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| Randall Stallworth had nine points, 10 assists and five steals in the win over Molloy. |
Rudowitz Pushes Skyhawks Past Lions
Easton, Mass. - Junior A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.) pumped in a career-high 25 points and added 10 rebounds and five steals helping Stonehill defeat visiting Molloy College 74-57 on Sunday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium.
Rudowitz was an extremely efficient 10-for-14 from the field as the Skyhawks controlled the interior, outscoring the Lions 42-22 in the paint to collect their ninth win over the season.
Leading 33-26 at halftime, Stonehill opened the second half on a 10-5 spurt that featured five points from Rudowitz and increased the Skyhawk advantage to 43-31 with just under 15 minutes remaining.
After a steal and two-handed dunk by Molloy's Gerard Fitts got the Lions within six at 43-37, Stonehill bumped its lead back to double digits at 51-41 courtesy of a conventional three-point play by freshman Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y.).
The Skyhawks' lead never dipped below 10 again and ballooned to as many as 21 at 73-52 in the waning minutes following a Rudowitz inside basket.
Both teams showed considerable rust early on after a 15-day layoff as two minutes elapsed off the clock before a basket was scored. The first half see-sawed back and forth as the game was tied six times and saw six lead changes.
Stonehill held Molloy to just 39 percent shooting for the contest and forced 23 turnovers. The Skyhawks also controlled the boards (47-38) and second chance points (17-10).
Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.) had 10 assists to go along with his nine points and five steals, while both Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.) and Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J.) had 12 points for the victors.
Fitts paced the Lions' attack with 14 points, while Chris Manning (13 points, six rebounds, five assists) and Carl Palmer (11 points) joined him in double figures.
Stonehill, now 9-2 on the season, returns to the hardwood when they travel to Bentley on Saturday, January 3.