South Hamilton, Mass., postgrad's career-high 30 lifts Skyhawks back into sole possession of first place in NEC with two to play

Zegarowski led the Skyhawks with a career-high 30 points, draining six three-pointers (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

EASTON, Mass. (February 16, 2023) – Postgrad Max Zegarowski poured in six three-pointers on his way to a career-high 30 points to lead Stonehill College to a 75-60 Senior Night victory over Long Island University in Northeast Conference men's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Stonehill, winners of seven of its last eight NEC contests and four-straight home Conference games, moves back into sole possession of first place in the NEC standings with two games remaining. The Skyhawks (10-4) are a half game ahead of idle Merrimack College (9-4) and a game in front of Fairleigh Dickinson (8-5), which was dealt a 94-86 overtime setback at Sacred Heart University tonight. The Pioneers (7-6) are two games back in the loss column, along with Saint Francis (Pa.) University.

Zegarowski made 10-of-17 shots from the floor, including 6-for-11 from three-point range, as he scored 16 of his career-high 30 points in the first half, and added six rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Fifth-year Isaiah Burnett added 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists, while classmate Shamir Johnson rounded out the Skyhawks in double-figures by scoring all ten of his points in the second half, with four boards.

Senior Tre Wood paced LIU with 20 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting, with four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Freshman R.J. Greene added 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting off the bench with six rebounds, while senior Cheikh Ndiaye chipped in ten points on 5-of-9 shooting with three boards.

Prior to the game, Stonehill honored its four fifth-year seniors participating in the last home games of their career. Burnett and Johnson, along with classmates Josh Mack and Andrew Sims have led the Skyhawks into the NCAA Division I era, having won 61 games over their careers, and earning a bid to the 2020 NCAA Division II Tournament.

Stonehill grabbed a 15-point halftime lead (40-25) thanks to 48.4-percent (15-for-31) shooting in the half, while limiting LIU to 29.4% (10-34), including 1-for-8 (12.5%) from three. The Skyhawks used a 19-2 run to turn a one-point lead into an 18-point cushion (30-12) after a layup from sophomore Christopher Melis with six minutes to play in the half. Zegarowski connected on a trio of three-pointers to spark the Stonehill run.

Burnett added 12 points, five rebounds and four steals for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Wood opened the second half scoring to draw LIU back within 13 (40-27), but Johnson connected on back-to-back threes to extend the Stonehill lead to a game-high 19 (46-27) less than two minutes in. Trailing by 17 (54-37) after the second of two-straight threes from Zegarowski less than six minutes into the half, LIU scored nine-straight, including five by Greene, to close to within eight (54-46) after a layup by Ndiaye with 11-minutes on the clock.

LIU would get no closer, trading baskets with Stonehill over the next three minutes, and then the Skyhawks outscored the visitors 15-5 to reclaim an 18-point lead (75-57) after a Johnson layup with 2:44 remaining to seal the win.

Noteworthy

• It marks the second-straight game a Stonehill player has scored 30 points with Zegarowski netting the third 30-point game for the Skyhawks this season overall.
• Stonehill turned the ball over just eight times, the second-straight game with less than ten.
• Zegarowski made all four of his free-throws and has now made 14-straight over the last four games. He has scored in double-figures 18 times this season with his tenth career game with 20-plus points (third this season).
• Burnett has multiple steals in ten-straight games and 25 of Stonehill's 29 games overall, having recorded at least one steal in all 29 and 35-straight games dating back to last season. He leads the country with 85 steals this season – seven shy of cracking the NEC's all-time top ten.
• Stonehill completes the regular season series sweep with LIU in the first two meetings all-time between the programs. It marks the third series sweep in the Skyhawks inaugural NEC season.
• Stonehill finishes 7-4 a home in its inaugural Division I season, including 5-2 in NEC play.

Up Next
Stonehill (14-15, 10-4 NEC) will close out its inaugural NCAA Division I season with a pair of road games, starting Saturday at Central Connecticut State University for an NEC matchup at 1 p.m. LIU (3-23, 1-13 NEC) hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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