Box Score
Mack led the Skyhawks with a season-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney) |
Henderson's game-high 19 points leads Hawks to non-conference win
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (January 25, 2023) – The University of Hartford shot 60-percent from the floor in the second half and claimed a 73-56 victory over Stonehill College in a non-conference men's basketball action at Chase Arena and Reich Family Pavilion tonight.
Sophomore Kurtis Henderson scored a game-high 19 points to lead Hartford as he finished 8-for-12 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-5 from three-point distance, adding five assists and three steals. Junior Briggs McClain added 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, a steal and blocked shot, while postgrad Pano Pavlidis contributed 13 points, including ten in the second half, on 6-of-7 shooting, with seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
Fifth-year Josh Mack scored 12 of his season-high 16 points in the first half as he made his first four shots on the night, including a pair of threes, on his way to 6-of-9 shooting overall, including 2-for-3 from deep, with five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Classmate Andrew Sims rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points, connecting on all three shots from three, with three rebounds and three assists. Postgrad Max Zegarowski and fifth-year Shamir Johnson each chipped in with eight points.
Stonehill used a 17-4 run over the middle portion of the first half to grab a 12-point lead (30-18) after a three-pointer from Sims with six minutes to play in the frame. Sims was one of three Skyhawks to connect from long range during the run as six different players scored during the stretch. Stonehill extended its lead to 13 (35-22) after a Mack layup with three minutes left, but Hartford finished the half strong, scoring the final nine points of the frame, including seven by Henderson to close to within four (35-31) at the intermission.
Sims added 11 points, three rebounds and three assists (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney) |
Stonehill extended its lead back to eight (43-35) with a Sims three-pointer less than three-minutes into the second half, but Hartford would outscore the visitors 38-13 the rest of the way behind 60-percent (18-for-30) shooting in the half, including 6-for-15 (40%) from three. After Hartford closed to within two (43-41) with 13:34 to play after four-straight by Pavlidis, Johnson slowed the run with a driving layup a minute later. The Hawks followed that with a 10-2 spurt to reverse that four-point lead (51-47) after a Henderson turnaround jumper at the midway point of the half.
Layups from Sims and Mack pulled Stonehill back on level terms (51-51) with 8:29 on the clock, but Hartford followed with ten-straight to grab a double-digit lead (61-51) with a McClain three with six minutes to go. Johnson tried to spark a Stonehill comeback with a three-pointer, but the Hawks iced the game with a 12-0 run, keyed by three-pointers from postgrads Matt Hobbs and Michael Dunne.
Noteworthy
- After shooting 50-percent (13-for-26) in the first half, including 7-for-13 (53.8%) from three, in the first half, Stonehill was limited to 32% (8-25) in the second, including 3-for-10 (30%) from deep.
- Hartford attempted just one free-throw in the game (missed), with Stonehill finishing 4-for-10.
- Mack's season-high 16 points finished just a point shy of his career-best of 17 points against Adelphi University last January.
- Zegarowski's eight points pulls him within 38 points of reaching the 1,000-point milestone for his career, having scored 962 points in 83 games, including his time at Franklin Pierce and Lynn.
- Fifth-year Isaiah Burnett collected three steals, marking his 19th game with multiple steals this year and extended his streak with at least one steal to 29-straight games dating back to last year. He entered the night leading the country in total steals.
- Tonight marked the 11th meeting all-time between the two programs in a series that dates back to 1957, but the first since a 76-70 Stonehill win in the quarterfinals of the 1984 Northeast-8 Tournament.
Up Next
Stonehill (9-14, 5-3 NEC) returns to Merkert Gymnasium on Saturday, to host Sacred Heart University for a Northeast Conference matchup on Alumni Day at 2 p.m. Hartford (5-17) is off until Saturday, February 4, when it hosts Chicago State University at 2 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
