Friars clean the glass in posting non-conference win over Skyhawks

Zegarowski totaled 14 points, two rebounds and two assists (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (November 15, 2022) – Providence College outrebounded Stonehill College 40-19, collecting 16 offensive boards, to key a 100-76 victory in a non-conference matchup featuring a pair of Stonehill alums in 2022 Naismith Coach of the Year Ed Cooley, '94 and Chris Kraus, '06 inside the Amica Mutual Pavilion tonight.

Senior Ed Croswell, sophomore Bryce Hopkins and postgrad Clifton Moore led six from Providence in double-figures with 16 points apiece, while also playing key roles in the rebounding effort for the Friars who outscored Stonehill 23-3 in second chance points for the night.

Fifth-year Shamir Johnson led five from Stonehill in double-figures with a career-high 15 points, draining 5-of-7 three-pointers, including a contested triple as the clock expired in the first half to pull the Skyhawks within 11 (47-36) at the break. 

Leaders

Stonehill

Johnson: Career-high 15 points (5-for-7 threes) in 20 minutes off the bench.

Max Zegarowski Postgrad, Guard: 14 points (3-for-6 threes), two rebounds, two assists, a steal and blocked shot.

Isaiah Burnett Fifth-year, Guard: 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, steal and a blocked shot. 

Providence

Croswell: 16 points (8-for-14), nine rebounds (eight offensive), two steals.

Hopkins: 16 points (5-for-8, 6-for-6 FTs), eight rebounds, four assists, blocked shot.

Moore: 16 points (4-for-7, 7-for-8 FTs), eight rebounds, three blocks. 

Johnson drained 5-of-7 three-pointers for a career-high 15 points (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney)

How it Happened

• Providence took advantage of a sluggish start from Stonehill, scoring the first nine points of the game, including the first seven from sophomore Devin Carter, on its way to a 16 point advantage (27-11) after a Moore fastbreak layup less than nine minutes into the game.
• Providence extended its lead to 19 (35-16) on a three-point play by Hopkins.
• Stonehill battled back into the game, scoring ten-straight points, including back-to-back triples from Johnson and Zegarowski to pull back within nine (35-16) after a Burnett layup with 4:29 left in the half.
• The Friars reclaimed a 14-point cushion (42-28) on another Hopkins three-point play with 1:49 to go, but the teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, with Johnson canning the contested three at the horn to keep the Skyhawks within 11 (47-36) at the break.
• Burnett pulled Stonehill within nine (47-38) with the opening basket of the second half and the Skyhawks stayed within reach for the first five minutes of the frame.
• Providence started to pull away again, opening a 25-point lead (72-47) on a driving layup by Jayden Pierre with 11:37 remaining to cap a 16-2 Friars run.
• Stonehill made a push to within 17 (75-58) with eight minutes left after five straight from fifth-year Josh Mack.
• Providence restored a 24-point advantage (85-61) with two Hopkins free-throws with 5:39 left, when Stonehill charged back to within 16 (89-73) as Johnson capped a 12-4 Skyhawks run with a three with 2:23, but would get no closer.

Noteworthy

• Tonight marked the fifth meeting all-time between Stonehill and Providence – the first since 1979.
• Providence head coach Ed Cooley is a 1994 Stonehill graduate and 2019 inductee into its Athletics Hall of Fame, receiving the College's Outstanding Alumni Award in 2012.
• Stonehill at one point in the second half was shooting over 70-percent from the floor (11-for-15) and finished shooting 61.5% (16-for-26) in the second half as part of 53.4-percent shooting overall.
• The Skyhawks connected on 10-of-21 (47.6%) three-pointers.
• Fifth-year Andrew Sims, the Northeast Conference Player of the Week, reached double-figures in scoring for the tenth-straight game dating back to last season, finishing with 11 points.
• Junior Thatcher Stone made 6-of-8 shots to finish with 12 points for Stonehill.

Up Next

Stonehill (1-3, 0-0 NEC) is back in action this weekend, when it opens the Tom Konchalski Classic, hosted by Fordham University in The Bronx, against College of the Holy Cross on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Skyhawks will follow with matchups against University of Illinois-Chicago on Monday (4 PM) and host Fordham on Tuesday (7 PM). Stonehill's next home game is Wednesday, November 30, when it hosts Eastern Nazarene College at Merkert Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Providence (3-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) faces University of Miami in the Hall of Fame Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Saturday at 4 p.m.

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