Taylor Leads Trio In Double Figures With 20 Points As 15th-Ranked Men's Basketball Advances To Northeast-10 Championship Game For First Time In 17 Years With 67-56 Semi-Final Triumph Over Bryant
March 2, 2006
STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL
2006 Northeast-10 Conference Semi-Finals
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.
FINAL:STONEHILL 67, BRYANT 56
EASTON, Mass.-- Senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif.) scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead three players in double figures as second-seeded and 15th-ranked Stonehill advanced to its first appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball championship game in 17 years with a 67-56 semi-final round victory over sixth-seeded Bryant Thursday evening at Merkert Gymnasium.
The host Skyhawks, who tied the school single-season record for wins in improving to 23-5 overall on the season, will take on fourth-seeded Saint Anselm in Saturday's championship game at Merkert Gymnasium beginning at 1:00 p.m., as the Hawks rallied from a late deficit in regulation to post a 96-82 overtime victory over top-seeded Bentley in Thursday's other semi-final.
In front of the largest crowd (2,050) at Merkert Gymnasium in 11 seasons, Stonehill blistered the nets at a 58 percent clip in the opening 20 minutes of play, scoring the 10 of the first 12 points of the contest in building as much as a 16-point advantage before settling for a 38-24 edge at the break. The Skyhawks built a pair of 17-point cushions in the second half, the last coming at 54-37 with 9:10 remaining, but the visiting Bulldogs, now 21-9 on the season, crept back to within three possessions (60-51) on a lay-in by senior John Williams (Springfield, Mass.) with 3:53 to play and cut that gap further to just six points on a three-pointer by junior Dan Hammond (Brunswick, Maine) with 2:35 remaining. A conventional three-point play by Taylor restored the hosts' nine points advantage with 1:23 to go, and free throws by seniors Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J.) and Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass.) helped ice the Stonehill triumph.
Nelson added 16 points and five rebounds in the win for Stonehill, which also received 12 points off the bench from 2005-2006 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.). Junior Lance Clarke (Somerville, Mass.) added nine points (all on three-pointers) as well for the Skyhawks, which also received seven points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals from senior Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont.). The hosts shot 51 percent from the field and held a 12-6 scoring edge at the foul line to go with a 36-32 rebounding advantage in posting their third win of the season over Bryant.
Williams led all scorers with 22 points and six boards in the setback for Bryant, which also received 12 points (all of three-pointers) from junior Chris Burns (Merrimack, N.H.). Sophomore Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, N.J.) netted seven points on the night for the Bulldogs, who shot 36 percent from the field and connected on 10 three-pointers.
Stonehill is making its first appearance in the Northeast-10 championship game since 1989, as the Skyhawks are seeking their fourth tournament title. Saint Anselm, the defending tournament champion, is looking for its seventh playoff crown and its first win of the season over Stonehill, as the Skyhawks won both regular season meetings over the Hawks by a total of seven points.