Sophomore Pierce Cumpstone posted his first career double-double on Saturday with a career-high 14 points and 12 rebounds. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Spartans force overtime with big run in final five minutes of regulation, outscore visitors 18-7 in overtime
SPARKILL, N.Y. (November 16, 2013) – Saint Thomas Aquinas College rallied from a double-figure second half deficit to claim a 78-67 victory over Stonehill College in non-conference men's basketball action at Aquinas Hall today.
Freshman Chaz Watler (Brooklyn, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) led St. Thomas Aquinas with a game-high 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while converting 9-of-11 attempts from the free-throw line, to go with five rebounds, four steals and an assist. Junior Marcus Henderson (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) added 17 points on 5-of-9 three's with six assists and two steals. Senior Omar Kellman (Bronx, N.Y./All Fallows) contributed 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and converting two of three free-throws to go with eight rebounds and a blocked shot.
Junior Jonathan McNair (Washington, D.C. /Calvin Coolidge) chipped in with ten points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal for St. Thomas Aquinas. The Spartans finished shooting 44.1% from the field, including 46.6% (7-for-15) from three-point range, while converting 19-of-26 (73.1) free-throws. Stonehill shot 36.2% (25-67) from the field, including 8-for-30 from three-point range, in the contest.
Sophomore Pierce Cumpstone (Bainbridge Township, Ohio/Kenston) posted his first collegiate double-double with a career-high 14 points and career-best 12 rebounds (five offensive) with three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Junior captain Jack Cole (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) added a season-high 14 points, with six rebounds and three assists, while classmate Carter Smith (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) registered 12 points, six assists and four boards. Freshman Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds with nine points and two assists.
St. Thomas Aquinas rallied from a 13 point deficit with 9:32 remaining in regulation to force overtime. Henderson capped the rally with a three-pointer with 34-seconds to play, but Cumpstone knotted the score at 60-60 with two seconds to play with a put back of a missed free throw by Smith after the Spartans had gone up three (60-57) after two Watler free-throws with five seconds left. The Spartans scored nine of the first 11 points in the overtime as Stonehill shot just 3-of 12 from the field, including 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, to clinch the win.
Stonehill (2-1, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday, when it opens its NE-10 schedule against Merrimack College in Merkert Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. St. Thomas Aquinas (2-1, 0-0 ECC) hosts the University of District of Columbia next Saturday at 3 p.m.
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