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| A.J. Rudowitz capped off his 38-point, 15-rebound performance with the game-winning jumper as time expired in the 73-72 win over Merrimack on Saturday. |
Staying Alive: Rudowitz's Buzzer-Beater Pushes Win Streak To 10
North Andover, Mass. - A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.) dribbled the length of the court and drained a running jumper from just outside the free throw line as time expired putting the cap on a monster afternoon as No. 13 Stonehill rallied for a thrilling 73-72 win over host Merrimack in a battle for first place in the Northeast-10 on Saturday afternoon at Volpe Gym.
Rudowitz finished with a career-high 38 points and a career-high tying 15 rebounds on 15-for-19 shooting. The 30+ point performance is the most points by a Stonehill player (male or female) since Alisha Collins scored 30 points in a win over Merrimack back on January 21, 2006 and marks the first 30+point performance by a men's player since Evan Pellerin went for 32 points in win at St. Michael's on December 19, 2004.
With the win the Skyhawks extend their winning streak to 10 games and improve to 16-2 overall and 11-2 in Northeast-10. They now maintain what amounts to a two game lead over the Warriors now that they have swept the season series. UMass-Lowell winners of 12 straight games, moves into second place, a half game behind Stonehill at 11-3 in Northeast-10 action.
Down by as many as 14 in the first half, the Skyhawks methodically climbed to within striking distance and then opened the second half on a 15-2 run to take their first lead of the game at 44-43.
The Warriors answered back and took the lead moments later but Stonehill responded and regained the advantage building their lead to as many as six at 58-52 with 8:36 remaining.
The Skyhawks' held a 69-66 edge following a Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.) jumper but Darren Duncan found Aaron Strothers for an inside layup making the score 69-68. Rudowitz then connected on a pair of free throws, giving Stonehill a 71-68 lead with 1:54 left. Wayne Mack split two from the free throw line but a Skyhawk turnover and subsequent interior jumper from Duncan knotted the score at 71 all with 48 seconds left.
Another Stonehill turnover gave the Warriors the ball and a chance to take the last shot. Duncan worked the clock down before attacking the basket and finding a cutting Strothers who was fouled with 4.7 seconds left. After missing the first he made the second making the score 72-71, setting up Rudowitz's heroics.
Stonehill shot 58 percent in the second half where the lead changed hands seven times. The Stonehill defense, a driving force behind their current winning streak, held Merrimack to 39 percent shooting for the game and no fast break points after the Warriors scored 11 points in transition in the first half.
Rudowitz kept the Skyhawks within striking distance in the first half, scoring 20 of Stonehill's 29 points.
With Rudowitz leading the way, Stonehill controlled the glass, outrebounding Merrimack, 47-32 and outscoring them in the paint, 50-38.
Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.), who scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half, was the only other Skyhawk in double figures.
Duncan paced the Warriors with 25 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals on 10-of-16 shooting, while Wayne Mack, who missed the first matchup between the two teams, finished with 21 points and four rebounds.
Stonehill meanwhile got solid contributions from Daniel Heppert (Richmond, Va.) (four points, five rebounds and three assists) and Colin Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) (five rebounds and four assists).
The Skyhawks return to the hardwood on Wednesday when they host archrival Bentley beginning at 7:30 p.m.