Sims nets game-high 22 points for fourth 20-point outing of season, but Mack's second Saturday gamewinner the difference for Skyhawks

Sims made 11-of-13 free-throws on his way to a game-high 22 points this evening (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

VESTAL, N.Y. (December 3, 2022) – Fifth-year guard Josh Mack scored his second buzzer-beating gamewinner over the last two weeks to lift Stonehill College to a 69-66 triumph over Binghamton University in a non-conference men's basketball matchup on Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center this evening.

Mack, who scored a turnaround layup in the paint to lift Stonehill to an 81-79 victory over College of the Holy Cross two weeks ago, drained a three-pointe at the elbow extended at the horn today to lift the Skyhawks to their fourth win of the season, improving to 3-0 on Saturday with all three wins coming in the State of New York. He finished with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 1-for-2 from deep, with three rebounds an assist and steal in 17 minutes off the bench for the Skyhawks.

Fifth-year Andrew Sims scored a game-high 22 points to lead all Stonehill scorers, converting 11-of-13 free-throws in posting his fourth 20-point game of the season (12^th career). Classmate Isaiah Burnett filled the box score with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double, adding six assists, five steals and two blocked shots.

Senior Jacob Falko led four from Binghamton in double figures with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including a tying layup with 4.8-seconds remaining that knotted the score for the second time in the game, both coming in the latter stages of the contest, with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Leaders

Stonehill

Sims: 22 points (11-for-13 FTs), including 12 in the second half.

Burnett: 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, five steals, two blocked shots.

Max Zegarowski Postgrad, Guard: 12 points, three rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal.

Binghamton

Falko: 15 points (6-for-11), four rebounds, four assists, two steals, blocked shot.

John McGriff Junior, Guard: 15 points (4-for-7 threes), including 12 in the first half, three assists.

Miles Gibson Postgrad, Forward: 13 points (6-for-14), nine rebounds.

Burnett posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, adding six assists, five steals and two blocks (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

How it Happened

• Mack's buzzer-beating three avoided overtime and held off a Binghamton comeback from a nine-point deficit in the second half, including seven points down with seven minutes to play.
• Stonehill never trailed in the contest, building an 11-point lead (17-6) after a Zegarowski floater nine minutes into the game capped 12-2 run that was started by back-to-back three-pointers from fifth-year Shamir Johnson.
• Stonehill still led by ten (26-16) after Johnson's third triple of the half with 8:25 remaining in the frame, when Binghamton answered with a 12-3 spurt, keyed by a trio of three-pointers, to close within one (29-28) when junior Tariq Balogun made one of two free-throws with 4:35 to go.
• Stonehill followed with a Sims driving layup and Zegarowski three to reclaim a six-point cushion (34-28) a minute later and carried a four-point lead (36-32) into halftime.
• Sims opened the second half with a three-pointer and junior Thatcher Stone followed with a fastbreak dunk to grab a nine-point lead (41-32) and force a quick Binghamton timeout a minute in.
• The two teams largely traded baskets over the next five minutes and Stonehill held an eight-point cushion (49-41) after a Mack layup with 13:50 left, when Binghamton used am 8-2 run to close within two (51-49) after two free-throws from postgrad Christian Hinckson with 10:31 to play.
• Zegarowski buried a three to steady Stonehill and Burnett followed with a layup to restore a seven-point lead (56-49) with 9:11 to go.
• Binghamton chipped away and forced the first tie of the game (61-61) as a three-point play from Falko with two minutes remaining capped a 12-5 run.

• Mack registered his second game-winning basket over the last two weeks with his buzzer-beating three tonight (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

  Sims made four-straight free-throws to stretch the Stonehill advantage back to four (65-61) with 26-seconds left, but Falko scored another three-point play to draw within one with 18-seconds on the clock, and then after Sims split two free-throws with 12-seconds remaining, knotted the score a second time with another driving layup with 4.8-ticks on the clock.
• Without a timeout left, Stonehill inbounded the ball and completed two passes up the left sideline to Mack who stepped into his winning three at the foul line extended to send the Skyhawks home victorious.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill is 3-0 on Saturdays this season, with all three wins coming in the State of New York, posting its first NCAA Division I win at Army West Point (82-77) on November 12, defeating Holy Cross (81-79) at Fordham University's Tom Konchalski Classic in the Bronx on November 19 and then today at Binghamton.
• Mack scored the game-winning basket in the latter two New York wins against Holy Cross and then today against Binghamton.
• Sims has scored in double-figures each of his last 15 games played dating back to last season with his fourth 20-point game of the year (12^th career). He now has 873 points in 82 career games played.
• Zegarowski has scored in double-figures has last four games. He has scored 823 points in 70 career games including his time at Lynn University and Franklin Pierce University.
• Burnett matched his career-best with five steals, having secured at least one steal in 16-straight games dating back to last year, marking his sixth game with three-plus steals this season (12^th career).
• Burnett posts the first double-double by a Skyhawk this season and first double-digit rebound effort with his career-best 12 this evening, adding a season-best six assists.
• Stonehill finished shooting 50-percent (10-for-20) from three-point distance, reaching double-digit threes for the fourth time this season.

Up Next

Stonehill (4-6, 0-0 NEC) is back in action at Merkert Gymnasium on Wednesday to host Rider University at 7 p.m. Binghamton (3-5) hosts Colgate University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

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