J.P. Koury
J.P. Koury

Koury Leads Balanced Attack as Bentley Makes it 6-0 with an 81-63 Win at Stonehill

EASTON, Mass. – Junior guard JP Koury (Red Bank, N.J./CBA) scored a season-best 15 points and seven teammates added at least seven points as Bentley University stayed unbeaten with an 81-62 win over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gym.

Bentley, which has won 10 in a row dating back to last February, shot over 53 percent for the sixth straight game while improving to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the NE-10. Stonehill dropped its third in a row to slip to 2-3 overall (0-2 conference).

An early 16-2 run put the Falcons in front to stay at 18-6 a little more than five minutes after the opening tap. Six different players contributed points during that spurt, with both sophomore guard Alex Furness (Wells, Maine/Wells HS) and freshman guard Ferguson Duke (Dartmouth, N.S./Hun School (N.J.)) connecting from three and freshman guard Matt Barr (Stratham, N.H./Cushing Academy) converted a three-point play.

After a three by Stonehill sophomore forward Stuart McEwen (Sydney, Australia) cut the lead to four with 4:50 left, Bentley pitched a shutout the rest of the half with the Skyhawks scoreless in their final seven possessions (four missed shots, three turns). That resulted in a 10-0 Falcon run, which included a pair of threes from sophomore forward Shaq Phelps (Linden, N.J./Linden HS), and a 43-29 halftime lead.

The differential remained in double figures for virtually the entire second half, the lone exception being at 59-50 when sophomore guard Adam Bramanti (Middleton) nailed one of his four threes for Stonehill.  

Bentley answered right back with ten unanswered, a run launched by a three from the right wing by junior forward Andrew Shaw (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy). Sophomore forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/Camden Hills) followed with a slam, Koury made it 66-50 with a put-back lay-up and senior guard Jasper Grassa (Lynn/Lynn Classical HS) drained a three from the right wing for the first of four 19-point leads that the Falcons enjoyed.

Koury achieved his 15 points on six-of-ten shooting and also filled the stat sheet with five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Grassa followed with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Furness was the third Falcon in doubles, with 11, along with four helpers.

Bentley also received nine points from Phelps and Duke, eight from McFarland and Barr, and seven from Shaw.  McFarland led the Falcons on the glass with eight boards and he also had three assists.

Sophomore forward Pierce Cumpstone (Bainbridge Township, Ohio) topped Stonehill with 18 points and five rebounds.

The hot-shooting Falcons finished at .554 and knocked down 12 of 25 from outside the arc. They also had a 37-28 rebound advantage and despite 16 giveaways, yielded only nine points off turnovers.

Bentley's final game before the Thanksgiving break will be Tuesday night at the Dana Center against Southern New Hampshire (7:30 pm).