Sophomore Pierce Cumpstone matched his career-high with a game-best 24 points to lead the Skyhawks today. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds)

Adkins answers Skyhawks rally with 22 points for Chargers 

EASTON, Mass. (January 25, 2014) – The University of New Haven withstood a Stonehill College rally from a 20 point second half deficit to claim a 67-63 triumph in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Senior Jeffery Adkins (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) scored 20 of his team-high 22 points in the second half to steer New Haven to its fourth win over the last five games as he converted all 11 free-throw attempts, including six in the final 3:45 to help seal the win. He also dished eight assists to go with three rebounds. Junior Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) was the only other double-figure scorer for the Chargers with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, draining both three-point attempts, to go with eight rebounds. Classmate Cyrus James (Manchester, Conn./Howell Cheney Tech) chipped in with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting and a game-high ten rebounds.

Sophomore Pierce Cumpstone (Bainbridge Township, Ohio/Kenston) matched his career-high with a game-best 24 points to lead Stonehill as he made 10-of-18 shots from the field and converted 3-of-4 free-throws in 28 minutes off the bench to go with seven rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Classmate Adam Bramanti (Middleton, Mass./Masconomet Regional) added 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals, while senior Mitch Amelio (Carlsbad, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) registered nine points and six boards. Freshman Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) pulled down a team-high eight boards to go with four points, three assists and three blocked shots.

New Haven shot 42.1-percent (24-for-57) from the field on the afternoon, including 7-for-23 (30.4%) from three-point range, while converting 12-of-15 (80%) free-throws. Stonehill shot 37.1% (23-62) from the field overall, including 42.4% (14-33) in the second half to fuel the comeback, draining 7-of-23 (30.4%) three's as well and converting 10-of-14 (71.4%) free-throws. The Skyhawks got tremendous production from the bench with their reserves outscoring the New Haven bench 36-10, keyed by Cumpstone and Amelio's combined 33 points. New Haven held a 39-37 rebounding edge, while Stonehill committed just nine turnovers for the contest.

Sophomore Adam Bramanti added 12 points and four assists. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds)

New Haven led by a game-high 20 (50-30) after an Anderson layup with 13:02 remaining that capped a 17-1 run over a four minute span early in the second half. Adkins led the run with ten points, including a three-pointer and conventional three-point play, during that stretch. A pair of three's by Amelio helped draw Stonehill back within ten after a jumper by freshman Jimmy Walsh (Manasquan, N.Y./Manasquan) with 8:32 remaining.

Anderson stemmed the tide with a three-pointer and the New Haven lead was still 12 (57-45) after an Adkins layup with 7:44 to go. Bramanti got Stonehill started again with a three-pointer to spark an 11-0 run that cut the gap to a point (57-56) with 4:54 left after eight straight points by Cumpstone. The Skyhawks had two chances to take the lead before the Chargers were able to reclaim a seven point cushion (65-58) after a pair of Adkins free-throws with 29-seconds on the clock.

Stonehill would trim the deficit back to a possession (65-63) with a layup and three-pointer by Bramanti around two missed free-throws by Anderson with 21-seconds to go, but Adkins iced the win with a pair at the stripe with six seconds to play.

New Haven scored the first seven points of the contest over the opening three and a half minutes, but Stonehill took its first lead (11-10) with Amelio's first three of the day with 10:58 remaining. The Skyhawks opened an eight point lead (20-12) on a fast break dunk by Cumpstone with 6:56 to play in the half and again on a Cumpstone layup with 5:14 remaining. The Chargers closed the half on a 14-2 run, sparked by four points from James and three's by Anderson and senior Justin Exum (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian), to take a five point lead (31-26) into the intermission.

Stonehill scored just one field goal over a nine minute stretch from the 1:55 mark of the first half, wrapped around halftime, until Amelio's three with 12:48 remaining in the second that sparked the comeback after New Haven claimed its 20 point bulge.

Stonehill (5-12, 2-10 NE-10) is right back in action here at Merkert Gym on Tuesday night to host Le Moyne College for a Northeast-10 clash at 7:30 p.m. New Haven (13-5, 8-4 NE-10) travels to Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

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