Jan. 2, 2011

Box Score

A second half surge by the Stonehill Skyhawks downed the UMass Lowell men's basketball team, 69-58, on Sunday afternoon in Northeast-10 play at Costello Athletic Center. The River Hawks led by seven at the half, but Stonehill shot 55.2% in the second stanza, holding UMass Lowell to 37.9% shooting.

Stonehill improves to 9-3 overall with a 4-3 clip in conference action, while UMass Lowell's three-game win streak was snapped. The River Hawks now stand at 8-3 on the year and 4-3 in NE-10 play, as well.

Midway through the first, Stonehill led by six, 14-8, but the River Hawks went on an 13-3 run over the next six minutes, led by six points from freshman Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) and capped with a three from sophomore Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.). The stretch put the River Hawks up 21-17 and they led - by as many as seven - entering the break 29-22.

"I think we were relatively lucky to be up at the half - it made us cautiously optimistic, though," said Head Coach Greg Herenda. "But in the second half, they just defended us, guarded us, got loose balls and really beat us up around the basket."

The second half was another story, though, as Stonehill more than doubled its offensive output (47 points) and held UMass Lowell to the same 29-point benchmark. The Skyhawks tied the game early on a three-pointer by Daniel Heppert less than three minutes into the second, and grabbed a lead less than a minute later and never looked back.

Stonehill opened the second frame on a 20-4 run and the River Hawks were unable to stop the bleed. UMass Lowell closed back within three with four minutes remaining in regulation, as sophomore Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) hit back-to-back threes to complement seven points from Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.), two from Bivins and free throw by Diaz.

The River Hawks were unable to get any closer than that, though, as Stonehill pulled away, holding UMass Lowell without a field goal in the final four minutes, finishing the game on a 9-1 run.

"They made two three-pointers the whole night," said Herenda. "It was a team that actually came at us and beat us around the basket and that hasn't happened so far this year, especially the way Stonehill did it today."

Welch and Bivins each tallied 14 points on the night, while Williams tallied 13. Bivins also stood out with a team-best seven rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, as well as four steals.  He went 6-7 from the floor in the game.

Diaz netted seven points in addition to five rebounds and a pair of blocks, while Darrell Ward (White Plains, N.Y.) grabbed six rebounds in addition to his four points and two blocks.  Fellow starter Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.) chipped in six points, dished five assists and grabbed four steals in the losing effort.

Stonehill was led by 16 points from both Heppert and Ivan Almeida, while Heppert secured a double-double by adding 10 rebounds in the game, as well. Mike Kernan grabbed a game-best 17 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, but was just shy of a double-double, tallying nine points.

Stonehill owned the 46-30 advantage in rebounds, but committed 22 turnovers compared to UMass Lowell's 15. The River Hawks scored 19 points off Skyhawk miscues, but Stonehill was able to capitalize on UMass Lowell's mistakes by tallying 22 points off River Hawk turnovers.

The teams combined for just four baskets from behind the arc in the game, while UMass Lowell scored 30 of its 58 in the paint.

UMass Lowell looks to bounce back, as it hosts Assumption College on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at home in Costello Athletic Center.