Men's Basketball Wraps Up Three-Game Road Swing Saturday Afternoon As Skyhawks Head To Franklin Pierce For Northeast-10 Clash

February 10, 2006

2005-2006 Stonehill College Men's Basketball

3:30 p.m. EST

THE GAME: Stonehill looks to get back on the winning track this afternoon as the Skyhawks close out a three-game road trip by taking on the Franklin Pierce Ravens in a Northeast-10 Conference clash. Stonehill, the top-ranked team in NCAA Northeast Regional play for the second time in four weeks, enters today's action after seeing its three-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday evening with a 59-55 Northeast-10 setback to UMass Lowell at Costello Gymnasium in Lowell, Mass. Senior Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont./Markham District) notched a double-double effort of 16 points and 10 assists to go with four steals in the setback for the Skyhawks, who also received 16 points and six rebounds from senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif./Naval Prep). Senior co-captain Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass./Milford) and junior Lance Clarke (Somerville, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) each added seven points and six rebounds for Stonehill, which also received five points from freshman Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J./Colonia). Franklin Pierce enters today's action looking to end a two-game slide, as the Ravens dropped a 66-64 Northeast-10 decision to Bentley on Tuesday evening at the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif./Naval Prep) was named on Monday as the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season for his efforts in a pair of Stonehill victories last week. Taylor, who shared this week's award with Merrimack's Bruno Zanotti, averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals on the week, including his 14th career double-double effort of a career-high tying 26 points and 13 rebounds in an 81-73 triumph over Pace to go with 17 points, six boards and three assists in a 67-62 win at Saint Rose. Taylor earned his second Northeast-10 Player of the Week accolade in the process, as he also earned the league honor back on December 5th for his efforts in a pair of Skyhawk triumphs over Saint Anselm and LeMoyne.

LAST MEETING: Stonehill and Franklin Pierce last met on February 12, 2005 at Merkert Gymnasium, and the Skyhawks posted a 78-72 victory over the Ravens. Dezmond Morgan led four players in double figures with 20 points in the triumph for Stonehill, which also received 17 points from Marquis Taylor and 14 points from Sean Nelson.

THE SERIES: Stonehill and Franklin Pierce are meeting for the 10th time this afternoon, and the Ravens hold a 6-3 advantage over the Skyhawks in the all-time series between the schools.

THE SKYHAWKS: Taylor leads Stonehill in scoring and rebounding at 16.5 ppg and 7.0 caroms per contest, while Nelson follows at 13.7 ppg and adds 5.9 rpg. Clarke is next at 11.6 ppg, while Kraus is also in double figures for the Skyhawks at 10.7 ppg while adding 5.6 assists per game.

THE RAVENS: Senior Pierre Sully leads Franklin Pierce in scoring at 12.1 ppg, while freshman Timothy Munch follows at 11.6 ppg. Senior Justin Powell is next at 11.1 ppg, while junior Sean Mayo leads the Ravens on the boards at 5.6 caroms per contest.

HEAD COACH DAVID McLAUGHLIN: David McLaughlin is in his third season as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Stonehill College. A 1997 graduate of Colby, McLaughlin has guided the Skyhawks to a 42-25 (.627) mark during his tenure after previously serving as an assistant coach, including Stonehill's first 20-win season in seven years last winter. McLaughlin, who is assisted by Derik Malone, Josh Meyer and Mike Harding, is 1-1 during his career against Franklin Pierce.

HEAD COACH DAVID CHADBOURNE: David Chadbourne is in his sixth season as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Franklin Pierce College. A 1987 graduate of Saint Joseph's (Maine), Chadbourne has guided the Ravens to an overall mark of 98-83 (.541) during his tenure, and he is assisted by Alfonso Payne and Bill Peters. Chadbourne is a combined 6-2 during his career against Stonehill, including his tenure as Franklin Pierce's women's basketball coach.

THEY CALL IT THE STREAK: Stonehill's recent 12-game winning streak matched the longest such skein in school history, as the 1970-71 squad also posted 12 consecutive victories during that campaign. The Skyhawks have posted a 12-game win streak and an eight-game win skein under David McLaughlin's guidance in the last calendar year alone.

REGIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill returned to the top spot in the fourth NCAA Division II Northeast Regional rankings released by the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee on Wednesday, as the Skyhawks previously earned the top spot in the region on January 18th. The NCAA Northeast Regional rankings, with records listed through games played as of February 5th, are as follows:

1.Stonehill17-417-4

2.St. Anselm15-515-5

3.Bentley16-614-6

4.Bryant15-715-7

5.Massachusetts-Lowell16-716-7

6.Adelphi16-415-4

7.Saint Rose16-716-7

8.Queens (New York)15-515-5

9.Bridgeport15-815-7

10.Southern New Hampshire14-814-8

REGIONAL PROWESS: Stonehill is 6-3 against regionally-ranked teams this season, as the Skyhawks swept a pair of contests from Saint Anselm and Bryant while splitting two games with UMass Lowell and notching a single triumph over Saint Rose.

NATIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill received votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II national poll for the seventh straight week on Tuesday afternoon, as the Skyhawks have been ranked as high as 10th nationally. Prior to December 20th, the last time Stonehill appeared in the NABC Top 25 came in March 1998 during the Skyhawks' NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" campaign. Here is the February 5th NABC Division II national poll:

RankSchool (first place votes)RecordPointsPrevious Rank

1Virginia Union (7)17-21951

2Fort Hays State, Kan. 20-11872

3Southern Indiana (1)22-21863

4Western Washington17-21654

5Seattle Pacific, Wash. (1)18-21655

6Montevallo, Ala.20-21646

7Findlay, Ohio20-21547

8Barton, N.C.18-11488

9Delta State, Miss.20-11339

10Saint Joseph's, Ind.20-212610

11Southwest Baptist, Mo.20-212011

12Northern State, S.D.19-211412

13Wionna State, Minn.17-49913

14Alabama-Huntsville19-39514

15Tarleton State, Texas18-48915

16Grand Valley State, Mich.18-37616

17Alderson-Broaddus, W. Va.17-37217

18Southern Illinois Edwardsville17-35418

19Truman State, Mo.18-45222

20Clayton State, Ga.18-34025

21Saint Anselm, N.H.16-53523

22Minnesota State-Mankato17-52321

23Johnson C. Smith, N.C. 16-42124

24West Liberty State, W. Va.17-31719

25Columbus State, Ga.16-61220

Others Receiving Votes: Central Missouri State 11, Cal State-Bakersfield 10, Chaminade 10, Stonehill 6, Grand Canyon 3, Armstrong Atlantic State 2, West Virginia State 2, Bentley 1, Ferris State 1.

GENERATION GAP: Stonehill's 14-1 start to the season was the Skyhawk's best in 56 years, as the first Stonehill squad posted a 15-1 mark under Head Coach George Sullivan during the 1949-50 season.

CONFERENCE RANK AND FILE: In conference statistics released through games of February 5th, Stonehill leads the Northeast-10 in free throw percentage (.749), field goal percentage defense (.410), three-point field goal percentage defense (.301), assists (17.29 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.35) and defensive rebounds (26.48 drpg). Mike Lauricella continues to lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.84), while Chris Kraus and Marquis Taylor are ranked second in steals (2.24 spg) and defensive rebounds (5.62 drpg), respectively.

NCAA RANK AND FILE: Stonehill is ranked in five team categories in the latest NCAA Division II national statistical leaders through games of January 29th, as the Skyhawks are 17th in free throw percentage, 29th in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage defense and won-lost percentage and 38th in scoring defense. Chris Kraus is ranked 41st individually in assists and 42nd in free throw percentage.

MORE RANK AND FILE: Five Stonehill athletic teams have now cracked the top 10 in their respective sports during the 2005-2006 academic year: Field Hockey (#4), Men's Cross Country (#9), Men's Basketball (#10) and Women's Basketball (#9). The defending national champion Skyhawk women's lacrosse team has been picked as the top-ranked team in Division II circles as well in the Lacrosse Magazine pre-season poll.

BIG D-MAC ATTACK: After winning just 14 games in a two-and-a-half year stretch, Stonehill has posted a 37-13 (.740) mark in its last 50 contests under David McLaughlin's tutelage dating back to November 2004.

