Live Video

Click here for live stats

The Game
Stonehill College closes out a six game road trip over the last two and a half weeks as it visits former Northeast-10 Conference foe University of Massachusetts Lowell for the first time in ten years, this time in a non-conference matchup at the NCAA Division I level at the Costello Athletic Center this afternoon. The Skyhawks enter the game having dropped the last two games of the Tom Konchalski Classic at Fordham last weekend, including a hard-fought 71-60 setback to the host Rams on Tuesday night. The River Hawks are winners of three-straight after a 73-62 victory at Brown on Wednesday.

Media Information
This afternoon's game will be broadcast live digitally via ESPN+ with Chris Villiani (play-by-play) and Jim Borodawka (analyst) on the call.

Against the River Hawks
Tonight marks the 43rd meeting all-time between these two former Northeast-10 Conference members, but the first since a 74-63 UMass Lowell win in Easton, Massachusetts, on February 13, 2013. The River Hawks own a 23-19 edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1980, having won the last two meetings with a series sweep during their final Division II season in 2012-13. UML is 12-7 all-time against Stonehill here at Costello Athletic Center, posting a 75-55 decision here their last meeting in the building almost exactly ten years ago on November 28, 2012. Tonight marks the first meeting all-time for Chris Kraus '06 against the River Hawks as a head coach, having taken over in that role in 2013-14 just after UML started its Division I transition.

Cole '15

Last Time They Met
UMass Lowell snapped a three game losing streak by hanging on for a 74-63 victory over Stonehill in NE10 play in Easton, Mass., on February 13, 2013. Akeem Williams led UMass Lowell with a game-high 22 points (17 second half) to go with three rebounds, five assists and a steal. Chad Holley added 16 points (11 first half) on 5-of-10 shooting, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, converting all four free-throws. Jack Cole posted his eighth career double-double to lead Stonehill with 16 points (ten first half) on 6-of-11 shooting with a game-high ten rebounds (six offensive) and two blocked shots. Senior Brian Hamor also netted 16 points, connecting on 4-of-9 three-pointers and draining all four free-throws, to go with four assists.

Last Time Out
Host Fordham clinched the title for the 2022 Tom Konchalski Classic, but not without a strong fight to the end from Stonehill before claiming a 71-60 decision to wrap up the inaugural event inside Rose Hill Gymnasium. Fordham postgrad Darius Quisenberry capped his claim to the inaugural Jim O'Connell MVP Trophy among three Rams in double-figures with 14 points, shooting 3-for-8 from three-point distance and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, six assists, four rebounds and a steal. Classmate Khalid Moore scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, with four rebounds for the Rams tonight. Fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) scored in double-figures for the seventh time in as many games this season and 13th-straight contest overall, dating back to last winter, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, a career-high seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. Postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) added 13 points, three rebounds and an assist and steal, while fifth-year Shamir Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.) chipped in eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-for-3 from long range.

Sims

Burnett

Classic All-Tournament Team
Stonehill fifth-years Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) were both named to the All-Tournament Team at the Tom Konchalski Classic. Sims averaged 18 points per game, aided by 90.5-percent (19-for-21) shooting from the free-throw line, with 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.8-minutes per game over the Skyhawks three contests. He totaled 24 points and a season-high nine rebounds against UIC and added 16 points, five rebounds and career-bests of seven assists and three steals against Fordham. Burnett averaged 14.0 points on 42.9-percent shooting (9-for-21), converting 23-of-27 (85.2%) free-throws with 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 3.0 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. He scored a career-high 30 points on 7-of-9 shooting, converting 15-of-17 free-throws in the win over Holy Cross with three rebounds and four steals.

Skyhawk Efficiency
Stonehill has displayed quite the efficient offense through its first seven games. The Skyhawks are second in the NEC in field goal percentage (.470) and effective field goal percentage (.566), while leading the Conference in free throw percentage (.847), and three-point percentage (.359).

Streaking
Fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) has scored in double-figures in 13-straight games dating back to last season, including all seven games this year as well as his back-to-back 20-point games against Quinnipiac (24) and Army (21).

Stop... Thief!
Stonehill fifth-year Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) has recorded a steal in six straight contests to open the 2022-23 season and 13-straight games dating back to last year. He had four steals in the first two games of the Konchalski Classic last weekend. Collectively against Holy Cross on Saturday, Stonehill had ten thefts, gathering a steal on 10.8 percnt of Holy Cross' possessions. Burnett now leads all NEC with a steal rate of 5.0 percent, averaging 2.3 per game (2nd NEC) after leading the NE10 with 2.3 last year.

Making Them Count
Stonehill leads the NEC in free-throw shooting, converting at 84.7-percent. Stonehill features three of the top ten free-throw shooters in the NEC with postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) ranking third at 89.5-percent (17-for-19), fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) fourth at 88.2% (30-34) and fifth-year Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) sixth at 78.3% (36-46).

Player of the Week
Stonehill fifth-year guard Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) has been named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week the Conference office announced yesterday. It marks the second-straight week to open the season a member of the Stonehill men's basketball program has earned the recognition after fellow fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) collected the honor last Monday. Burnett earns the first weekly award of his career, and has been named an NEC Prime Performer for the second-straight week, after averaging 20 points per game on 64.7-percent shooting (11-for-17), draining both three-point attempts, converting 16-of-19 (84.2%) of his free-throws in a 1-1 week for the Skyhawks. He also contributed 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals and a blocked shot per game. Burnett scored a career-high 30 points on 7-of-9 shooting, converting 15-of-17 free-throws, in Saturday night's 81-79 victory over Holy Cross, adding three rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot. He opened the week with ten points on 4-of-8 shooting, four rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and steal at Providence on Tuesday.


In Transition
Stonehill announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference and commence a four-year transition to full NCAA Division I membership on April 5. The Skyhawks started their four-year transition on July 1 and will earn full NCAA Division I membership in 2026-27. At the June NEC meetings, the Conference presidents announced a shift in the waiting period for automatic qualifier sports from competing for NEC postseason championships from four to two years, making Stonehill eligible to compete in the NEC postseason starting in 2024-25.

Proud History
Stonehill won the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup six times, finishing in the top three in the final standings 15 of the last 17 years. Stonehill was one of just ten institutions nationwide to receive the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement, recognizing athletic departments with an Academic Success rating of 90-percent or better, each of the first ten years of the program's existence. The College ranks No. 98 in the category of National Liberal Arts Schools by U.S. News & World Report and No. 94 for the Best Value category.

Hoop History
Stonehill men's basketball earned 15 NCAA Division II Tournament bids over its history, the last was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Stonehill were charter members of the Northeast-10 Conference, winning the first two tournament championships in 1981 and '82, finishing its time in the Conference with four postseason titles and six regular season championships.

Preseason Prognostications
Stonehill was picked to finish ninth in its first Northeast Conference season by the league's head coaches. Merrimack received six of the eight first place votes to hold the pole position atop the preseason poll, followed by Sacred Heart with two first place votes. Saint Francis (Pa.) follows in third, while Wagner is picked fourth and received the final first place vote.  

Getting Social
Fans and media members of Stonehill athletics have multiple social media outlets to get updates on all 23 varsity programs. The department's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stonehillskyhawks, and you can also follow @GoStonehill on Twitter and @stonehillskyhawks via Instagram! You can also search for Stonehill men's basketball on Facebook, follow the team's Twitter account via @StonehillBball as well as head coach Chris Kraus @CoachChrisKraus, and its new Instagram feed @stonehillbball. 

Up Next
Stonehill is back in action on Wednesday when it returns to Merkert Gymnasium to host Eastern Nazarene College at 7 p.m.