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Freshman Mike Kernan had five rebounds and nine points in the 74-65 victory |
Hall Leads Skyhawks Past UMass-Lowell
Boxscore
Easton, Mass. - The Skyhawks (14-9, 10-6 NE-10) snapped a two game losing skid with an impressive 74-65 win over Northeast-10 Conference foe UMass-Lowell (8-12, 5-10 NE-10). Hot shooting from junior Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central) propelled Stonehill, who opened up a 15 point lead in a game they took control of late. Hall's 17 points headline another hard fought victory for the Purple and White as they prepare themselves to take on the undefeated Bentley Falcons on Saturday.
UMass-Lowell entered Merkert Gymnasium with plenty of confidence. After all, it was the River Hawks that dealt Stonehill their first Conference loss back on November 28th in Lowell. A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) helped the Skyhawks pull away, matching Hall's nine first-half points with nine of his own.
Stonehill's largest lead of the half came after Hall's spectacular two-handed dunk over UMass-Lowell's Craig Heatherly. The Skyhawks entered halftime with momentum on their side with a 29-22 advantage.
Back-to-back thefts from Colin Scanlon (Centreville, Va./Flint Hill) resulted in Stonehill opening an 11-point lead. With aid from sophomore Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Township) the Skyhawks stretched their lead to 11. Scanlon lead the Skyhawks with five assists.
The Skyhawks late domination came courtesy of junior Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) who finished with 15 points and three rebounds. In addition to scoring 16 points, Rudowitz tacked on five rebounds and three assists. A.J. contributed from the charity stripe, as well - finishing 10-11.
The Skyhawks will return to action Saturday during their "Think Pink" weekend event. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. The men will have a giant task in front of them as rival Bentley College heads to Easton.