No. 1 Falcons Too Much For Skyhawks
North Easton, Mass. - Bentley sophomore guard Jason Westrol scored a game-high 17 points and the Falcon defense held Stonehill to a season-low 43 points, as they improved to 22-0 with a decisive 65-43 win over the host Skyhawks Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium.
The Falcons, the top ranked team in Division II, improved to 17-0 in Northeast-10 action and stretched their regular season winning streak to 49 games. They also extended their win streak in the series with Stonehill to 14 games. The Skyhawks have not defeated the Falcons since the second half of the 2000-01 season.
Stonehill never led in the contest as the Falcons opened the game on 9-2 run and held a double-digit lead less than six minutes into the game. That lead grew to as many as 23 in the waning seconds of the first half as Bentley held the Skyhawks to 27 percent shooting, including an 0-for-9 showing in the first 20 minutes.
The Falcons, who forced 23 turnovers, 15 of them in the first half, held a 27-9 advantage in points off turnovers and a 26-18 edge in points in the paint.
Down 35-14 at halftime, the Skyhawks never got closer than 18 points the rest of the way, as Bentley moved one step closer to a fourth straight regular season Northeast-10 crown.
Sophomore A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe) was the lone Skyhawks to reach double figures, tallying 12 points and eight rebounds, while classmate Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) added eight points three assists and two rebounds.
Nate Fritsch (13 points, six rebounds) and Tom Dowling (11 points, four rebounds) joined Westrol in double digits for the Falcons.
Stonehill (14-10, 10-7 Northeast-10) is still in possession of fourth place in the Conference standings. The Skyhawks return to action on Wednesday, when they host Southern New Hampshire at 7:30 p.m. at Merkert Gymnasium.