Junior Mike Kernan led Stonehill past Saint Rose with a double-double effort of 19 points and ten rebounds today.

Stonehill Shoots Past Saint Rose, 76-64

Kernan double-double and 60-percent shooting leads Skyhawks to road win

Boxscore 

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 30, 2010) - Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll, shot nearly 60-percent from the field and remained in a first place tie atop the Conference standings in claiming a 76-64 victory over The College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium this afternoon.

Junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) led the way for Stonehill with his third double-double of the season, totaling game-highs of 19 points and ten rebounds to go with four assists. Sophomore Ivan Almeida (Praia, Cape Verde) added 14 points, on 6-of-9 shooting, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Freshman Brian Hamor (Guilderland, N.Y./Bishop Gibbons) added 11 points, shooting 4-for-8 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, while senior A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) chipped in nine points, six assists and four steals.

Sophomore Brian Hanuschak (Cumberland, R.I./St. Andrews) led Saint Rose with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and four rebounds. Freshman Andre Pope (White Plains, N.Y./Iona Prep) added 12 points, six assists and five steals, while sophomore Rob Gutierrez (Brooklyn, N.Y./John Adams) contributed ten points, three assists and three steals. Sophomore Shea Bromirski (Cambridge, N.Y./Cambridge Central) also chipped in ten points and two steals.

Sophomore Ivan Almeida posted 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Stonehill finished shooting 59.6-percent (28-for-47) from the field after hitting at a torrid 68.2-percent (15-for-22) in building a 14-pioint (41-27) halftime lead. The Skyhawks were a blistering 6-for-10 (60%) from three-point range and out-rebounded Saint Rose 31-21 for the contest, holding the Golden Knights to just five offensive rebounds to outscore the hosts 11-0 in second chance points. Saint Rose shot 52-percent (26-for-50) from the field, including 55.6% (15-27) in the second half.

With the game tied at 17-17 with 9:44 left in the first half, Stonehill began to take control with a 13-2 run over the next five-plus minutes to open an 11-point (40-19) lead after a three-pointer from freshman Sam Markle (Bethany, Conn./Saint Thomas More) with 4:37 left before halftime.

Stonehill built its lead to 14-points (41-27) when Rudowitz capped the first half with a three-pointer heading into the intermission. The Skyhawks opened the second half with an 11-4 burst to push their lead to 21-points (54-33) after an Almeida layup with 15:05 to play. Saint Rose drew back within 13 (54-41) after a Bromirski three with 12:13 remaining, but Stonehill recovered with an 8-2 push to open a 23-point lead (66-43) after a free-throw by Almeida with 7:25 to go. Hamor buried a three-pointer to give Stonehill a game-high 25-point (74-49) lead with 4:14 to play to ice the victory despite a late Saint Rose push that drew the Golden Knights within 12 points at the final buzzer.

Stonehill (16-4, 13-2 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday when it hosts Franklin Pierce University at 7:30 p.m. It marks the College's second annual Super Bowl Giveaway Night, sponsored by Sodexo and Lifeskills, where students in attendance will have the opportunity to win a Super Bowl Party, courtesy of Sodexo, as well as a flat-screen television throughout the night. Details will be released on www.stonehillskyhawks.com on Monday.

Saint Rose (10-10, 7-8 NE-10) hosts Assumption College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.