Stallworth's layup with
1.7-seconds left lifts Skyhawks past Ravens
EASTON, Mass. (January 20,
2007) - Freshman Randall Stallworth (Toms River,
N.J./Monsignor Donovan) scored a lay-in with 1.7-seconds
to play to lift Stonehill College to a 72-71 victory over Franklin
Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at
Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Stallworth's layup capped a wild
finish to a contest in which Franklin Pierce trailed by as many as
13 points late in the first half, before leading by as many as
seven in the second. Stonehill shot 52.1-percent (25-of-48) from
the field and converted 14-of-16 (87.5%) free-throw attempts for
the day. Franklin Pierce shot 47.6% (30-63) for the contest, but
converted just 6-12 (50%) free throws. The Ravens turned a 34-28
rebounding advantage (16 offensive rebounds) into an 18-7 edge on
second-chance points.
Freshman AJ Rudowitz
(Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) led Stonehill with
19 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the floor, while sophomore
Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) registered 16
points and four rebounds. Stallworth finished with 13 points, three
rebounds, six assists and two steals, while senior Lance
Clarke (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin)
chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and three
assists.
Senior Darryl Minnifield
(Boston, Mass./Brookline) led all scorers for Franklin
Pierce with 20 points to go with six rebounds (three offensive) and
two assists. Freshman Chris Lewis (Parkland, Fla./Coral
Springs Charter) came off the bench to net a season-high
16 points as he hit 7-of-10 shots from the field, to go with a
season-best seven rebounds (three offensive). Senior Nazim
Senaldi (Istanbul, Turkey) contributed 13 points and five
rebounds, while senior Sean Mayo (Saco, Maine/Thornton
Academy) chipped in 11 points and four boards.
Stonehill led by 13 (39-26) after a
Smith three-pointer with 2:41 to play in the first half, but
Franklin Pierce drew within four at the break (41-37) as Minnifield
canned a three with a second to play. The Ravens wrapped a 15-2 run
around halftime as Minnifield gave the Ravens the lead (45-43) 2:37
into the second half.
The lead seesawed until an 8-2 run
put the Ravens up seven (66-59) on a Lewis layup with 6:34 to go.
Smith converted a conventional three-point play to cap a 12-3 run
that put Stonehill back in front (70-69) with 2:26 left.
Neither team scored until
Minnifield drained two free throws with 25-seconds left to give
Franklin Pierce the lead again (71-70), setting up Stallworth's
winning basket. The Ravens had one last possession, but turned the
ball over.
Franklin Pierce (9-9, 7-7 NE-10)
opens a three-game home stand on Tuesday against Assumption College
at 7:30 p.m. Stonehill (13-6, 8-6 NE-10) visits Southern
Connecticut State University on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOXSCORE
& PLAY-BY-PLAY
