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Lee scored 15 of his career-best 21 points in the second half as the Skyhawks broke the game open in the final ten minutes. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix) |
Logan and Lee fire Skyhawks to second straight win with 21 points each
EASTON, Mass. (December 7, 2016) – Stonehill College, ranked tenth in this week's D2SIDA East Regional poll, shot over 57-percent in the second half and pulled away down the stretch to deal Southern New Hampshire University, ranked No. 18 in the D2SIDA Top 25 media poll and No. 23 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll, its first loss of the season with an 81-68 decision in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Senior Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) and junior KJ Lee (Huntington Station, New York/Long Island Lutheran) netted 21 points apiece to lead Stonehill to back to back wins for the first time since the opening weekend of the season. Logan posted his second double-double of the year (22nd career) with 21 points and 11 rebounds, adding five assists and a steal as he made 10-of-18 shots from the field. Lee scored 15 of his career-high 21 points in the second half as he finished shooting 7-for-12 from the floor, draining his lone three-point attempt, converting 6-of-8 free-throws, to go with six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Junior Joel Berroa (Lawrence, Massachusetts/Bridgton Academy) added a career-high matching 14 points, including nine in the second half, on 6-of-9 shooting, with a career-best seven boards in 22 minutes off the bench. Freshman Daniel Largey (Oceanport, New Jersey/Peddie School) chipped in with nine points and four rebounds.
Stonehill finished shooting 53.1-percent from the field (34-for-64), including 57.6% (19-33) in the second half as it broke the game open late, converting 9-of-12 free-throws. The Skyhawks posted a 38-35 rebounding edge and turned the ball over a season-low 12 times for the second straight game. Southern N.H. was limited to 38.7-percent shooting (24-for-62), including 1-for-15 (6.7%) from three-point range, but converted 19-of-25 free-throws (76%).
Senior Devin Gilligan (Amherst, New Hampshire/Kimball Union) led SNHU with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, converting 5-of-6 free-throws, to go with five rebounds (four offensive). Junior Chris Walters (Stamford, Connecticut/Westhill) added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while classmate Dimitri Floras (Merrimack, New Hampshire/Merrimack) contributed 11 points, aided by 7-of-7 shooting from the free-throw line, with four boards, two assists and a steal.
Logan notched his second double-double of the year with 21 points and 11 rebounds, dishing out five assists. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix) |
Stonehill led nearly start to finish, scoring the first six points of the contest, including four from Logan, before SNHU got on the board and evened things at 8-8 after a pair of free-throws by Gilligan five minutes in. Logan scored the next six points to restore the Skyhawks six point margin and the hosts would stretch that lead to eight (28-20) after Logan split two free-throw attempts with 5:35 left in the half. The Penmen cut the lead to a point (28-27) with a Walters layup with 3:52 remaining before Stonehill took a four-point lead (33-29) into the intermission.
Freshman Brandon Twitty (Randolph, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial), making his first career start, scored the first four points of the second half to restore Stonehill's eight point lead (37-29) less than 90-seconds in. SNHU scored the next seven points to pull within a point (37-36) after a Gilligan three-pointer with 16:43 to play as part of an 11-2 run that gave the Penmen their first lead of the night (40-39) on a Gilligan layup with 15:55 remaining.
The lead went back and forth until Stonehill grabbed the lead (48-46) with a Lee triple with 13:21 on the clock. Another back and forth spell saw four ties through the next three minutes, the last of which coming midway through the half (54-54) after a layup from sophomore Daquaise Andrews (Queens, New York/Thomas Jefferson).
Stonehill took the lead for good with an 11-2 run over the next five minutes to open a nine point advantage (65-56) following a Berroa layup that snapped a three-minute scoring drought by both teams. The Skyhawks extended the run to 20-4 and stretched its lead to a game-high 16 (74-58) on another Berroa basket with 3:14 remaining to seal the victory.
Stonehill (5-4, 3-3 NE10) is right back in action here at Merkert Gym on Saturday as it hosts rival Bentley University for an NE10 matchup at 3:30 p.m. Southern N.H. (6-1, 4-1 NE-10) hosts Saint Michael's College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
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