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| Senior Kevin Wilkins came off the bench to score a career-high nine points in Stonehill's 78-58 win over Queens on Saturday. |
Hot Shooting, Balanced Attack Key 78-58 Win
Easton, Mass. - Stonehill opened their 2008-09 season on an 11-2 run and never looked back, sprinting to a convincing 78-58 win over visiting Queens College at Merkert Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J.) paced the Skyhawks with 14 points and senior Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) chipped in with 11 off the bench as Stonehill shot 50 percent from the field for the game.
The first half lead grew to as much as 22, as the Skyhawks moved the ball in exceptional fashion, handing out 15 assists on their first 17 baskets.
Behind a balanced approach where all nine players who entered in the first half scored, Stonehill was able to control the interior, outscoring the Knights 20-6 in the paint in the first 20 minutes.
A baseline jumper at the buzzer by Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.) gave Stonehill a 44-22 halftime bulge - a lead that grew to 27 less than a minute into the second half following a three-pointer from Kernan and a short jumper from A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.).
The Knights made a run and got the lead down to 17 at 64-47 with a little more than eight minutes remaining, but a layup by freshman Andre Tongo (Acton, Mass.), a dunk by Rudowitz and a steal and fastbreak finish by Stallworth put the Skyhawk advantage at 70-47 with less than five minutes remaining.
For the game, Queens made just 37 percent of their attempts including a frigid 6-for-24 (25 percent) in the opening stanza.
Stallworth wrapped up the first game of his junior season with six points, three rebounds and a game-high 11 assists, while Rudowitz just missed a double-double with nine points and nine boards.
Seniors Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.) and Kevin Wilkins (New Windsor, N.Y.) both came off the bench to score nine points apiece, while freshman Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y.) added four points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists in his first collegiate contest.
Lawrence Young was Queens' top scorer with 13 points, while both Lamont Lans and Khalil McDonald posted 11 points.
Stonehill returns to action on Wednesday, when they travel to New Haven for a Northeast-10 meeting with the Chargers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.