Chose scored 18 of his season-high 21 points in the second half to lead the Skyhawks comeback (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Chose leads five Skyhawk starters in double-figures with season-high 21 points
WORCESTER, Mass. (December 1, 2019) – Stonehill College erased a 13-point second half deficit to claim a needed 82-76 triumph over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Laska Gymnasium this afternoon.
All five starters scored in double-figures for Stonehill, led by junior Owen Chose, who netted 18 of his season-high 21 points in the second half on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point distance, converting all six of his free-throw attempts and dishing out two assists. Senior Will Moreton and sophomore Andrew Sims both contributed double-doubles for the Skyhawks. Moreton totaled 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, with 11 rebounds, four assists and a steal, while Sims contributed 11 points and a game-high and career-high matching 12 rebounds (four offensive).
Senior Brandon Twitty also netted 17 points for Stonehill on 6-of-13 shooting, moving within 20 points of becoming the program's 41st 1,000-point scorer, adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior Monty Urmilevicius chipped in a season-high ten points, all in the first half, for the Skyhawks, connecting on 4-of-6 shots to round out the double-figure scorers.
Junior Matthew Kelly led four from Assumption in double-figures with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and six assists. Junior Malik Brown added 12 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Greyhounds, while sophomore Cal Connelly netted 12 points and four boards. Freshman Isiah Gaiter chipped in ten points, three rebounds and two assists.
Both teams turned the ball over just ten times on the afternoon, but Stonehill made the most of its opportunities by posting a 14-5 edge in points off. The Skyhawks also held a 38-31 rebounding edge.
Moreton notched his fourth double-double of the season (23rd career) for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Stonehill trailed by nine (41-32) at the half and then Assumption stretched its margin to 12 (44-32) when Connelly was fouled shooting a three-pointer and converted all three free throws less than a minute into the second half. Twitty answered with a three-pointer for Stonehill, but Kelly scored four-straight to give the Greyhounds a 13-point advantage (48-35) less than three minutes in.
Stonehill immediately responded with a quick 7-1 spurt, keyed by a Chose triple, to pull back within seven (49-42) after a Moreton basket four minutes into the half. Assumption was able to restore an 11-point lead (58-47) after a layup from Brown with 13:20 remaining, but the Skyhawks used a 6-1 push to draw within six (59-53) after a Moreton basket in the paint two minutes later. Stonehill trimmed its deficit to four (63-59) after a Twitty three with 8:24 to play, and then pulled even (65-65) after a Moreton basket with 6:45 left.
The Moreton basket was part of an eight point Stonehill run that gave the Skyhawks their first lead (67-65) since the opening seven minutes of the game, after two Chose free throws with six minutes left. Senior Patrick Fleming canned a three to push Assumption back in front (72-69) with 4:32 to play, but Stonehill would outscore the hosts 13-4 the rest of the way to claim the win.
Twitty drew Stonehill back within a point with two free throws at the other end and then Chose regained the lead for the Skyhawks with a pair from the line with 3:36 to play. Gaiter gave Assumption its last lead of the night (74-73) with two free-throws and then Chose sparked a run of four-straight with a layup with three minutes to go and then Moreton drained two at the line to stretch the Skyhawks lead to three (77-74) with 2:23 left. Brown pulled Assumption back within one with two free throws at the other end, but Stonehill held the Greyhounds scoreless from there and converted 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Stonehill (4-4, 2-2 NE10) is right back in action on Wednesday, when it continues a three-game week by hosting Franklin Pierce University at Merkert Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. Assumption (4-3, 1-2 NE10) hosts Bentley University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
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