Senior A.J. Rudowitz scored 10 of Stonehill's last 12 points, finishing with a team-best 16 points in tonight's comeback win.

Stonehill Rallies Past American International, 56-55

Rudowitz leads Skyhawks back from nine points down with five minutes to play

Boxscore 

EASTON, Mass. (January 20, 2010) - Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll, fought back from nine points down with 5:05 to play to claim a dramatic 56-55 triumph over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Senior A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) led Stonehill with 16 points, scoring ten of the Skyhawks last 12 points in the game including two free-throws with ten seconds left to take the lead for good before blocking a shot from AIC sophomore Adrian Hynes-Guery (Montreal, Quebec) with five seconds left to seal the comeback win. Rudowitz made 6-of-12 shots from the field overall and converted 4-of-5 free-throws to go with a team-best six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Senior Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) was the only other Stonehill player in double-figures with 14 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal. Junior Daniel Heppert (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) chipped in eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, and four rebounds.

Senior Mike Troll (New York, N.Y./Cardozo) led American International with a game-high 19 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field including 4-of-9 from three-point range while converting all three free-throw attempts, to go with eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Hynes-Guery contributed 11 points, four rebounds and two assists, while senior Aikeem Vanderhorst (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with six points and three assists. 

Senior Randall Stallworth added 14 points, four assists  and a steal.

Stonehill finished shooting 41.5-percent (22-for-53) from the field and converted a season-best 10-of-11 (90.9%) free-throw attempts. AIC shot 37.5-percent (18-for-48) from the field. Rebounds were even at 31 apiece. AIC turned the ball over just two more times (13-11), but the Skyhawks posted a 17-11 advantage in points off those miscues.

Stonehill, who trailed by three at the break, are now 7-1 this season when behind at the intermission after rallying from a ten-point deficit (51-41) with 6:44 left in regulation following a jumper by Hynes-Guery. The Skyhawks deficit was still nine (53-44) after two free-throws from Vanderhorst, but AIC would go cold from there, missing its last five shots from the field and turning the ball over three times down the stretch.

Rudowitz, who scored ten of Stonehill's last 12 points over the final five minutes, sparked the comeback with a three-point play to trim the Stonehill deficit to seven (53-46) with 4:25 left. He drained one of two at the line on the Skyhawks next trip, then scored a layup off a turnover to pull the hosts within three (53-50) with 1:34 to play.

After a missed three-pointer and turnover by AIC, Stallworth drove through the lane for a basket to draw Stonehill within a point (53-52) with 39-seconds to go. The Skyhawks fouled and Troll drained both free-throws to put the Yellow Jackets back up three (55-52) with 31-seconds left. Stallworth drove through the lane again at the other end and missed the layup, but Rudowitz followed with a put back dunk to draw the Skyhawks back within a point (55-54) with 23-seconds to go.

Stonehill fouled freshman Ricky Hudson (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) and he missed both free-throws to give the Skyhawks a chance. Stallworth drove the lane again and missed, but Rudowitz grabbed the rebound and was fouled going back up. He drained both free-throws to put the Skyhawks in front for the first time since midway through the first half.

AIC got one more look at a winning basket, but Rudowitz stepped out and blocked a jumper from Hynes-Guery with five-seconds left. The rebound fell to Hynes-Guery, but his heave at the buzzer was well off target to give Stonehill the comeback win.

Stonehill (14-3, 11-1 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday for a key NE-10 matchup at Adelphi University at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Tuesday, January 26, to host Le Moyne College at 7:30 p.m. American International (7-10, 5-7 NE-10) hosts Franklin Pierce University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.