#24 STONEHILL KNOCKS OFF BRYANT MEN, 77-63
Bulldogs Fall For First Time at Home
 
SMITHFIELD, RI  – Marquis Taylor scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead No. 24 Stonehill College to a 77-63 win over Bryant University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center. 

Stonehill (11-1, 7-1 NE-10), winners of nine in-a-row,  made 12 of 22 three-point field goal attempts in the game – including seven in the first half.  The Skyhawks opened the game outscoring the Bulldogs, 11-2 to start the game as a long three from Taylor and pair of buckets by Chris Kraus helped key the spurt.

The Bulldogs would pull to within 16-10 following a three from senior guard John Williams, but more long range three's from Sean Nelson and Nick Smith helped push the Stonehill lead back to 24-10 as the visitors took a 40-28 lead into the locker room at the half.

In the second half, Bryant would fall behind by as much as, 62-45 with 10:42 left, but a steal and break-away dunk by Dan Hammond (Brunswick, ME) followed by a pair of buckets from Jarrenn Wright and Hammond, cut the Stonehill lead to 62-53 with 7:59 remaining.

Bryant (9-4, 4-4 NE-10) would continue to chip away at the lead, pulling back to within 69-62 following another three by Williams with 3:45 left, but it was not enough to hold off the red-hot Skyhawks who would close out the game with a 8-1 run to earn the win.

Bryant shot 33.3 percent from the floor and made just five of 16 three-point attempts in the game as Williams paced the Bulldogs with 17 points.  Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) and Hammond would finish with 12 and 10 points each respectively. 

Stonehill got 15 points from Nelson and Kraus and 10 points from guard Lance Clarke as the Skyhawks finished the game shooting 54.3 percent – 63 percent in the second half as the visitors missed just seven shots from the floor in the second.