Preview: Long Island Sharks at Stonehill Skyhawks EASTON, Mass. (Interstat) — The Long Island Sharks look to rebound from a tough road loss when they visit the struggling Stonehill Skyhawks in a Northeast Conference men’s basketball matchup Friday night at Merkert Gymnasium. Long Island (11-8, 5-1 NEC) saw a five-game winning streak snapped Monday in an 83-77 loss at Le Moyne. The Sharks had previously been one of the conference’s hottest teams, with their run including a 66-59 victory at Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 17. Stonehill (5-13, 2-4) enters on a down note, having lost a close 63-61 contest at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Monday. The Skyhawks have found wins hard to come by this season but are 2-2 in their last four conference games, including an overtime win over Chicago State on Jan. 10. The game features a compelling backcourt matchup. Long Island is led by dynamic guard Malachi Davis, who is coming off a 24-point, four-rebound effort in 40 minutes against Le Moyne. Over his last seven games, Davis is averaging 15.6 points and 5.1 assists, serving as the primary catalyst for the Sharks’ offense. Stonehill will counter with its own standout guard, Chas Stinson. He paced the Skyhawks with 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the narrow loss to Saint Francis (Pa.). Stinson has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, averaging 14.5 points during that stretch. Long Island’s offense, which averages 74.2 points per game, will test a Stonehill defense allowing 71.8 points per contest. The Sharks have shown balance; in Monday’s loss, Jamal Fuller added 20 points and Greg Gordon contributed 10 points and seven rebounds alongside Davis’s output. For Stonehill to pull an upset at home, it will need more consistent scoring support for Stinson. Hermann Koffi (18 points) and Davante Hackett provided help last game, but the Skyhawks rank near the bottom of the NEC in scoring offense. This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams this season. They are scheduled to meet again at Long Island on Feb. 7. Friday’s tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST.