Junior Brian Hamor scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half and added seven assists and five rebounds. (PHOTO BY Br. Charles McBride) |
Cooper leads five Ravens in double figures with 18 points
Sophomore Ellis Cooper (Northampton, Mass./Northampton) led five Franklin Pierce players in double-figures with 18 points (16 second half) on 7-of-10 shooting from the field to go with five rebounds and five blocked shots. Senior Adedamola Abu (Mattapan, Mass./Marblehead) added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and a 2-for-2 effort from the line, with five boards.
Sophomore Andre Blackwood (Paterson, N.J./Paterson Catholic) contributed 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting off the bench, including 2-for-4 from deep, while senior Nigel Van Oostrum (Sheffield, England) contributed 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Sophomore Adrianos Vourliotakis Perdikaris (Cholargos, Greece) chipped ten points and three boards off the bench.
Junior Brian Hamor (Schenectady, N.Y./Bishop Gibbons) led Stonehill with a game-high 21 points (19 second half), seven assists and five rebounds. Senior Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) posted his tenth career double-double (seventh of the season) with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds (six offensive), while classmate Andre Tongo (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) added 13 points, six boards and two assists. Junior Adam Fazzini (Drums, Pa./Crestwood) chipped in with 14 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting overall, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, while converting 3-of-5 free-throws.
Senior Patrick Lee had a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds before fouling out. (PHOTO BY Br. Charles McBride) |
Franklin Pierce shot a blistering 72.7-percent (16-for-22) from the field in the second half to finish shooting 61.5% (32-52) from the field overall, while converting 75% (15-20) of its free throws. The Ravens made the most of Stonehill's 15 miscues, posting a 23-12 advantage in points off turnovers, while committing just 12 themselves. Stonehill shot 44.1-percent (30-68) from the field, including 45.2% (19-42) in the second half, while hitting 10-of-27 (37%) three-pointers and converting 9-of-12 (75%) free-throws. The Skyhawks finished with a 38-25 rebounding advantage, including a 20-19 edge on their own offensive end that resulted in a 21-13 second chance points margin.
Franklin Pierce jumped out to a pair of early five point leads, but Stonehill used an 8-0 run to take a three point lead (14-11) with 12:45 remaining in the half after back to back three-pointers from Fazzini and Tongo. The Ravens scored the next six points to regain the lead (17-14) on a jumper by Blackwood 11:34 before halftime before sophomore Mitch Amelio (Carlsbad, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) drained a three to knot it up at 17-17 with 10:41 left.
The teams traded baskets before Franklin Pierce opened a six point lead (25-19) on an Abu layup with 7:55 left in the half. Fazzini was fouled shooting a three and made all three free-throws before Tongo knotted the score again (25-25) with a three-pointer with 6:24 left. The see-sawed back and forth for the next three minutes, but the Skyhawks were held scoreless over the final 3:13 as Franklin Pierce scored the final five points of the frame to carry a four point edge into halftime (36-32) after a layup from Vourliotakis.
Stonehill scored the first four points of the second half to knot the score (36-36) after a Lee put back. Franklin Pierce then used a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to open its first double-figure cushion (48-38) after a Vourliotakis layup with 15:21 to play. The Skyhawks cut the lead to five (55-50) with an Amelio three with 11:44 remaining, but the Ravens responded with the next 11 points over the following three minutes to open a game-high 16 point (66-50) advantage after two free-throws from Abu with 8:14 left.
Stonehill wouldn't go away quietly, using a 13-2 run to close within five (68-63) after a three-point play from Hamor with 4:47 left. Franklin Pierce was able to hold firm, pushing the lead back to eight (79-71) with a conventional three point play by Cooper with 1:18 remaining, but the Skyhawks were still able to cut the deficit to four (8-76) with another Hamor three point play with 21-seconds to go. Cooper missed both free-throws at the other end, but a turnover cost the Skyhawks a chance to close within a possession and freshman Ryen Vilmont (Philadelphia, Pa./Hamden South) sealed the win with a pair of free-throws with 11 seconds to go before Tongo capped the scoring with a three with 0,4-seconds left.
Stonehill (14-6, 11-5 NE-10), among teams receiving votes in this week's NABC Division II poll, returns to action on Saturday when it visits Merrimack College at 3 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, February 11, to host Saint Michael's College on Senior Day at 3:30 p.m. Franklin Pierce (15-5, 11-5 NE-10) hosts Saint Michael's this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Game Highlights |