Feb. 5, 2011

Box Score

The rolling River Hawks were stopped in their tracks, as their four-game win-streak was snapped by the Stonehill Skyhawks, 86-56, on Saturday afternoon in conference action at Merkert Gymnasium.

With the loss, the River Hawks fall to 14-7 on the year with a 10-7 mark in conference action, while the Skyhawks, who have won 13 of their last 14, improve to 18-4 overall with a 13-4 clip in Northeast-10 play.

"Obviously, it was not our day today, in any facet of the game," said Head Coach Greg Herenda. "Stonehill played a great game, defensively, and they just wore us down."

NE-10 Rookie of the Week Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) netted a team-high 18 points, while four rebounds from Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) led the squad.

The teams stayed close through the first five minutes of play, but after a 7-7 tie, the Skyhawks pulled away with a 16-3 run to lead the River Hawks 23-10 midway through the stanza.

A three-point play by sophomore Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) helped to put a stop to the Stonehill streak, followed by a pair of free throws by junior Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.), who later sank a three to make it a 29-22 game at the five minute mark.

Despite the River Hawks' efforts, Stonehill was able to stretch its lead back to 11 by halftime, as the Skyhawks held the 39-28 advantage at the break, shooting 54.5% in the first frame, led by 16 points from forward Ivan Almeida.

The second began much like the first, as the Stonehill lead steadily grew to 21 by the midway point of the second frame and the River Hawks were never able to get back within striking distance. The Skyhawks held on to earn the eventual, 30-point victory.

In addition to Williams' 18 points, he grabbed a pair of rebounds, while Welch was the only other River Hawk in double-figures, finishing the game with 11 points.

Almeida led Stonehill with a game-high 22 points, leading four Skyhawks scoring in double-figures, as he also grabbed a game-best 13 rebounds to record a double-double.

Stonehill shot 52% from the floor in the game, while UMass Lowell was held to 33%. The Skyhawks also outrebounded the River Hawks 48-30. UMass Lowell forced 17 Stonehill turnovers, committing just 11 of its own.

"Right now, we need to put this game behind us and learn from it," said Herenda. "We need to move onto Tuesday night. I am sure we will respond."

Next up, the River Hawks will host the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire in Costello Athletic Center on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. before hitting the road for a pair of games at Merrimack (Feb. 12) and Bentley (Feb. 16).