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The Game
Stonehill College return to Merkert Gymnasium, where it will play four of its next six games, to host Sacred Heart University for a Northeast Conference to round out the month of January on Paula Sullivan Court this afternoon. The Skyhawks swept a pair of NEC road games last weekend, including a 70-59 triumph at FDU last Sunday, but are looking to bounce back from a 73-56 setback at the University of Hartford in their final non-conference contest of the season on Wednesday night. The Pioneers are also looking to bounce back, having dropped two-straight in NEC play at Thursday night's 74-70 home loss to LIU.

Welcome Back Alumni!
The Stonehill men's basketball program welcomes back the alumni across the program's storied 74-year history for today's game. The program welcomes the return of its Alumni Game Saturday morning. Welcome back to all our men's basketball Chieftains and Skyhawks!

Suits and Sneakers
The Stonehill men's basketball coaching staff are proudly participating in the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer - Suits And Sneakers Week, January23-29, by wearing their sneakers with their suits to raise awareness about the fight against cancer and inspire hope. This year specifically, the NABC is asking all fans to help "Set the Screen" and make sure they and their loved ones have the most up-to-date information on cancer screenings. To learn more about Coaches vs. Cancer and Setting the Screen to save lives from cancer, visit www.coaches.cancer.org. If you or someone you know needs help or information about cancer, please contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Media Information
This afternoon's game is being broadcast live on SkyhawksVision and NEC Front Row. Charlie Bergeron (PBP) and Brian Buckley (analyst) have the call of the action. The broadcast can be accessed via stonehillskyhawks.com through its NEC Front Row portal (necfrontrow.com/schools/SC) or through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku via the NEC On the Run App. Campus radio coverage by WSHL 91.3 FM also available with Andrew Nilsen and Paul Kazarosian on the call.

Last Time Out
Hartford shot 60-percent from the floor in the second half and claimed a 73-56 victory over Stonehill at Chase Arena. Sophomore Kurtis Henderson scored a game-high 19 points to lead Hartford as he finished 8-for-12 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-5 from three-point distance, adding five assists and three steals. Junior Briggs McClain added 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, a steal and blocked shot, while postgrad Pano Pavlidis contributed 13 points, including ten in the second half, on 6-of-7 shooting, with seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Fifth-year Josh Mack (Winchester, Va.) scored 12 of his season-high 16 points in the first half as he made his first four shots on the night, including a pair of threes, on his way to 6-of-9 shooting overall, including 2-for-3 from deep, with five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Classmate Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points, connecting on all three shots from three, with three rebounds and three assists.

Against the Pioneers
This afternoon marks the second regular season meeting between these two programs and the 35th meeting all-time. Sacred Heart holds a 22-12 advantage in the all-time series between the two programs that dates back to 1966, but Stonehill has won the last two meetings - separated by 27 years - after a 74-67 victory in its Northeast Conference debut in Fairfield, Connecticut, on December 29. The Pioneers are 5-3 all-time here at Merkert Gym, but again, Stonehill has won the last two matchups here in Easton, including a 77-63 triumph here during the 1993-94 season. Stonehill head coach Chris Kraus is 1-0 all-time against Sacred Heart, while Pioneers head coach Anthony Latina is 0-1 against the Skyhawks.  

Last Time They Met
Stonehill led by as much as 23 points late in the first half, and still by 20 midway through the second, before holding off a late rally to secure a 74-67 triumph over Sacred Heart in the NEC opener for both in Fairfield, Conn., on December 29. Stonehill was led by 18 points from Shamir Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.) and a double-double performance from classmate Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) as the duo combined for 35 points to lead four Skyhawks in double figures. Sims totaled 17 points and a season-high ten rebounds for his first double-double of the season as he finished 8-of-14 shooting and dished out three assists. Junior Nico Galette paced Sacred Heart by scoring 15 of his 23 points in the second half, finishing 9-of-19 shooting, including 3-for-5 from three, with seven rebounds and three steals.

Sims

Johnson

Prime Performers
Stonehill fifth-years Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and Shamir Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.) were both named Northeast Conference Prime Performers for their efforts in the Skyhawks 2-0 week by the league office on Tuesday. Sims, who earns Prime Performer status for a team-leading sixth time this season, averaged 14.0 points on 70.6% (12-17) shooting, with 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals over Stonehill's two wins. He matched his season-high with 24 points for the third time this season at LIU on Friday night, finishing 11-for-13 from the floor, with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Johnson earns his first NEC Prime Performer selection after averaging 12.5 points on 56.3% shooting (9-16), including 5-for-10 (50%) from three, with 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He erupted for a career-high 23 points in Sunday night's win at FDU, including 20 points in the Skyhawks 51-point second half, finishing 8-of-12 from the floor, including 5-for-7 from three, with six rebounds and three assists. Sims leads the Skyhawks with his six Prime Performer selections, followed by fifth-year Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) with five and postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) with two, while Johnson is the fourth Skyhawks to earn the recognition this year with his first pick this week.
NEC Prime Performers:
Nov. 14: Andrew Sims & Isaiah Burnett
Nov. 21: Isaiah Burnett
Nov. 28: Andrew Sims
Dec. 5: Andrew Sims & Max Zegarowski
Dec. 12: Isaiah Burnett
Dec. 19: Andrew Sims
Jan. 2: Andrew Sims & Isaiah Burnett
Jan. 9: Isaiah Burnett
Jan. 18: Max Zegarowski
Jan. 24: Andrew Sims & Shamir Johnson

Bright Lights
Prior to the start of the season, the Northeast Conference announced that Stonehill matchup with Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Thursday will be broadcast live on ESPN3 through the NEC's 26-game television package. The matchup at Merkert Gym is among 21 games that will be featured on ESPN networks. Now in his 24th season, Paul Dottino (24th year) will have the call of the action, alongside Joe DeSantis (16th year). Pack Network will handle production duties for the league's ESPN3/ESPN+ package.

Milestone Max
Postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) is closing in on giving Stonehill two 1,000-point scorers on its roster, entering today's game 38 points shy of reaching the milestone. He has scored 968 points in 83 career games, including his time at Lynn and Franklin Pierce. Zegarowski scored eight points in five games at Lynn University in 2018-19, before playing 55 games over three seasons at former NE10 divisional foe Franklin Pierce University from 2019-22, where he scored 677 points, including 431 points in 2021-22 to help the Ravens to an NCAA Tournament bid. He has totaled 277 points in 23 games at Stonehill this season.

Movin' On Up!
After becoming Stonehill's 43rd 1,000-point scorer against FDU on January 16, fifth-year forward Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) has moved into 39th place on the program's career scoring list. His 1,039 points in 95 career games sees him four points behind Adrian Machado '96 (1,043) for 38th all-time and within reach of as high as 36th with an average game this afternoon.

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.

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 right back in action here at Merkert Gymnasium on Thursday, when it hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) University in a game that will be broadcast live on ESPN3 as part of the Northeast Conference's broadcast package. The game will also serve as a kickoff to Black History Month, sponsored by the Athletics Task Force to Address Racial Injustice.