Clarke Nets 19 Points To Lead Five Players In Double Figures, Smith Adds Career-Best 17 Points As 10th-Ranked Men's Basketball Continues Best Start In 56 Years With 11th Straight Victory In 85-66 Northeast-10 Triumph At Saint Michael's
January 14, 2006
STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Ross Sports Center, Colchester, Vt.
FINAL:STONEHILL 85, SAINT MICHAEL'S 66
COLCHESTER, Vt.-- Junior Lance Clarke (Somerville, Mass.) scored 19 points to lead five players in double figures as 10th-ranked Stonehill collected its 11th straight win and continued its best start in 56 years with an 85-66 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball victory over Saint Michael's Saturday afternoon at the Ross Sports Center.
The visiting Skyhawks, who at 13-1 overall are off to their best start since the first-ever Stonehill squad posted a 15-1 mark during the 1949-50 campaign, also improved to 9-1 in Northeast-10 play to continue its best league start in 25 years and in the process opened up a two-game lead in the loss column of the conference standings when 20th-ranked UMass Lowell fell at Saint Rose.
Stonehill blistered the nets at a 58 percent clip in the opening 20 minutes of play, as the Skyhawks scored 14 of the game's first 16 points in building a 26-point advantage (47-21) at the break. That margin increased to as much as 31 points (69-38) midway through the second half, as 11 of the 12 Stonehill players to appear in the contest scored at least one point on the afternoon. Clarke, who canned four three-pointers and dished off three assists, fell one point shy of his career-high, while freshman Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) tallied his career-best scoring effort with 17 points on a 7-of-11 shooting effort while adding a team-high seven rebounds.
Senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif.) and junior Soap Toun (Cranston, R.I.) each added 12 points in the win for Stonehill, which also received 10 points and four assists from senior Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont.). Senior Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J.) chipped in with eight assists for the Skyhawks, who also received a career-best six boards from freshman Colin Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) and four assists from sophomore Matt DiCalogero (Walpole, Mass.), as Stonehill's current 11-game winning streak is the second longest in school history.
"I thought we executed our game plan well," Stonehill Head Coach David McLaughlin said after the game. "We had very good shots and great possessions, and we made defensive stops when we needed to. The balance and contributions we had today shows that our younger players have grown and have stepped up."
The Skyhawks shot an even 50 percent from the field and canned 11 three-pointers in the triumph while recording 21 assists and committing just eight turnovers. Stonehill also held a 39-28 rebounding advantage, including a 9-3 edge on the offensive glass.
Senior BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt.) led the host Purple Knights (6-9, 3-7 Northeast-10) with 15 points on a 7-of-10 shooting effort, while freshmen Brendan McManus (Pearl River, N.Y.) and Jon Zylstra (Uxbridge, Mass.) each added 11 points for Saint Michael's, which also received five rebounds from freshman Chris White (Windham, N.H.). The hosts shot 42 percent from the field and held a 17-6 scoring edge at the foul line but canned only 5-of-16 three-pointers for the afternoon, as Stonehill completed a regular season series sweep of the Purple Knights.
Stonehill hosts Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 showdown on Monday evening at Merkert Gymnasium beginning at 7:30 p.m., as the visiting Hawks are one of four teams that stand two games in the loss column in second place behind the Skyhawks in the conference standings. Saint Michael's travels to Waltham, Mass. on Monday evening to take on Bentley in a Northeast-10 match-up that also begins at 7:30 p.m.