-high ten rebounds and two assists. Junior Sam Markle (Bethany, Conn./Saint Thomas More) finished with nine points, aided by a 7-for-9 effort from the line, while freshman Jack Cole (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) chipped in seven points and nine boards (five offensive).
Junior Adam Fazzini led a Stonehill bench that outscored the guests 24-2 with a career-high 15 points. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Sophomore Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass./The Winchendon School) led the way for UMass Lowell with a game-high 21 points, shooting 8-for-18 from the field and converting 5-of-7 free-throws, to go with two rebounds. Sophomore Scotty Tavares-Taylor (Roxbury, Mass./Lexington) added 13 points, aided by 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, three assists and two steals. Junior Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) and sophomore Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla./American) both chipped in with nine points and four rebounds.
Stonehill shot 35.6-percent (21-for-59) from the field, including 38.5% (10-26) in the second half when it hit 5-of-11 (45.5%) three-pointers, and converted 21-of-28 (75%) free-throws for the night. UMass Lowell finished shooting 38.8% (19-of-49) in the contest, including 48% (12-25) in the first half, and converted 66.7% (14-21) of its free-throw attempts. After connecting on 4-of-9 (44.4%) three-pointers in the first half, the River Hawks made just 3-of-11 (27.3%) in the second, to finish at 35% (7-20).
Stonehill held a one point (33-32) halftime lead and the teams went back and forth over the first five minutes of the second half. Tavares-Taylor drilled a three-pointer to put UMass Lowell up three (41-38) 5:14 into the frame, but the Skyhawks reeled off eight straight points, sparked by a three by sophomore Mitch Amelio (Carlsbad, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), to take a five point lead (46-41) after a three from Fazzini.
Stonehill used a 10-1 burst to open its first double-digit lead (56-46) of the night after a three-pointer from Tongo with 8:44 to play. Fazzini opened that burst with a three and Amelio and Markle both drained a pair of free-throws. Markle made one of two at the line to extend the lead to 11 (60-49) with 5:18 remaining and UMass Lowell closed the gap to seven (60-53) on a Welch three with 3:48 left.
Lee scored a layup and Markle drained two free throws to push the Stonehill lead back to 11 (68-57) with 1:08 remaining and the two combined to make four free-throws in the final 55-seconds to seal the Skyhawks second-straight win and fourth in five to open the season.
Cole and Tongo both buried three's to open the scoring on the night as Stonehill went on to hold an 8-2 lead after a Markle layup 3:10 into the game. UMass Lowell posted a 12-4 run over the next four minutes to take its first lead (14-12) after a Tavares-Taylor three with 12:47 left in the half.
A Fazzini three and Cole tip-in regained the lead (17-14) for Stonehill and the Skyhawks went on to claim an eight point advantage (31-23) after two Tongo free-throws with 3:29 left before intermission. UMass Lowell closed the frame out with a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to a point (33-32) at the break.
Stonehill (4-1, 3-1 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits Saint Michael's College for a Northeast-10 clash at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Tuesday, December 6, to host Southern New Hampshire University at 7:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (4-3, 1-3 NE-10) hosts Merrimack College on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Highlights and Postgame Interviews |