Annapolis, Maryland, fifth-year nets 16 points, collects career-high matching five steals as Skyhawks win NEC home opener

Burnett scored 12 of his team-high 16 points in the second half and matched his career-best with five steals for the third time this season. (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

EASTON, Mass. (January 5, 2023) – Stonehill College turned in its best defensive performance of the season in notching a 62-58 triumph over Wagner College in Northeast Conference men's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this evening.

Fifth-year guard Isaiah Burnett paced Stonehill to its second victory over the last three games as he stuffed the box score with 12 of his team-high 16 points in the second half, aided by 10-of-11 shooting at the free-throw line, with seven rebounds and a career-high matching five steals. Classmate Andrew Sims added 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, with three boards and two assists.

Sophomore Rob Taylor II posted a double-double to pace three from Wagner in double-figures with 17 points, including 14 in the first half, and 11 rebounds, finishing 7-for-12 from the floor, while senior Brandon Brown also pulled down a game-high 11 boards, including four on the offensive glass, to go with six points and three steals. Sophomore Javier Ezquerra and postgrad Jahbril Price-Noel each contributed 12 points for the Seahawks, while Ezquerra chipped in three assists and four rebounds.

Wagner scored the final eight points of the first half, including six-straight from Taylor, to take its first lead of the afternoon and a three-point halftime edge (24-21). The Seahawks led despite 30-percent shooting (9-for-30) in the half, including 2-for-11 from three-point distance, but took advantage of 11 Stonehill turnovers in the half for an 11-2 advantage in points off, while also recording a 21-14 rebounding edge, grabbing nine offensive boards.

Sims added 13 points and three rebounds in the win tonight (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

Wagner maintained the lead through the first seven minutes of the second half, before Stonehill pulled even at 33-33 after a three-pointer from fifth-year Shamir Johnson and then junior Thatcher Stone connected from long range to push the Skyhawks back in front (36-33) with 11:43 to play.

Wagner reclaimed the lead (37-36) with two free-throws from Price-Noel, but Stonehill scored the next five points, all from the free-throw line, to grab a four-point cushion (41-37) with 8:16 to go. The Skyhawks scored seven-straight points off three Burnett steals on three consecutive Wagner possessions to open a game-high 11-point lead (50-39) after he made two free-throws off his third theft with 6:39 to play.

Wagner rallied to within four (50-46) after a pull-up jumper from Ezquerra with 4:20 remaining, but Sims and Johnson scored in the paint to extend the Stonehill lead back to eight (54-46) with 3:12 on the clock. The Skyhawks still led by eight after a three-point play from Sims with 2:24 to go and the hosts were able to seal the win from there by canning five of six free-throws in the final minute, despite a Ezquerra triple with 12-seconds remaining that had the Seahawks back within two (60-58). Burnett iced the game with Stonehill's last of 19 second half points at the stripe and fifth-year Josh Mack hauled in the final rebound after two missed three-pointer by the visitors on the final possession. 

Noteworthy

• Stonehill and Wagner were meeting for the first time since the 1975-76 season, with the Skyhawks taking a 2-1 edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1973 with a win in the first game between the two in Easton.
• Stonehill emerged with its best defensive performance of the season against a Division I opponent against a Wagner team that entered the game ranked first in the NEC for scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. The Skyhawks limited the Seahawks to 33.9-percent shooting overall, including 6-for-25 (24%) from deep.
• After turning the ball over 11 times in the first half, fueling the 11-2 Wagner halftime margin in points off, Stonehill had just seven turnovers in the second half and outscored the Seahawks 10-7 in points off over the final 20-minutes – seven points of which came of the three Burnett steals on consecutive possessions.
• Burnett, the NEC leader in steals with 2.9 per game, finished with multiple steals for the tenth-straight game, giving him at least one steal in 23-straight contests dating back to last season.
• Burnett posted five steals in a game for the third time this season – giving him three-plus steals in nine games (15 career).
• Sims scored in double-figures for the 15^th time in 16 games played this season, giving him 972 points in 89 career games played on his march to become Stonehill's 43^rd 1,000-point scorer with the 43^rd double-figure scoring game of his career.
• Tonight marked the 450^th game affiliated with Stonehill for head coach Chris Kraus, '06, including his time as a student-athlete (114 games) from 2002-06, assistant coach (90) from 2010-13 and now head coach (246) for the last ten years since 2013.

Up Next

Stonehill (6-11, 2-1 NEC) is right back in action here at Merkert Gymnasium on Saturday, when it hosts Central Connecticut State University in an NEC matchup at 2 p.m. Wagner (8-6, 1-2 NEC) hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Saturday at 4 p.m.

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