Skyhawks drain 10-of-18
three-pointers, shoot 55.3-percent from the field
RINDGE, N.H. (February 11,
2006) - Stonehill College, ranked first in the Northeast
Region and receiving votes in this week's NABC national poll,
canned 10-of-18 three-pointers to key a 70-56 victory over Franklin
Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the
Fieldhouse this afternoon.
Stonehill rode the hot hand of
freshman Nick Smith (Colonia,
N.J./Colonia), who netted a season-high 20 points (17
second half) on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 4-5 from
three-point range, to go with six rebounds, two assists, a block
and two steals off the bench. Senior Chris Kraus
(Markham, Ontario/Markham District) added nine
points, six rebounds and eight assists, while classmate
Marquis Taylor (Lons Angeles, Calif./Naval
Prep) finished with nine points, six rebounds and two
steals.
Senior Pierre Sully
(Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge Catholic) led
Franklin Pierce with 14 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Classmate Justin Powell (Brookline,
Mass./Brookline) totaled ten points, a team-best five
rebounds, three assists and two steals, while freshman
Timothy Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King
Prep) added nine points (all second half) and four
boards. Freshman Jack Barrett (Reading,
Mass./Andover) chipped in eight points (all first
half) on 3-3 shooting from the field (1-1 three's), five assists
and two
steals.
Stonehill never trailed, scoring
the first six points of the game before staking out leads of 18-3
and 21-5 in the first eight minutes of the contest. The Skyhawks
lead was 14 points (30-16) after a Smith three-pointer with 4:06 to
go before the half when the Ravens used a 7-1 run to pull within
eight (31-23) after a Sully lay-up with 1:20 left in the stanza.
The Skyhawks led by ten at the
break (34-24), and then scored the first seven points of the second
half to take a 17-point advantage (41-24) 3:44 in. Sully hit a
three-pointer to pull the Ravens within ten (49-39), capping a 9-2
run, with 11:36 to play. Franklin Pierce crept within eight (54-46)
after Powell converted a conventional three-point play with 7:56
left, but Stonehill reeled off a 12-2 run to open an 18-point
cushion (66-48) after a Smith jumper with 3:22 left.
Stonehill shot 56.5-percent (13-23)
from the field in the second half, including 4-of-7 (57.1%) from
three-point range, and finished shooting 55.3% (26-47) for the day,
including 10-18 (55.6%) from beyond the arc. The Skyhawks also
out-rebounded the hosts 35-25 as Franklin Pierce shot 37-percent in
each half, finishing 20-of-54 for the afternoon, including 38.1%
(8-21) from long-range.
Franklin Pierce (13-10, 10-8 NE-10)
is back in action Monday when it hosts No. 21 Saint Anselm College
at 7 p.m. This is a makeup of Thursday's game that was postponed
due to a regional power-outage. Stonehill (18-5, 14-5 NE-10) hosts
Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOXSCORE
