College Sports Thursday Report: Holy Family, Stone Hill U., TCNJ, Kean
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Swidowski Leads Holy Family University Men’s Basketball in 76-55 Loss
(12/29/2009)
PHILADELPHIA – Forward Justin Swidowski (so. Cinnaminson, N.J./Holy 
Cross) recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds, both game highs, in a losing effort as the Holy Family University men’s basketball team fell to Stonehill, 76-55, in a non-conference game on Tuesday afternoon at the Campus Center.
The Tigers came out of the gates fighting, keeping the game close in the opening 10:44. Swidowski scored 10 points, while guard Taylor Papion (fr. Lafayette, La./Tuerlings Catholic) had five of his career-best eight points during the opening stretch, which had Holy Family (0-9) down by just three (20-17).
Stonehill (8-2) pulled away by going on a 20-2 run in the final 9:16 of the half to take a 40-19 lead at halftime. Guard Brian Hamor led the Skyhawks with eight of his 14 points during the run. Forwards Patrick Lee and Mike Kernan both added four points. Lee finished the game with 10 points, while Kernan had eight.
In the second half, the Skyhawks hit five straight three-pointers as part of
a 20-6 spurt to lead 60-25 with 13:11 remaining. Guard Randall Stallworth connected on three of the triples on his way to a team-high 16 points.
Holy Family continued playing hard to pull within 20 (72-52) on two made free throws by guard Khiry Hankins (fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day), who finished the game with nine points.
Papion added six assists and three steals for the Tigers. Forward Sam Mushman (so. Tabernacle, N.J./Pope John XXIII) contributed eight points and five rebounds in a reserve effort. Forward Rickie Crews (jr. Westville, N.J./Deptford) corralled nine rebounds.
Stonehill shot 48.5 percent (32 of 66) overall, and 47.6 percent (10 of 21) from three-point range. Holy Family connected on 34.0 percent (18 of 53) of its shots from the field, and 38.5 percent (5 of 13) of its three-point attempts. The Tigers were the better team at the free throw line. The team hit 93.3 percent (14 of 15) of its free throws, while Stonehill shot just 20.0 percent (2 of 10).
Stonehill outrebounded Holy Family, 41-33.
Stonehill Cruises Past Holy Family, 76-55
Stallworth leads balanced Skyhawks effort in rebound win
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (December 29, 2009) - Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in the most recent National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll, returned from a ten-day layoff and rolled to a 76-55 victory over Holy Family University in non-conference men's basketball action at Campus Center Gymnasium this afternoon.
Senior guard Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) didn't miss a shot all afternoon, leading a balanced offensive effort for Stonehill with 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range, to go with four assists (no turnovers) and three steals in 22 minutes of play.
Sophomore Patrick Lee (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and freshman Brian Hamor (Schenectady, N.Y./Bishop Gibbons) combined for 24 points off the bench, missing just three shots from the field combined. Hamor netted a season-high 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, to go with three assists and two steals. Lee contributed ten points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, and six rebounds. Junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) chipped in with eight points, six rebounds (three offensive) and three assists.
Sophomore Justin Swindowski (Cinnaminson, N.J./Holy Cross) led Holy Family with a double-double, notching game-highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds (five offensive), three assists and two steals over 40 minutes. Freshman Khiry Hankins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country) added nine points, while junior Rickie Crews (Westville, N.J./Deptford) chipped in eight rebounds and four blocked shots to go with four points and two assists.
Freshman Brian Hamor added a season-high 14 points off the bench.
Stonehill finished shooting 48.5-percent (32-for-66) from the field, including 54.5% (18-33) in the opening 20 minutes to build a 21-point halftime lead (40-19). The Skyhawks buried 7-of-12 (58.3-percent) three-pointers in the second half, to finish shooting 47.6% (10-21) from beyond the arc on the day. Stonehill out-rebounded its opponent for the tenth time in as many games this season, finishing with a 41-33 edge, while also recording a 31-11 advantage in points off turnovers. Holy Family was held to 34-percent (18-for-53) shooting from the field, including just 6-for-24 (25%) in the first half.
Stonehill never trailed, opening a seven-point lead (14-7) after an early 11-4 run after the teams traded three-pointers in the opening minute. Holy Family was back within three (20-17) after a pair of free-throws by Hankins, but the Skyhawks reeled off nine-straight points to put their lead into double-figures (29-17) after five-straight points from Hamor with 4:37 left in the half. The run was the spark of a 20-2 run over the final 9:16 of the half that put the visitors up 21 (40-19) at the intermission. Hamor had all eight of her first half points in that stretch.
Stonehill's lead never got below 20 points in the second half, with the Skyhawks opening the stanza with a 20-6 run to bust the game open (60-25) after four-straight three's by Stallworth and two more from Hamor with 13:11 to play.
Stonehill (8-2, 6-0 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it battles Philadelphia University at Holy Family at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks next home game is Saturday, January 2, when it resumes its Northeast-10 schedule against the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Merkert Gymnasium at 3:30 p.m. Holy Family (0-9, 0-2 CACC) hosts Assumption College tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
Post University Rallies Past #21 Stonehill, 74-68
Eagles shoot 52-percent in the second half, take advantage of 27 Skyhawk turnovers
EASTON, Mass. (December 19, 2009) - Post University shot 52-percent in the second half to rally for a 74-68 victory over Stonehill College, ranked 21st in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll, in non-conference men's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Post took advantage of 27 Stonehill turnovers, posting a 26-16 advantage in points off turnovers, and finished shooting 48.2-percent (27-for-56) from the field, including 51.9% (14-27) in the second half to overcome as much as a 15-point (48-33) deficit with 16:24 to play. Stonehill finished shooting 46-percent (27-for-60) from the field, but just 36.4% (12-33) in the second half and just 2-for-12 (16.7%) from three-point range over the final 20 minutes. The Skyhawks, who saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end, out-rebounded its opponent for the ninth time in as many games this season finishing with a 35-30 advantage.
Freshman Larry Grant (White Plains, N.Y.) led Post with a game-high 22 points (20 second half) off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, while converting 8-of-10 free-throws to go with three rebounds and two steals. Freshman Trevon Hamlet (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Laughlin) added 17 points (11 first half) on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, six rebounds two blocks and two steals, while classmate Nyheem Sanders (Pawtucket, R.I./St. Andrews School) contributed 14 points, shooting 6-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, to go with three assists and two rebounds.
Sophomore Ivan Almeida also netted 13 points for the Skyhawks, nine in the first half.
Senior Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) and sophomore Ivan Almeida (Praia, Cape Verde) each scored a team-high 13 points for Stonehill, which featured four players in double-figures. Stallworth made 4-of-11 shots from the field, but 3-for-6 from three-point range, to go with four rebounds and three assists, while Almeida contributed five rebounds (four offensive) and three blocked shots.
Freshman Brian Hamor (Guilderland, N.Y./Bishop Gibbons) added a season-high 11 points (all first half), making 3-of-5 three-pointers in the opening half, while junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) chipped in ten points on 5-for-5 shooting from the floor, a team-high seven rebounds and two steals.
Stonehill led by 15 twice early in the second half, the latter coming with 16:24 to play in regulation after a layup by junior Daniel Heppert (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) that put the Skyhawks up 48-33. The Skyhawks lead was still 11 (54-43) after a Kernan tip-in with 10:38 remaining, but Post used a 12-2 run to close within a point (56-55) after Grant made one of two at the line with 7:53 left. Grant had five points in all during the run, while Sanders canned a three.
Stonehill regained a five-point cushion (62-57) after a Stallworth jumper with 4:47 to play, but Grant buried back-to-back three's to put Post in front (63-61) for the first time since a 2-0 lead in the opening minute. The Skyhawks forged a 65-65 tie after a Stallworth three with 1:39 left. The Eagles answered with the next seven points to take its largest lead of the game (72-65) after freshman Shaquan Stevens (Meridan, Conn./Maloney) made one of two at the line with 27-seconds to go.
Stallworth banked in another three to draw Stonehill back within four (72-68) with 22-seconds left, but Post made 7-of-10 free-throws in the closing 62-seconds to hold the Skyhawks at bay while Almeida missed a three to pull them within two with 17-seconds left.
Stonehill led by as much as 13 in the first half behind 55.6-percent (15-for-27) shooting from the field. The Skyhawks were up 20-7 after a three-point play on an Almeida dunk with 9:47 remaining in the first half. Stonehill's lead was still 12 (27-15) after a Hamor three with 7:30 to go before the break.
Post closed within six (35-29) after a Sanders three and free-throw from Hamet with 1:45 to go in the half, but Stonehill answered with a Stallworth three and layup by freshman Sam Markle (Bethany, Conn./Saint Thomas More) to regain an 11-point (40-29) lead with 57-seconds left in the half before settling for a nine-point (40-31) halftime lead.
Stonehill (7-2, 6-0 NE-10) is off until Tuesday, December 29, when it heads to Philadelphia to face Holy Family University at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks next home game is Saturday, January 2, when it resumes its Northeast-10 schedule against the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Merkert Gymnasium at 3:30 p.m. Post (3-5, 0-3 CACC) visits Saint Anselm College on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
The Nations Three Highest Ranked Teams Tumbled in Post Christmas Play
Dec. 30, 2009 -Transylvania took care of No. 1 Washington (Mo.) University in the first game of the Wooster Kiwanis Classic as senior guard Tim Tierney contributed a game-high 25 points, including a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining, to spark the upset victory. The Pioneers snapped the Bears' 16-game winning streak in the first meeting between the two programs. Tierney, who posted a career-high 28 points in his previous outing against Mount Union, also had five assists in the contest.