A GRAND ENTRANCE: Marquis Taylor became the 30th player in Stonehill men's basketball history to reach the 1,000 career point plateau with a 15-point performance in the Skyhawks' 82-64 win over Assumption on January 10th. Dezmond Morgan was the last Skyhawk to reach that plateau, as he did so last season ironically in a January match-up with Assumption. Here are the members of Stonehill's 1,000 Point Club:

1.Mike Allocco2,3991969-73

2.Jon Cronin2,3011988-92

3.Bob Reitz2,2181979-83

4.Bill Zolga1,8221977-80

5.Mike Barros1,6791984-88

6.George Peterson1,6041964-67

7.David Donnelly1,4981995-99

8.Ed Grzembski1,4861987-91

9.Brian Cronin1,4741985-89

10.Dick Munson1,4481962-65

11.Leo Denault1,3981958-61

12.Paul Sincero1,3681950-53

13.Chris Butler1,3621991-95

14.Ron Richards1,3021965-68

15.Bob Duarte1,2791983-87

16.Tony Fiore1,2551981-85

17.Jason Jacobsen1,2271988-92

18.Kyle Quimby1,1851999-03

19.MARQUIS TAYLOR1,1582002-06

20.Art Horan1,1211968-71

21.Dezmond Morgan1,1192001-05

22.Derrik Jerman1,098 1989-93

23.Henry Jackson1,0901970-73

24.Jamal Gomes1,0821991-95

25.Howie Bain1,0631971-74

26.Lorenzo Lapido1,0611990-94

27.Adrian Machado1,0431992-96

28.Rollie Hollins1,0211971-74

29.Charlie Simonds1,0111973-77

30.Justin LoVerme1,0071997-01

AYE, AYE CAPTAINS: Seniors Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J./Don Bosco) and Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass./Milford) have been named as co-captains for the 2005-2006 edition of Stonehill men's basketball. Lauricella, who also served as a Skyhawk captain last season, averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds off the bench last season, while Nelson added 5.6 points and 3.4 caroms per contest in a reserve role as well last winter for Stonehill.

SKYHAWK TALK: All three of Stonehill's series victories against Saint Rose have come during David McLaughlin's tenure as head coachStonehill is in a stretch of playing three of its next four outings against regionally-ranked foes (Saint Rose, UMass Lowell and Southern New Hampshire)Taylor matched his career-high effort in the scoring column with 26 points in the February 1st win over Pace, as he also netted 26 points against the Setters in an overtime victory last season in PleasantvilleThe January 16th win over Saint Anselm was Stonehill's first over the Hawks at Merkert Gymnasium since December 9, 1997 and gave the Skyhawks a regular season series sweep of Saint Anselm for the first time since the 1990-91 campaignStonehill has won six straight in the series with Saint Michael's dating back to January 2003Clarke hit the 20-point plateau in a game for the second time this season in the January 10th triumph over Assumption, as he matched his career-high set on opening night (November 18th) against MolloyThe January 7th victory was Stonehill's 36th in 60 series meetings with 2005 NCAA national runner-up Bryant, as the Skyhawks have swept the last two regular season series match-ups (four contests) from the Bulldogs The Skyhawks have assisted on over two-thirds of their field goals on the season, notching 376 assists on 563 field goals through 21 gamesThe Skyhawks have led at the half in 15 of their 22 outings to date Prior to last season, Stonehill's last 20-win campaign came in 1997-98 when the Skyhawks won the Northeast-10 regular season crown en route to a berth in the NCAA Division II "Sweet Sixteen" The Skyhawks have eclipsed the 80-point plateau on 21 occasions in McLaughlin's 67-game tenure as head coach.

SKYHAWKS ON THE WEB: For the second straight season, Stonehill basketball can be accessed on the world wide web through Free Teamline, a service of TRZ Sports of Kent, Ohio. A total of 15 Skyhawk regular season men's basketball broadcasts will be available throughout the 2005-2006 season via Free Teamline by accessing the official Stonehill Athletics website at www.stonehillskyhawks.com, powered by Presto Sports. Returning to call all of action of Stonehill basketball once again this winter is the tandem of Charlie Bergeron and Brian Buckley, who have served as the voices of Skyhawk Basketball since 1998.

WHO'S NEXT: Stonehill returns home on Wednesday, February 15 to entertain Southern New Hampshire in Senior Night festivities at Merkert Gymnasium beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST. The four members of the Skyhawk Class of 2006 (Mike Lauricella, Sean Nelson, Marquis Taylor and Chris Kraus), will be honored in pre-game ceremonies on their career accomplishments.