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The Game
Stonehill College closes out its first semester of play with a trip Midwest to face a pair of Missoury Valley Conference members leading into a brief holiday break before opening its inaugural Northeast Conference slate as the Skyhawks visit Valparaiso Univeristy on Tuesday afternoon. The Skyhawks fell to Bradley University 79-50 on Monday night, while Valparaiso posted a 71-66 win over Elon here at The ARC on Sunday.

Media Information
Tonight's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Jamie Stangel (analyst) on the call. ESPN+ broadcasts are accessible on a subscription basis through the ESPN App on computers, smartphones, tablets and most major streaming devices, as well as through ESPN.com. Radio coverage on Tuesday afternoon available on 95.1 FM, WVUR, and the TuneIn Radio App with Zach Collins on the call.

Last Time Out
Bradley led from start to finish and used a strong defensive effort to limit Stonehill on its way to a 79-50 victory at Carver Arena Monday night. Junior guard Duke Deen drained seven three-pointers on his way to a game-high 26 points, including 20 in the second half, as he finished 7-for-11 from beyond the arc as part of 8-of-12 shooting overall, with two rebounds for Bradley. The Braves held Stonehill to a season-low 50 points and 32-percent shooting, including 4-for-21 (19%) from three-point distance, dominating the glass to the tune of a 50-23 rebounding advantage, yielding just one offensive board for the Skyhawks and outscoring the visitors 15-0 on second chance points. Fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) was the lone Stonehill player in double-figures, extending his streak to 18-straight games dating back to last year, with 13 points, including 11 after halftime, on 4-of-6 shooting, converting 5-of-6 free-throws. Junior Thatcher Stone (Winchester, Mass.) chipped in nine points, four rebounds and a steal.

Against the Braves and Beacons
Stonehill will be facing both Bradley and Valparaiso for the first time in program history this week.
 
In The Valley
Stonehill has faced one other member of The Valley Conference prior to its Midwest trip this week. The Skyhawks were dealt a 77-71 setback by the University of Illinois-Chicago on the second day of the Tom Konchalski Classic, hosted by Fordham University in New York City, on November 21. Bradley also faced fellow NEC member Merrimack College on November 26, and posted an 83-41 win.
 
Welcome Back!
Stonehill assistant coach Jason Karys is a 2017 graduate of Valparaiso University, also spending four years on the coaching staff with head coach Matt Lottich. Karys got his start as a graduate assistant for two years, before being elevated to director of basketball operations from 2019-2021. During his first seasons as a full-time member of the Valpo basketball staff in 2019-20, the team finished with the program's highest conference win total, highest overall win total and highest finish in the league standings since joining the Missouri Valley Conference. The Newton, Mass., native earned dual degrees from Valparaiso, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in sports management in 2017 and then a Master of Science degree in sports administration in 2019. He was a walk-on member of the men's basketball team for Coach Lottich for the 2016-17 season as Valpo posted a 24-9 record, including 14-4 in the Horizon League, before earning a spot in the NIT. He served the first three seasons as team manager for the men's basketball program.
 
Stonehill Shooting Stars
Stonehill currently leads the Northeast Conference in three-point percentage (.363) and free-throw percentage (.788), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.443) and fourth in scoring offense (70.2 ppg). Fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) ranks third among NEC field goal percentage leaders (.511) and free-throw percentage (.826), while classmate Shamir Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.) is ranked second for three-point percentage (.463).

Prime Performer
Stonehill fifth-year forward Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) earned NEC Prime Performer status for the fourth time this season on Monday. He powered the Skyhawks in their lone game of the week at Boston College last week by scoring 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as he finished 7-for-14 shooting, while converting 5-of-8 free-throws, to go with five rebounds. Sims for Prime Performer recognitions leads Stonehill over the first six weeks of the season, with fellow fifht-year Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) having collected the honor three times and postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) earning the honors once. Burnett and Sims have also each earned NEC Player of the Week accolades this season, doing so over the first two weeks.
NEC Prime Performers:
Nov. 14: Andrew Sims & Isaiah Burnett
Nov. 21: Isaiah Burnett
Nov. 28: Andrew Sims
Dec. 5: Andrew Sims & Max Zegarowski
Dec. 12: Isaiah Burnett
Dec. 19: Andrew Sims

Streaking
Fifth-year Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) has scored in double-figures in 18-straight games played dating back to last season, including all 12 games in which he has appeared this year with a team-high five 20-point outings after his game-high 20 points at Boston College last week.

Stop... Thief!
Stonehill fifth-year Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) leads the NEC and ranks fourth nationally with his team-high 2.9 steals per game this season. His 38 thefts rank second in the Conference and third nationally. Burnett has recorded a steal in all 13 contests to open the 2022-23 season and 19-straight games dating back to last year, including a career-high matching five thefts at Boston College last week, giving him five steals twice in the last four games, including at Binghamton on December 3. He had four steals in the first two games of the Konchalski Classic as well as against Eastern Nazarene on November 30. Burnett led the NE10 with 2.3 steals per game last year, collecting his 100th career steal on Monday night.

