Junior Mike Kernan led a balanced Skyhawks effort with 12 points, five rebounds and a career-best four blocked shots.

Stonehill Rallies Past Franklin Pierce, 59-50

Balanced scoring pushes Skyhawks past Ravens in second half

Boxscore 

EASTON, Mass. (February 3, 2010) - Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll and ranked second in the NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, rallied from a halftime deficit for the ninth time this season to claim a 59-50 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) led four Stonehill players in double-figures with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, to go with five rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots. Classmate Daniel Heppert (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) added 11 points, draining 2-of-4 three-pointers, six rebounds and three assists, while sophomore Ivan Almeida (Praia, Cape Verde) collected 11 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Senior Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points and four assists.

Junior Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) led Franklin Pierce with a double-double, netting a game-high 13 points and 12 rebounds to go with three assists. Sophomore John Hegarty (New Bedford, Mass./The Winchendon School) posted 11 points, three rebounds and two blocked shots, while senior Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) grabbed 12 rebounds for the Ravens as well. 

Junior Daniel Heppert added 11 points, including a key late three-pointer, six rebounds and three assists.

Stonehill finished shooting 40-percent (24-for-60) from the field after connecting on 46.7% (14-30) of its shots in the second half to improve to 9-2 this season when behind at halftime. The Skyhawks overcame a 5-for-14 (35.7%) shooting effort from the free-throw line, posting a 12-7 advantage in points off turnovers, while holding Franklin Pierce to just 24.1-percent (7-for-29) shooting from the field in the second half, including 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. The Ravens finished shooting 32.1% (17-53) from the field overall.

Franklin Pierce led by six (41-35) after a three-point play by Dozier with 10:28 remaining in regulation. Stonehill then used a 14-3 run over the next six minutes to turn that deficit into a five-point lead (49-44) on a put back by freshman Sam Markle (Bethany, Conn./Saint Thomas More) with 4:05 left. Stallworth sparked the run with a three-pointer, while Almeida put the Skyhawks in front for good with a three with 6:59 to play during that stretch.

Franklin Pierce drew within one (49-48) on a Hegarty dunk with 2:58 left, then senior A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) scored a basket and Heppert drilled a three to put Stonehill up six (54-48) with 1:40 to go. The Skyhawks took advantage of a Ravens turnover and missed three to push the lead to a game-high ten (58-48) after layups from Heppert and Stallworth with 40-seconds left that sealed the win.

Franklin Pierce led by as many as eight (29-21) after Ray made one of two at the line with 4:19 to play in the first half to cap a 14-2 run. Stonehill scored the final four points of the stanza to close within four (29-25) at the break, with both teams going scoreless in the final 3:26 of the half.

Stonehill (17-4, 14-2 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits the University of Massachusetts Lowell at 4:30 p.m. The Skyhawks don't return home until next Saturday, February 13, to host Saint Michael's College at 3:30 p.m. Franklin Pierce (9-12, 4-12 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.