Senior Jack Cole posted his sixth double-double of the season to lead the Skyhawks past #22 Southern Connecticut tonight. (PHOTO BY Paul W. Fitzgerald Photography) |
Cole and Logan combine for 36 as Skyhawks take advantage inside
EASTON, Mass. (January 21, 2015) – Stonehill College held Southern Connecticut State University, ranked 22nd in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 media poll, 30 points under its season average in posting a 75-62 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Senior Jack Cole (New Providence, New Jersey/New Providence) posted his sixth double-double of the season (22nd career) and combined with sophomore Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) for 36 points as Stonehill took advantage of Southern Connecticut State inside with 44 points in the paint. Cole scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-for-6 at the free-throw line, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds. Logan added 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting with nine rebounds and three assists for the Skyhawks.
Junior Adam Bramanti (Middleton, Mass./Masconomet Regional) rounded out Stonehill's double-figure scorers with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, while classmate Carter Smith (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) dished out six assists.
Stonehill dominated the glass with a 46-29 rebounding advantage on Southern Connecticut, including 15-4 on the offensive glass, holding the Owls without an offensive rebound for the first 30 minutes of the game. The Skyhawks finished shooting 44.6-percent (29-for-65) from the field, including 50% (15-30) in the second half, outscoring the Owls 12-3 in second chance points. Southern was limited to 40.7-percent (24-for-59) shooting, including 39.4% (13-33) in the second half, connecting on just 4-of-21 (19%) three-pointers on the night.
Seniors Tylon Smith (Manchester, Connecticut/Kingswood-Oxford) and Luke Houston (Pearl River, New York/Pearl River) each netted a game-high 20 points to lead Southern Connecticut, but the remainder of the team shot just a combined 8-for-27 (29.6%) from the floor, including 1-for-14 from beyond the arc. Smith made 8-of-16 shots from the field, including his lone three-pointer, and converted 3-of-4 free-throws to go with four rebounds, while Houston scored 13 points in the first half and also finished 8-of-16, including 2-for-6 from deep, converting both free-throws, while adding two steals.
Sophomore Ryan Logan added 17 points and nine rebounds tonight. (PHOTO BY Paul W. Fitzgerald Photography) |
Stonehill never trailed, scoring the first five points of the game and seven of nine overall in the opening 2:38, keyed by five points from Bramanti. Southern pulled within one (7-6) following a basket by junior Desmond Williams (Torrington, Connecticut/Torrington) less than five minutes into the game, but the Skyhawks used an 8-2 spurt to open a nine point cushion (17-8) with a layup by freshman Ryan Roach (Weymouth, Massachusetts/Cardinal Spellman) eight minutes into the game.
Stonehill extended its run to 20-4 to break open a 17 point advantage (27-10) after a Bramanti layup with 6:49 remaining in the half. Sophomore Jimmy Walsh (Manasquan, New Jersey/Manasquan) sparked the run with a three-pointer and Cole added a conventional three-point play as well during the second half of that stretch. Southern Connecticut cut the gap to three (29-26) with 2:50 to play in the half as Houston capped the 16-2 run with back to back baskets, scoring ten points in all during that stretch as he added a pair of triples to go with a three ball by Smith.
Stonehill regained an eight point lead (34-26) after a Logan free-throw before settling for a six point halftime advantage (34-28). Junior Deshawn Murphy (Hamden, Connecticut/Hyde School) opened the second half with a three-pointer to pull Southern within three (34-31), but the Skyhawks reclaimed a double digit lead (41-31) three and a half minutes into the second half after four straight free-throws by Cole.
Williams and sophomore Austin Carter (Bloomfield, Connecticut/The Master's School) netted back to back baskets to draw Southern back within six (43-37) with 14:37 to play but that would prove to be the closest the Owls would get the rest of the way. Stonehill outscored Southern 9-2 over the next three minutes to regain a 13 point lead (52-39) on a Logan layup with 11:29 remaining.
Southern Connecticut pulled back within eight (52-44) after a tip-in by sophomore Michael Mallory (Waterbury, Connecticut/Holy Cross) on the Owls first offensive rebound of the game with 10:23 left. The teams traded baskets for the next four minutes before Stonehill extended its lead to 15 (71-56) with 3:30 remaining after two straight baskets by Logan and the lead wouldn't get under double figures the rest of the way.
Stonehill (11-6, 6-5 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits the University of New Haven for an NE-10 matchup at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks are back home next Saturday, January 31, when they host The College of Saint Rose as part of Alumni Weekend at the College at 3:30 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (13-5, 8-3 NE-10) hosts Franklin Pierce University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
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