Chieftains erase eight-point second-half deficit, finish game with 9-3 run

EASTON, Mass. (February 12, 2005) - Stonehill College rallied from as much as a 12-point first half deficit, erasing an eight-point Franklin Pierce lead early in the second-half, to post a 78-72 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Senior Dezmond Morgan (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia) led four Stonehill players in double-figures with 20 points as he hit eight-of-16 from the field, to go with five rebounds (four offensive) and five steals. Junior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif./Naval Prep) added 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals, while senior Evan Pellerin (Toronto, Ontario/Jarvis C.I.) posted a double-double with ten points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Junior Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass./Milford) chipped in 14 points on 6-6 shooting from the field, including 2-2 from long-distance, in 18 minutes off the bench.

Sophomore Sean Mayo (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) led Franklin Pierce with a career-high 19 points, as he hit 9-of-10 from the field, to go with four rebounds (three offensive), four blocks and three steals. Freshman Mitchell Johnson (Nassau, Bahamas/Cushing Academy) added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, while junior Pierre Sully (Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge Catholic) finished with 12 points, three boards, three assists and three steals. Junior Douaine Anderson (Wolverhampton, England) chipped in ten points and four boards.

Franklin Pierce led by 12 on two occasions late in the first half, the second coming after a Mayo jumper to make it 41-29 with 3:02 to play. Stonehill closed out the half with a 10-1 run to make it a three-point game (42-39) at the break, with Nelson canning a pair of three's.

The Ravens regained a seven-point lead (54-47) after a Sully three 4:27 into the second half, and a Johnson dunk off a turnover put Franklin Pierce up eight (58-50) with 13:30 left.

A 9-2 Stonehill run, sparked by a three-point play from Taylor, cut the lead to a single point (60-59) with 9:32 to play. A Darryl Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) jumper put the Ravens up three (65-62) with 9:14 to play, but the Chieftains scored six-straight points to take their first lead of the contest (65-62) after a Morgan lay-up with seven minutes to play.

The Ravens knotted the score (69-69) on a Johnson three with 4:02 left, but a lay-up and three from Taylor put Stonehill up five (74-69) with 1:32 left. Another Johnson three pulled the Ravens within two points, but the Chieftains canned all four free-throw attempts in the final 16-seconds to ice the win.

Franklin Pierce (8-16, 6-13 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Merrimack College at 7:30 p.m. Stonehill (18-6, 14-5 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

BOXSCORE