Senior A.J. Rudowitz notched his second double-double of the season with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds this afternoon.

Stonehill Rallies Again to Top Southern N.H., 75-63

Stallworth, Rudowitz power Skyhawks past Penmen in second half

Boxscore

EASTON, Mass. (December 5, 2009) - Stonehill College held Southern New Hampshire University to just 25.9-percent shooting in the second half to erase a nine-point halftime deficit and claim a 75-63 triumph in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Seniors Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) and A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) combined for 41 points to lead Stonehill to its fifth-straight win and remain atop the NE-10 standings. Stallworth made 6-of-9 shots from the field, including 3-for-4 from three-point range, while converting all six free-throw attempts for a season-best 21 points (12 second half) to go with four assists and two steals. Rudowitz notched his second double-double of the season (13^th career) with 20 points (12 second half) and a game-high 14 rebounds (five offensive) to go with four blocked shots. He made 5-of-9 shots from the field and converted 10-of-14 free-throws.

Junior Daniel Heppert (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) also posted a double-double for the Skyhawks (first career), finishing with 11 points and a career-high ten rebounds, while adding three assists.

Sophomore Marcus Matthews (Valley Stream, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) led four Southern New Hampshire players in double figures with 15 points (11 first half) and five rebounds. Junior Tory Stapleton (Rahway, N.J./Gill St. Bernard's) added 13 points, five rebounds and two steals, while senior Stephen Wood (Jamaica, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) posted 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Freshman Greg DeSantis (Trumbull, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield) chipped in ten points, aided by 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range, and four assists.

Senior Randall Stallworth netted a season-high 21 points to go with four assists today.

Stonehill finished shooting 46.2-percent (24-for-52) from the field, including 13-for-26 (50%) in the second half. The Skyhawks out-rebounded the opposition for the sixth time in as many games this season, dominating the glass to the tune of 46-29 - nearly matching SNHU on its own offensive end (16-18). The Penmen finished shooting 37.7-percent (20-for-53) from the field, including 47.1-percent (8-for-17) from three-point range, but was held to 7-for-27 shooting (25.9%) in the second half.

The game featured six ties and 14 lead changes throughout, but Southern New Hampshire led by as much as 11 on two occasions late in the first half behind 50-percent (13-26) shooting in the frame, draining 7-of-11 (63.6%) three-pointers.

SNHU settled for a nine-point cushion (41-32) at the intermission and Stonehill came out firing in the second, closing the gap to four points (41-37) with five-straight points following a Stallworth jumper 1:41 into the second half. DeSantis answered with a three for the Penmen, but the Skyhawks pulled even closer (46-44) after a Stallworth three with 16:40 to play.

Sophomore Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) knotted the score at 49-49 for Stonehill with a conventional three point play with 14:31 to go. The lead went back and forth over the next six minutes before Stallworth knocked down a three to put the Skyhawks in front for good (59-56) with 8:15 left. That sparked a 13-1 run that gave the hosts its largest lead of the night (69-57) after four-straight free-throws following a Wood personal and technical foul with 2:48 remaining.

SNHU drew within eight (69-61) after a three-point play from Stapleton with 1:51 to go, but Stonehill was able to keep the Penmen at arm's length as Rudowitz made two free-throws and junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) scored a layup with 40-seconds left to seal the win by regaining the 12-point lead.

Stonehill led by four early (7-4) after a Heppert layup, but SNHU used a 13-2 run, sparked by three's from DeSantis, Wood and junior Cory Vejraska (Alachua, Fla./Santa Fe) to take a seven-point lead (16-9) with 12:14 left in the opening half. An 11-4 Skyhawks run put the hosts back up three (26-23) after a Rudowitz layup with 6:57 to go before halftime. The Penmen responded with a 13-1 run to gain a nine-point lead (36-27) after a three-point play from Matthews with 2:21 to go. A three by sophomore Josh Morgan-Green (Upper Marlboro, Md./St. Mary's) gave SNHU its first 11-point lead (39-28) of the afternoon with 1:36 left before the break.

Stonehill (5-1, 4-0 NE-10) has just two days off before hosting rival Bentley University, ranked 10^th in this week's NABC Division II poll, for an NE-10 clash at Merkert Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. At halftime, Stonehill will recognize its Fred C. Petti individual and team academic award winners for the 2008-09 academic year. Southern New Hampshire (3-3, 2-3 NE-10) hosts Merrimack College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.