Senior Brian Hamor buried4-of-8 three-pointers on his way to a team-best 17 points this afternoon. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

52-percent shooting keys Skyhawks to fifth-straight home win

EASTON, Mass. (January 12, 2013) –Stonehill College posted its fifth-straight home win with a 71-61 victory over The College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium on men's basketball Alumni Day this afternoon. The College honored its first two men's basketball NCAA Tournament teams from the 1970-71 and 1972-73 seasons at halftime, with a postgame reception held on campus as well.

Senior Brian Hamor (Schenectady, N.Y./Bishop Gibbons) led Stonehill with 17 points (14 second half) on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 4-for-8 from three point range, two rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Sophomore Jack Cole (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) posted 16 points (ten first half) on 8-of-9 shooting along with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Senior Adam Fazzini (Drums, Pa./Crestwood) was the third Skyhawk in double-figures with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and a team-best six rebounds. Senior Sam Markle (Branford, Conn./Saint Thomas More) dished out a season-best ten assists, while freshman Carter Smith (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) chipped in with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep, two assists and two boards.

Junior Dominykas Milka (Queens, N.Y./Christ The King) was one of four players in double-figures for Saint Rose with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds (five offensive) with three assists. Junior Kareem Thomas (Queens, N.Y./Christ The King) scored 13 points and pulled down eight boards to go with a steal, while senior Andre Pope (White Plains, N.Y./Iona Prep) added 11 points, four assists and four steals. Junior Dan Mundweiler (Kansas City, Kan./Olathe East) was the final Golden Knight in double figures with ten points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range.

Sophomore Jack Cole scored ten of his 16 points in the first half, adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Stonehill shot 51.9-percent (27-for-52) from the field, including 12-of-24 (50%) from three-point range, connecting on 53.8% (14-26) of its shots in the first half. Saint Rose finished with 42.6-percent shooting (23-for-54), including 40.6% in the second half, and was just 3-for-12 (25%) from three-point range. The Golden Knights out-rebounded the Skyhawks 34-27, and held a 13-6 offensive rebounding advantage.

Saint Rose held a one point advantage (9-8) six minutes into the game, but Hamor hit his first three-pointer of the game to spark a 9-2 run to put Stonehill up six (17-11) after a jumper from senior Raheem May-Thompson (London, England/Towson (Md.) Catholic) with 11:50 left in the half. The Golden Knights closed to within a point (23-22) on a three-pointer by freshman Chris Dorgler (Floral Park, N.Y/Archbishop Molloy), but Stonehill recovered with six straight points to regain a seven point cushion (29-22) after two free-throws from freshman Pierce Cumpstone (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) with 3:25 left in the frame.

Following a Saint Rose jumper by junior Jin Hong (Hicksville, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) that cut the Stonehill lead to five (33-28), freshman Josh Heyliger (Bear, Del./The Hills School) scored on a put-back and Cole ended the half with a dunk in the final minute to send the Skyhawks into halftime with a nine point advantage (37-28).

Stonehill pushed the lead to 15 (47-32) early in the second half when Hamor drained a triple three and a half minutes in. Saint Rose cut the gap to nine (52-43) with a Mundweiler three with 11:32 left, but Hamor answered with a three of his own and the Skyhawks worked their lead back to 12 (57-45) on an alley-oop dunk by Cole.

Saint Rose made a couple runs at Stonehill over the final ten minutes, drawing within seven (62-55) on a layup by Thomas with 3:41 remaining, but the Skyhawks had an answer each time. Smith followed the Thomas basket with back to back three's to push the hosts back up 13 (68-55) with 2:23 remaining and a Fazzini added a clinching three (71-47) with 1:10 left.

Stonehill (7-6, 3-6 NE-10) is right back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Assumption College, among teams receiving votes in the NABC Division II poll, at 7:30 p.m. Saint Rose (7-6, 4-5 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

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