No. 4 UW-Stevens Point topped second-ranked and previously unbeaten St. Thomas (Minn.), 78-56, in the Sentry Classic Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, ending the Tommies' 33-game regular season winning streak which dated back to February 2008. UWSP head coach Bob Semling picked up his 100th victory at the helm of the Pointers, upping his career winning percentage to .806.
After running its record to 12-0 with an 89-87 win over Whitman on Monday, No. 3 UW-Whitewater was finally knocked off by Whitworth, 94-84, on Dec. 29. Point guard Eric Beal scored 18 points and tallied nine assists and three steals as Whitworth improved to 7-2 on the year and stretched its winning streak to six games.
HIPP TO BE SQUARE: The top three teams were not the only ones to suffer an upset on Dec. 28 as Hamline University nipped No. 8 Wheaton (Ill.) College, 69-68, in the first round of the Thrivant Financial for Lutherans Tournament. Carl Hipp connected on a last-second lay-up to lift the Pipers in their first game since Dec. 12.
Hipp finished the contest with a game-high 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. The victory moved Hamline to 4-4 on the year. The Pipers will now face Cal Lutheran in the championship game of the tournament on Dec. 30.
DON'T BANK ON IT: No. 15 St. Norbert and No. 24 University of Chicago were not safe on Tuesday night either as their respective opponents got the best of them in the Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament.
Northwestern (Minn.) College handed the Green Knights their first loss of the season, 70-68, as it ended a four-game losing streak. Edgewood College upended the Maroons, 67-61, for its second victory over a nationally-ranked team in the last two years. Northwestern and Edgewood will meet in the championship game of the tournament on Dec. 30.
UNBEATENS CLASH: Both No. 5 Randolph-Macon and No. 12 Williams College moved to 9-0 with victories on Dec. 29 in the first round of the 2009 Rees Jewelers Classic hosted by R-MC.
The Yellow Jackets cruised by the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 82-52, while the Ephs downed Elmira, 85-64, to advance to the championship game of the tournament on Dec. 30. The two nationally-ranked programs have combined for 422 wins in the decade.
Undefeated Marymount holds off TCNJ
12/30/2009 4:55:24 PM
Keri Washington finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Arlington, VA…The holidays haven’t been much of a break for The College of New Jersey women’s basketball team as they took on its second straight nationally-ranked opponent on Wednesday. This time the Lions tipped off against undefeated Marymount University and fell 58-37 in Virginia.
The Saints (10-0) entered the game ranked eighth in the latest USA Today ESPN Division III Coaches’ Poll. TCNJ’s previous game was a narrow six-point loss at 13th-ranked William Paterson University.
The loss knocked the Lions to 4-6 on the season.
TCNJ got off to a solid start as they led by as many as five points on two occasions with the second of those coming at 18-13 following a 3-pointer by junior Stephanie Prall (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon). That lead came with 6:59 remaining before the half, but the Saints stormed back with a 13-2 run to close out the half to take a 26-20 lead into the break.
The Lions kept within striking range early in the second half getting as close as five points at 33-28 after a pair of free throws by Keri Washington (Ewing, NJ/Pennington Prep), but that would be as close as they would the remainder of the half.
Washington just missed a double-double for the Lions as she led the team with 11 points and nine rebounds. Junior Kelsey Kutch (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) netted eight points with senior guard Karen Lassoni (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) adding seven points.
TCNJ is right back on the court this weekend participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament hosted by York College (PA). The Lions will open with Norwich University on Saturday, January 2 in a 2 p.m. start.
Cougars Cruise Past Delaware Valley, 85-41
Dover, Del. (12/29/09) - Senior Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) recorded a game-high 19 points as #7 Kean University won the Wesley College Holiday Tournament by defeating Delaware Valley, 85-41, Tuesday evening.
Beyruti (pictured right) was named the tournament MVP for her efforts while teammates Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) and Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.) were named all-tournament team members.
The Cougars (11-1) notched the first bucket of the contest and never looked back, leading by 19 as the teams headed into the break. Beyruti collected 14 first-half points on four treys while Clemons added 12.
Kean then raced out on a 24-7 run over the first eight minutes of action in the second half and cruised to their 11th straight win.
Clemons finished with 14 points and five assists while Patrick added nine points and seven assists. Senior Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) registered 12 points.
KU returns to action in 2010 as they travel to Lycoming College for the Hoops for Hounds Tournament and take on Misericordia University on January 2nd.