Laffey and Silva combine for 51 points as Panthers win fifth straight

Berroa scored a career-high 23 points for the Skyhawks today (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix)

EASTON, Mass. (February 2, 2019) – Adelphi University, ranked No. 10 in this week's D2SIDA East Region poll, broke away down the stretch to claim an 86-76 victory over Stonehill College, receiving votes in the D2SIDA poll, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium as part of Alumni Day at the College.

Senior Jack Laffey and freshman Ronnie Silva combined for 51 points to lead Adelphi to its fifth-straight win. Laffey scored 14 points in each half for a game-high 28 points for the Panthers on 10-of-15 shooting, including 5-for-10 from three-point distance, while collecting three rebounds. Silva scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half as he buried 7-of-10 three-pointers and dished out four assists. Junior Oswald Parker III notched a double-double with ten points and a game-high 11 rebounds, with four assists, while senior Nick Cambio chipped in with eight points, eight boards, two assists and two blocked shots.

Senior Joel Berroa scored a career-high 23 points to lead Stonehill, hitting 9-of-11 shots, including all four three-point tries, off the bench, while adding five rebounds and two assists. Junior Will Moreton scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half for the Skyhawks, adding seven rebounds and three assists, while senior Michael Boen posted a career-high 15 points, connecting on 3-of-5 threes and all six free-throw attempts, to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Boen netted a career-best 15 points for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix)

Stonehill rallied from a seven point deficit (57-50) after a Parker jumper four minutes into the second half, to take the lead (58-57) with a three-point play from Berroa with 13:26 remaining, who scored five of the Skyhawks eight straight points. Laffey answered with a layup and Adelphi restored a six-point cushion (64-58) with a Silva triple at the midway point of the half.

Berroa followed that with a layup and three-pointer to draw Stonehill back within a point (64-63) with eight minutes to go. After another Silva three, Moreton pulled the Skyhawks back within one (67-66) with 7:23 on the clock, but Adelphi would not relinquish the lead. Silva drained another triple to spark a 14-1 game-clinching run for the Panthers that produced a 14-point advantage (82-68) when a Laffey layup followed back-to-back threes by Silva.

Stonehill was able to trim its deficit to eight (84-76) with two free throws from Boen with 42-seconds on the clock, but would get no closer.

Adelphi held a two-point halftime edge (47-45) after a track meet of an opening half. Both teams shot well over 50-percent in the half, with the Panthers converting at 58.1% (18-for-31), including 10-of-17 (58.8%) from long range, while Stonehill shot 60% (18-30), including 9-for-16 (56.3%) from deep. Adelphi actually improved shooting (60.9%) in the second half, compared to 30% (9-30) for the hosts, who was able to take advantage of 20 Panthers turnovers to stay in the game.

Stonehill (11-10, 5-9 NE10) is back in action on Wednesday night, when it visits rival Bentley University, ranked seventh in the region, for an NE10 matchup that will be featured as part of the NCAA Division II Showcase streamed live over the NCAA Division II platforms on Twitter and Facebook Live, as well as NE10 NOW at 7:35 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Tuesday, February 12, to host Saint Michael's College at 7:30 p.m. Adelphi (15-7, 9-5 NE10) hosts Le Moyne College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

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