Nelson Nets Career-Best 23 Points, Lauricella Ices Triumph With Seven Free Throws In Final Minute As Men's Basketball Notches Fifth Straight Victory With 80-68 Non-League Decision At UMass Lowell

December 12, 2005

STONEHILL MEN'S BASKETBALL

Monday, December 12, 2005

Costello Gymnasium, Lowell, Mass.

FINAL:STONEHILL 80, UMASS LOWELL 68

LOWELL, Mass.-- Senior Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass.) scored a career-high 23 points on a 10-of-12 shooting effort from the field to lead four players in double figures as Stonehill picked up its fifth straight victory by posting an 80-68 non-league college men's basketball triumph over UMass Lowell Monday evening at Costello Gymnasium.

Nelson led a blistering shooting effort for the visiting Skyhawks, who continue their best start in eight years in improving to 7-1 overall on the season, in the opening 20 minutes of action by hitting all seven of his shots from the floor for 15 points, as Stonehill opened up a 41-37 advantage at the break thanks to a 61 percent shooting effort (17-28). The host River Hawks (7-2), who saw their six-game winning streak come to an end, closed to within a bucket on three occasions in the first three minutes of the second half and trailed by only three midway through the second half before Nelson sparked a 19-6 Skyhawk run over a 5:49 stretch with a three-pointer and ended the run with a lay-in that gave the visitors a 69-53 cushion with 4:58 remaining. UMass Lowell came back with 10 unanswered points over the next 3:02 to close to within six (69-63) on a lay-in by senior Stacey Moragne (Evanston, Ill.) with 1:55 to play, but senior Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J.) iced matters for Stonehill in the last 1:33 of action, hitting a three-pointer to end the River Hawk run and converting 7-of-8 free throws in the final 50 seconds to account for the final score.

Junior Lance Clarke (Somerville, Mass.) added 16 points, including four three-pointers, in the win for Stonehill, which also received 13 points, five assists and three steals from Lauricella and 13 points, four rebounds and three assists from senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif.). Freshman Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.) added nine points off the bench for the Skyhawks, who also received six points and six assists from senior Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont.). The visitors shot 49 percent from the field and canned nine three-pointers for the contest while scoring 20 points off of 15 UMass Lowell turnovers in ending a nine-game River Hawk winning streak in the series that dated back to February 2001. The win was Stonehill's first at Costello Gymnasium since November 1997.

Senior Carl Benn (Far Rockaway, N.J.) scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded five steals in the setback for UMass Lowell, which also received 18 points and seven boards from Moragne and 15 points, five assists and five rebounds from senior Brandon Arnette (Lake Park, Fla.). The River Hawks shot 43 percent from the field but connected on just 4-of-21 attempts from three-point range while holding a 38-32 rebounding edge for the contest.

Stonehill will be idle until Wednesday, December 28th when the Skyhawks host Dowling in a non-league outing at Merkert Gymnasium that tips-off at 5:00 p.m., while UMass Lowell heads to Flushing, N.Y. on Wednesday evening to take on Queens (N.Y.) in a non-league match-up that begins at 7:30 p.m.