EASTON, Mass. (February 3, 2024) – Graduate student Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) scored 20 points Saturday afternoon as Stonehill men's basketball defeated Wagner in a Northeast Conference matchup, 71-61, at Merkert Gymnasium as the Skyhawks celebrated Black History Month and their men's basketball alumni.

LEADERS

• Zegarowski scored 10 points in each half, shooting 8-14 from the field in the game and knocking down two three-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points.
• Sophomore Tony Felder (Brockton, Mass.) led the Skyhawks with eight boards, four assists, and three steals while scoring all 11 of his points in the second half.
• Junior guard Melvin Council Jr. led Wagner with 19 points and seven rebounds, knocking down three triples.

FIRST HALF

• Stonehill started off the game on a 7-0 run with Zegarowski scoring five points in the first two and a half minutes, but Wagner would come back, cutting its deficit to just one point, 11-10.
• The Seahawks would continue to hit shots as they built their momentum, jumping out to a five-point lead, 19-14, but the Skyhawks responded with a run of their own to regain the lead, 22-21, after a three from freshman Todd Brogna (Southborough, Mass.).
• Zegarowski knocked down his first three of the game followed by free throws from senior Jackson Benigni (East Hampton, Conn.) and Brogna put Stonehill in front by three heading into the halftime break, 29-16.
• The Skyhawks led for 14:16 of the first half, shooting 41.7% (10-24) from the field while holding Wagner to just a 35.7% (10-28) shooting clip.

SECOND HALF

• Stonehill started the second half similarly to the first, scoring the first five points on a Zegarowski layup and a Felder three-pointer to take an eight-point lead, 34-26.
• After a mid-range jumper from fifth-year Pano Pavlidis (Queens, N.Y.), Felder swiped a steal and dished a behind-the-back pass to Zegarowski who threw down the fast break slam to keep the Skyhawks ahead by eight, 45-37 with 11:47 left in the game.
• Wagner responded on the very next possession with a three-pointer that sparked an 8-0 run for the Seahawks as they tied the score 45-45.
• The run was ended by Zegarowski who drilled his second three of the game, but Wagner continued to stay in the game as they regained the lead, 50-49 with 8:29 on the clock.
• Benigni nailed a corner three after a slow shooting start, giving the Skyhawks a lead that they wouldn't give up for the rest of the game.
• Felder scored or assisted on 13 of the final 22 points for Stonehill, eventually putting the nail in the coffin with back-to-back three-pointers that put the Skyhawks ahead by 12, 66-54, with under two minutes remaining in the game.
• Stonehill closed out the game to pick up its first win of NEC play, taking down Wagner 71-61.

NOTEWORTHY

• Stonehill improved to 3-3 all-time against Wagner and has split the regular season series with the Seahawks in back-to-back seasons as they are 2-2 when playing each other in NEC action.
• Stonehill is now 2-0 when hosting Wagner at Merkert Gym, winning last year's contest in Easton, 62-58, on Jan. 5, 2023.
• Stonehill started the same lineup for the fourth consecutive game tonight but are still tied for the fourth-most unique combinations in all of Division I. Eastern Michigan (15) is at the top of the list while Furman (14), Detroit Mercy (14), Jacksonville (13), Kansas City (13), and Milwaukee (13) are the only schools with more combinations than the Skyhawks.
• Zegarowski scored in double figures for the seventh time in the past nine games and knocked down a three-pointer for the ninth straight game. This was the third time this season he's put up 20+ points.
• Felder has scored 11+ points in 16 of his 23 games played this season including the past three games.
• Felder's three steals mark the 10th time he's swiped 2+ steals and the sixth time he's had 3+ this season. He's notched three steals in three consecutive games for the Skyhawks.

UP NEXT

• Stonehill opens its regular season series with Le Moyne in a Northeast Conference matchup on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at Merkert Gymnasium.

Tickets for the 2023-24 men's and women's basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.