Men's Basketball Opens with Win Over UDC, 87-61


Moreton led a balanced Skyhawks effort with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Moreton leads balanced Skyhawks effort with 17 points

SPARKILL, N.Y. (November 10, 2018) – Stonehill College opened its 2018-19 season with a commanding 87-61 victory over University of the District of Columbia in non-conference men's basketball action on day one of the St. Thomas Aquinas College Tip-Off Classic at Aquinas Hall Gymnasium tonight.

Junior Will Moreton led a balanced Stonehill effort with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, converting all four free-throw attempts, to go with five rebounds and two assists. Senior Joel Berroa added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, with three assists, while junior Dan Largey totaled 13 points, converting all six free-throws, with six boards and two assists.

Senior Michael Boen and freshman Andrew Sims both notched double-doubles off the bench for Stonehill. Boen matched his career-high with 11 points to go with a career-best 11 rebounds, including six on the offensive end, and three assists, while Sims tallied 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, with three blocked shots in his collegiate debut.

Junior Zachary Olukanni led UDC with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting and four rebounds. Freshman Juayne Colon was the only other Firebird in double-figures with ten points, while junior Kenneth Stancell grabbed a team-high seven boards off the bench.


Berroa added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Stonehill jumped out quick, grabbing a ten-point lead (18-8) less than seven minutes in after a Moreton jumper. The lead wouldn't close within double-figures the rest of the way, with the Skyhawks stretching the margin to 15 (23-8) following a three-point play from Berroa with 11:40 remaining in the half.

UDC was back within ten (32-22) after a jumper from postgrad Kyle Davis with 7:30 to go in the half, but Stonehill scored eight-straight from four different players to open an 18-point cushion (40-22) after two free-throws by sophomore Owen Chose with under five minutes to play. The Skyhawks closed the half out with a 20-3 run overall to take a 27-point lead (52-25) into the locker room as Moreton scored eight of the visitor's final ten points of the half, including the final six.

Berroa opened the second half with a three-pointer to extend the lead to 30 (55-25) and the margin would peak at 34 after a three-point play from freshman Josh Mack five minutes into the second half. The Skyhawks cruised from there for the season-opening win.

Stonehill (1-0, 0-0 NE10) is back in action tomorrow, when it faces host St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0, 0-0 ECC) on day two of the Tip-Off Classic at 4 p.m. The Spartans defeated Wilmington (Del.) University in tonight's opening game, 71-63. UDC (0-1, 0-0 ECC) will face Wilmington at 2 p.m.

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