Tony Felder attacks the rim en route to a team-high 11 first-half points. (PHOTO BY Craig Meyers)

Jackson Benigni Scores 21 to lead the Skyhawks in a close loss to the 2023 America East Runners-Up 

EASTON, Mass. (November 29, 2023) – Senior Jackson Benigni (East Hampton, Conn.) scored 21 points in an 80-74 loss that went down to the wire Wednesday night against UMass Lowell at Merkert Gymnasium.

LEADERS

• In 26 minutes of action, Benigni shot 8-17 from the field and scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half of Wednesday night's loss.
• Fifth-year Pano Pavlidis (Queens, N.Y.) corralled a team-high eight rebounds for the Skyhawks to go along with 16 points on 77.7% (7-9) shooting.
• Sophomore Ethan Meuser (Shavertown, Pa.) swatted away three shots, setting a new career-high and tying UMass Lowell's Max Brooks for the game's leading shot blocker.
• Ayinde Hikim led all scorers, putting in 25 points on 50% (8-6) shooting for the Riverhawks. His seven assists and three steals were also game-high marks.
• Max Brooks tallied a game-high nine rebounds to go along with his three blocks.

FIRST HALF

• Pavlidis grabbed an offensive rebound and netted a putback layup for the game's first bucket to give the Skyhawks the lead.
• Freshman Louie Semona (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored the next seven points for Stonehill, converting on two layups and a catch-and-shoot three to keep Stonehill in the lead, 9-6.
• Sophomore Chas Stinson (Charlotte, N.C.) gave the Skyhawks a six-point lead with a driving layup on the fast break as Stonehill was ahead 20-14 with 10:30 left in the first half.
• Two field goals from both sophomore Tony Felder (Brockton, Mass.) and Pavlidis led to the largest Skyhawk lead of the game at 30-21.
• UMass Lowell countered with an 8-0 run that cut the Stonehill lead to just one point with 3:07 remaining in the half.
• The Riverhawks took their first lead since they were ahead 4-2 when Hikim sunk a pull-up three and a floating jump shot to put UML ahead 36-32.
• With 44 seconds left in the half, Felder drove to the rack and finished a layup, plus the foul to convert a three-point play.
• The teams went into the break with UMass Lowell leading 38-37. Stonehill shot 46.7% (14-30) while UML shot 40% (12-30).

  Ethan Meuser protected the basket for the Skyhawks, blocking a career-high three shots. (PHOTO BY Craig Meyers)

SECOND HALF

• The Riverhawks opened the second half with seven of the first 10 points, leading 45-40 as Cam Morris put in two layups for UML.
• Over the next four and a half minutes the Skyhawks catapulted themselves into the lead, making eight of nine shots over a 15-2 run led by Benigni who scored 11 points as Stonehill led 55-47.
• Another seven points from Benigni capped off by a deep, pull-up three from the wing, gave Stonehill its largest lead of the game at nine points, leading 67-58 with 9:17 left to play.
• UML responded and trimmed its deficit to four points with six minutes to play but a three-point play from Pavlidis kept the Skyhawks in front by 7, 72-65 with 4:49 on the clock.
• A Brayden O'Connor three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Quinton Mincey marked five straight points for the Riverhawks as they trailed by only two points.
• Stinson hit a tough hook shot from the baseline as the shot clock buzzer sounded to give Stonehill a 74-70 lead but that would be the last points of the game for the Skyhawks.
• Over the final 3:40 of the game, UMass Lowell went on a 10-0 run while Stonehill missed its final seven shots.
• The Riverhawks won 80-74, knocking down 42.2% (27-64) of their shots. The Skyhawks shot the ball at a 47.5% (29-61) clip.

NOTEWORTHY

• Stonehill falls to 19-25 in the all-time series against UMass Lowell as the Skyhawks have now lost four straight against the Riverhawks.
• The two teams have had 24 meetings at Merkert Gym all-time, splitting the series evenly at 12-12.
• Stonehill is now 1-1 at home to start the season, this being the first game at Merkert Gym for the Skyhawks in 19 days following a five-game road trip across four different states (Connecticut – twice, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Texas).
• Stonehill had its best game protecting the basketball this season as they recorded a season-low six turnovers.
• The Skyhawks also recorded a season-high five blocks led by Meuser's new career-high of three blocks on the defensive end.
• Benigni's 18 points in the second half are the most in a single half by a Skyhawk this season.
• Pavlidis notched a season-high eight rebounds, a mark he reached seven times a season ago at Hartford in its final Division 1 season.
• Zegarowski has now scored at least seven points in seven of the first eight games this year, the most such games for Stonehill.
• Benigni reached double-figures for the fourth straight game as he has reached the 10-point mark a team-high six times this season.
• Felder has scored 11+ points in five straight games as he improves his season average to 11.8ppg.

UP NEXT

• Stonehill hosts another America East opponent at Merkert Gymnasium on Saturday, Dec. 2 when Binghamton travels to Easton for a 2 p.m. tip-off.

Tickets for the 2023-24 men's and women's basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets. Season ticket options are available including a men's and women's combination pass, valid for all 27 home games this year.

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