Shootin' Shamir
Stonehill fifth-year guard Shamir Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.) ranks second in the NEC in three-point proficiency, having hit 25-of-54 for a 46.3-percent success rate. He has shot 50-percent or better from beyond the arc in seven of the Skyhawks 13 games this season. He hit 3-of-4 from deep in the Skyhawks' last-second win at Binghamton on December 3 and then made 3-of-5 against Rider on December 7. Johnson drained 8-of-11 threes for a 72.7 percent success rate in games against Providence and Holy Cross. He drilled 5-of-7 as part of a career-high 15-point night at Providence, then sank 3-4 in the Skyhawks' 81-79 win against Holy Cross. Johnson's 1.9 three-point field goals per game are tied for sixth in the NEC and his three-point shooting percentage would rank in the top 25 nationally.

Taking Their Charity
Stonehill is still shooting an NEC-best 78.8-percent from the free throw line this season, five-percent higher than Fairleigh Diickenson (73.9%) in second. The Skyhawks have dipped to 11th nationally, but is still higher than the NEC single-season free-throw percentage record of 78.2 percent, established by CCSU in 2018-19. Stonehill currently has three players ranked in the NEC top-11 in free throw accuracy, led by postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.), who has hit  87.5-percent of his attempts, (28-for-32) good for second in the conference. Fifth-years Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) is ranked fourth and Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) 13th, shooting 82.6-percent and 71.9%, respectively. (Note that due to NCAA Division I reclassification, Stonehill does not officially appear among NCAA statistical leaders for four years)

Movin' On Up!
Fifth-year forward Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, N.J.) surpassed 900 career points with his 20 point effort at Boston College last week and is now well within striking distance of becoming the program's 43rd 1,000-point scorer. He has scored 917 points in 85 career games played as a 47.5-percent shooter for his career.

Milestone Max
Postgrad Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) could give Stonehill two 1,000-point scorers on its roster, having scored 845 points in 73 career games, including his time at Lynn and Franklin Pierce.

Dishing It Out
With multiple assists in eight-straight games and 11 of 13 games this season overall, fifth-year guard Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, Md.) has moved up to seventh among NEC assists leaders with his 3.0 per game. He has averaged 3.4 assists per game over the last seven games, including 4.3 per game over the last four, with a season-high six at Binghamton on December 3. Burnett also ranks sixth among NEC leaders for assist/turnover ratio at 1.2, turning the ball over just 35 times in 13 games.

In Transition
Stonehill announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference and commence a four-year transition to full NCAA Division I membership on April 5. The Skyhawks started their four-year transition on July 1 and will earn full NCAA Division I membership in 2026-27. At the June NEC meetings, the Conference presidents announced a shift in the waiting period for automatic qualifier sports from competing for NEC postseason championships from four to two years, making Stonehill eligible to compete in the NEC postseason starting in 2024-25.

Proud History
Stonehill won the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup six times, finishing in the top three in the final standings 15 of the last 17 years. Stonehill was one of just ten institutions nationwide to receive the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement, recognizing athletic departments with an Academic Success rating of 90-percent or better, each of the first ten years of the program's existence. The College ranks No. 98 in the category of National Liberal Arts Schools by U.S. News & World Report and No. 94 for the Best Value category.

Hoop History
Stonehill men's basketball earned 15 NCAA Division II Tournament bids over its history, the last was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Stonehill were charter members of the Northeast-10 Conference, winning the first two tournament championships in 1981 and '82, finishing its time in the Conference with four postseason titles and six regular season championships.

Preseason Prognostications
Stonehill was picked to finish ninth in its first Northeast Conference season by the league's head coaches. Merrimack received six of the eight first place votes to hold the pole position atop the preseason poll, followed by Sacred Heart with two first place votes. Saint Francis (Pa.) follows in third, while Wagner is picked fourth and received the final first place vote.  

Getting Social
Fans and media members of Stonehill athletics have multiple social media outlets to get updates on all 23 varsity programs. The department's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stonehillskyhawks, and you can also follow @GoStonehill on Twitter and @stonehillskyhawks via Instagram! You can also search for Stonehill men's basketball on Facebook, follow the team's Twitter account via @StonehillBball as well as head coach Chris Kraus @CoachChrisKraus, and its new Instagram feed @stonehillbball. 

Up Next
Following its Midwest swing through Bradley University and Valparaiso University on Tuesday, Stonehill will enjoy an eight day break before it opens its inaugural Northeast Conference schedule at Sacred Heart University on Thursday, December 29, at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks next home game is its third NEC matchup of the year on Thursday, January 5, when they open a season-long four game homestand against Wagner College at Merkert Gymnasium at 7 p.m.