EASTON, MA – Stonehill College opened the second half with a 19-4 run that covered a seven-minute span to pull away from The College of Saint Rose men's basketball team 80-59 Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium. It marked the fourth straight loss for the Golden Knights (11-15/9-12 NE-10), their longest skid of the season.
Saint Rose went into the locker room down a bucket, 34-32, after junior guard Randall Stallworth made a driving layup at the buzzer to give the Skyhawks a slight edge. Both clubs traded baskets to start the second period, but the Golden Knights were held to just one field goal throughout the next six minutes that put the Skyhawks (20-6/15-6 NE-10) in charge 53-36 with 13:05 remaining.
The outburst proved to be the deciding factor in the game's final outcome as the Golden Knights never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way, thus allowing Stonehill to win its third straight game and sweep the regular-season series against Saint Rose.
The Golden Knights connected on only 37.0 percent (10-for-37) of their shot attempts throughout the final 20 minutes, while the Skyhawks remained steady at a 58.6 percent (17-for-29) clip. Saint Rose was also outrebounded 20-11 throughout the final period and Stonehill controlled the paint behind a 24-8 margin.
The first half was decidedly different, with the Golden Knights overcoming a nine point, 26-17, deficit by embarking on a 9-0 run that was capped off by a 3-pointer from freshman guard
Shea Bromirski. Junior guard
Jermaine Clark got things going with a jumper, while junior forward
Malcolm Williams provided his own spark with a layup and a dunk off a feed from Clark to knot things 26-26 with 5:15 left.
The two teams practically traded baskets the rest of the way, aside from Stallworth providing the Skyhawks with the slimmest of margins thanks to a buzzer-beater prior to the break. Saint Rose was a bit more efficient in the first half as well by burying 50.0 percent (14-for-28) of its field goal tries to offset 11 turnovers.
Clark finished with 14 points and became the 23rd player in school annals to score 1,000 career points. Williams tossed in 12 points to go with four boards and three assists, while Bromirski added 11 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
Stonehill junior forward A.J. Rudowitz led four players in double-figures with 17 points. Senior guard Matt Hall contributed 14 points, while Stallworth and sophomore forward Mike Kernan recorded 10 points apiece.
The Golden Knights wrap up their regular season slate Tuesday night when they meet Saint Anselm at 7:30 pm in Manchester, NH. Both squads are tied for eighth in the Northeast-10 Conference standings and thus a home date in the upcoming conference tournament awaits the victor. The Skyhawks will travel to American International College Tuesday for a 7:30 pm tip in Springfield, MA.
Box Score
