Skyhawks clinch Northeast Division No. 5 seed, will face Southwest No. 4 Southern Connecticut State in NE10 First Round on Friday
Chose scored a team-high 23 points for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
EASTON, Mass. (February 26, 2019) – Saint Anselm College, ranked No. 13 in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll and No. 18 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll, dealt Stonehill College an 87-63 setback in the Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball regular season finale on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Despite the defeat, Stonehill (14-14, 8-13 NE10) clinched the final spot in the upcoming NE10 Tournament that opens on Friday. The Northeast Division No. 5 seeded Skyhawks will visit Southwest No. 4 Southern Connecticut State University for a first round clash on Friday at 7 p.m. Stonehill clinched when Assumption College, which spoiled the Skyhawks chance to clinch a playoff spot on Saturday, edged Southern New Hampshire University, 66-60 in Manchester, New Hampshire, tonight. Stonehill earns the Northeast Division's final playoff spot with its 1-1 record with No. 2-seed Merrimack College, who went 2-0 against SNHU, after the Skyhawks and Penmen split their regular season series. Saint Anselm (22-4, 18-3 NE10), ranked first in the NCAA Division II East Regional Rankings, is the top-seed in the Division and await the winner of the Stonehill/Southern Connecticut State matchup for a quarterfinal on Sunday in Manchester, New Hampshire, at 3 p.m.
Senior Tim Guers led Saint Anselm tonight with a game-high 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, with eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Junior Danny Evans and sophomore Chris Paul each contributed 17 points for the Hawks. Paul made 7-of-9 shots and grabbed four rebounds, while Evans hit 8-of-12 shots. Senior Cody Ball and sophomore Alonzo Jackson each chipped in nine points.
Moreton added 17 points, two assists and two steals (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Sophomore Owen Chose led Stonehill with 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 5-for-10 from three-point distance, converting all four free-throws with three rebounds. Junior Will Moreton scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half to crack the top 20 on Stonehill's career scoring list with 1,281 points. He moves past Bob Duarte, '87, who scored 1,279 points, for 20th place on the program's career scoring list, while adding two assists and two steals tonight.
Freshman Andrew Sims rounded out Stonehill's double-figure scorers with 11 points and five rebounds, while senior Michael Boen grabbed a game-high ten rebounds.
Saint Anselm made 58.1-percent (18-for-31) of its shots in the first half to stake out a 20-point lead at the intermission (47-27). Stonehill led by one (14-13) after a Chose jumper six minutes into the game and then the Hawks scored ten straight to grab a nine point lead (23-14) after a Paul layup with 11:52 remaining in the half. Saint Anselm extended its lead to 11 (31-20) after a Guers three-pointer with 7:11 left, and then closed the half with ten-straight points, sparked by back to back three-pointers by Ball, to turn a ten-point cushion (37-27) with three minutes remaining into a 20-point halftime advantage (47-27).
Evans opened the second half with a triple, but Stonehill was able to close the gap to 16 (56-40) less than eight minutes in after a Moreton three and layup from senior Joel Berroa. The Skyhawks drew within 15 (58-43) with a Chose triple midway through the half, but would get no closer as Saint Anselm sealed the win with the next 11 points to open a 26-point margin (69-43) with a Jackson dunk with eight minutes left.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
