Junior Ryan Logan led the Skyhawks with 28 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. (PHOTO BY Paul Fitzgerald)

Logan leads Skyhawks to 2-0 weekend with 28 points, six rebounds 

EASTON, Mass. (November 14, 2015) – Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll and ranked sixth in the D2SIDA East Regional poll, held off Georgian Court University down the stretch for a 90-82 victory to close out the Stonehill Tip-Off Classic on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Junior forward Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) led Stonehill for the second straight night with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-28 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, and converting 4-of-5 free-throws to go with six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a steal. Senior Carter Smith (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) added 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 5-for-9 from three, with three boards and two assists, while classmate Adam Bramanti (Middleton, Massachusetts/Masconomet Regional) contributed 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, four rebounds and five assists.

Junior Jimmy Walsh (Manasquan, New Jersey/Manasquan) rounded out the Skyhawks double figure scorers with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from deep, five rebounds and two assists, while senior Pierce Cumpstone (Bainbridge Township, Ohio/Kenston) chipped in eight points, a team-high nine rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.

Stonehill shot 50-percent from the field (32-for-64) from the field, including 13-for-31 (41.9%) from beyond the arc, connecting on 6-of-12 triples (50%) in the second half. The Skyhawks held a 38-29 rebounding edge, while Georgian Court finished shooting 54% (34-63), including 62.2% (23-37) in the second half to get back into the game.

Freshman Keith Hughes (Woodbridge, New Jersey/Robinson School) led Georgian Court with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting off the bench to go with seven rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Juwuan Carter (Paterson, New Jersey/DePaul Catholic) added 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, while converting all four free-throws to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Classmate JD Rodriguez (Perth Amboy, New Jersey/Bound Brook) rounded out the Lions double-figure scorers with 15 points and five boards, connecting on 6-of-10 shots, including 2-for-3 from long range.

Stonehill never trailed, scoring the first six points of the game on its way to an 11 point lead (15-4) after back to back threes from Walsh and Cumpstone five and a half minutes in. The Skyhawks shot their way to a 25 point lead (43-18) in the opening half, using a 20-4 run keyed by back to back triples from Bramanti.

Stonehill took a 20 point lead (46-26) into halftime, restoring a 23 point gap (51-28) after a layup from senior Daniel Brix (Monroe Township, New Jersey/Saint Joseph) less than a minute into the second half. Georgian Court used a 20-6 run over the next seven minutes to get back into the game (57-48) after two straight baskets by sophomore Claude Payne (South Plainfield, New Jersey/Prestige Prep). Rodriguez drained a three-pointer to draw the Lions within seven (62-55) midway through the half, but a 9-2 stretch by Stonehill, sparked by a Logan three, stretched the lead back to 14 (71-57) with 7:23 left.

Senior Adam Bramanti contributed 13 points, five assists and four rebounds. (PHOTO BY Paul Fitzgerald)

Georgian Court crept back within nine (79-70) after a Hughes layup with 3:41 on the clock, but Stonehill scored six straight to regain a 15 point cushion (85-70) after a Logan layup with 2:20 remaining. The Lions closed back within eight (87-79) on a layup by junior Nikola Vujovic (Novi Sad, Serbia) with 47-second left, but would get no closer.

Stonehill (2-0, 0-0 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday night when it opens its Northeast-10 Conference schedule at Assumption College at 7:30 p.m. The Greyhounds (2-0, 0-0 NE-10) also won two games at Merkert Gym over the weekend, notching a 69-63 triumph over Post University (0-2, 0-0 CACC) in tonight's first game. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, November 21, to host Saint Anselm College for an NE-10 matchup at 3:30 p.m. Georgian Court (0-2, 0-0 CACC) hosts Holy Family University for its conference opener on Wednesday at 8 p.m. 

Assumption 69, Post 63

Juniors Reilly Reid (Mississauga, Ontario/Lorne Park) and Declan Soukup (Melbourne, Australia) combined for 39 points to lead Assumption past Post tonight. Reid scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, while converting all four free-throws to go with six rebounds. Soukup added 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting (2-for-4 three's), six boards and three assists.

Sophomore Joseph Lockwood (London, England) registered a double-double to lead Post with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds (six offensive) to go with three blocked shots as he made 4-of-7 shots from the field and converted 7-of-8 free throws.

Assumption led by as much as 17 (29-12) in the first half and held a 16 point advantage (59-43) after a Soukup free-throw with 6:25 before holding off a late Post run. The Eagles used a 13-4 run to cut the gap to seven (63-56) after a Lockwood layup with 2:17 still to play. Freshman Tamas Okros (Bristol, England) drilled a three-pointer to pull the Eagles within four (64-60) with 1:34 to play, but Assumption was able to do enough at the free-throw line from there to hang on for the win.

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