Burnett scored ten of his team-high 12 points in the second half, collecting a steal for the 20th-straight game dating back to last year (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce) |
Edwards' 20 points and 12 assists fuels Beacons
VALPARAISO, Ind. (December 21, 2022) – Valparaiso University took control in the first half and didn't look back in posting a 77-67 victory over Stonehill College in a non-conference men's basketball matchup at The ARC Arena this afternoon.
Fifth-year guard Nick Edwards fueled the Valpo win with a double-double, scoring 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half on 7-of-11 shooting, to go with 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals. Classmate Kobe King, a Wisconsin transfer, scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half, finishing 7-for-17 from the floor, with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Another fifth-year Quinton Green contributed 11 points, connecting on 3-of-8 three-pointers, with seven boards, while senior Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta/Jasper Place) chipped in ten points and six rebounds for the Beacons.
Fifth-years Isaiah Burnett and Josh Mack were the lone Stonehill players in double figures in the contest as the Skyhawks found it difficult shooting against its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference foe this week, finishing at 40-percent overall, including 6-for-25 (24%) from three, with a 7-for-26 (26.9%) start in the first half.
Burnett scored a team-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, adding three rebounds, an assist and three steals for the NEC's steals leader, having now posted at least one theft in 20-straight games dating back to last season. Mack added ten points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting while draining all four free-throw attempts, with a pair of steals. Sophomore Christopher Melis was among three nine-point scorers for the Skyhawks, adding four rebounds, two assists and two steals to his season-high point total off the bench.
Mack added ten points for the Skyhawks, reaching double-figures for the third time this season (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce) |
Valparaiso never trailed, holding the lead for all but 1:48 on its way to a third win over its last four. After matching backets to start, King scored seven straight points for Valpo to grab a lead it wouldn't relinquish heading into the first media timeout. Neither team scored for nearly three full minutes before Mack broke the seven-point (9-2) stalemate with a pair of free-throws with 13:51 remaining in the first half. The Beacons responded with the next eight points to extend their run to 15-2 and a 13-point cushion (17-4) after a putback from Krikke at the midway point of the half.
Back-to-back three-pointers from postgrad Max Zegarowski and freshman Chas Stinson pulled Stonehill back within seven (19-12) two minutes later, but Valpo would go on to build a 16-point (36-20) halftime cushion. The Beacons stretched that lead to 21 (41-20) after a layup from Edwards less than two minutes into the second half and would keep the Skyhawks at arm's length until a late push in which the visitors scored 11 of the last 13 points of the contest for the final ten-point margin.
Noteworthy
- Burnett scored ten of his 12 points in the second half with Stonehill recovering to shoot 51.7-percent (15-for-29) from the floor in the final 20-minutes, outscoring Valpo 47-41 in the frame, keyed by the late push in the closing two minutes.
- Burnett, the NEC leader in steals with 2.9 per game finished with three this afternoon and has now recorded at least one steal in 20-straight games dating back to last season, recording multiple steals in seven-straight and three-plus steals in eight games this year (14 career).
- Mack posted his third double-figure scoring game of the season (12th career).
- Fifth-year Andrew Sims saw a streak of 18-straight double-figure scoring games end, finishing with seven points, all in the second half. He will enter Northeast Conference play with 924 points in 86 career games played.
- Valpo shot 60.9-percent (14-for-23) from the floor in the second half to build keep Stonehill at bay.
- Stonehill will head into NEC play next week with just one non-conference game remaining for the season at the University of Hartford on January 25 at 7 p.m.
Up Next
Stonehill (4-10, 0-0 NEC) returns to action next Thursday, December 29, when it opens its inaugural NEC schedule at Sacred Heart University at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks next home game is Thursday, January 5, when it hosts Wagner College for their third NEC matchup of the season at Merkert Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Valpo (6-7, 0-2 MVC) returns to Missouri Valley play next Thursday at Drake University at 8 p.m.
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.
