Feb. 10, 2009

 

Box Score

 

Sophomore G Max Kerman (Watertown, MA) scored 16 points as UMass Lowell defeated Stonehill College, 67-43, Tuesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball tilt at the Costello Athletic Center.

The victory was UMass Lowell's 15th in its last 16 games and improved its record to 19-4 overall and 14-4 in the NE-10 entering Saturday's clash at Assumption (3:30). Stonehill slipped to 17-6 overall and 12-6 in the Conference and visits Southern Connecticut (3:30) Saturday.

The win also marked the seventh time this season the River Hawks held an opponent under 50 points. The River Hawks remain in sole possession of second place in the NE-10 as leader Bentley was a 72-65 winner over Southern New Hampshire.

Kerman meshed all six of his field goal attempts and all three free throws in 24 minutes. Junior F Victor Colon (Chicago, IL) added 12 points and eight rebounds, hitting 4 of 6 field goal attempts and 2 of 3 from long range.

Freshman G Kyle Caiola (Parma, OH) chipped in 10 points, four assists and four steals.

Senior G Matt Hall (Springfield, MA) led the Skyhawks with 14 points and six rebounds.

UMass Lowell forced Stonehill to commit 24 turnovers (opposed to 15) and outscored the Skyhawks 19-8 off miscues.

Greg Herenda. "With the crowd and our band, this was a great, great win for our program and the university. I am really proud of our guys."

Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half - Stonehill 7-27 (.259) and UMass Lowell 12-33 (.364) - but the River Hawks found their touch in the second stanza, converting 13 of 26 field goals (.500) while the Skyhawks shot 9-26 (.346).

UMass Lowell also got a nice lift off the bench, outscoring the Skyhawks 21-10, led by nine points and two assist from junior G Kevin Carr (Lancaster, PA) and six points and two assists from freshman G Marcus Johnson (South Bend, IN).

"The highlight for me was Joe Gore (freshman, Wilmington, MA) making that jumper," Herenda said. "He plays as hard as anyone in practice and he deserves it as much as possible."

In the first half, UMass Lowell led 16-15 with 10:57 left to play and scored 16 straight points to post a 32-15 cushion with 2:37 left until the break. Caiola led the surge with six points.

The River Hawks led 34-22 shortly into the second half and went on a 21-4 surge - led by seven points from Kerman and six from Carr - to grab a 55-26 lead with 8:01 left to play.

"I thought we played as well as we could have defensively," Herenda noted. "Max was perfect. He didn't miss a shot and didn't make a turnover. He plays as hard as anyone in America and that's why he is our captain. We put him back in the starting lineup and he responded."