Collins Scores 20 Points And Grabs Seven Rebounds As 11th-Ranked Women's Basketball Matches Best Start In School History With Come-From-Behind 61-58 Northeast-10 Triumph Over Assumption
January 10, 2006
STONEHILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.
FINAL:STONEHILL 61, ASSUMPTION 58
EASTON, Mass.-- Junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y.) scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds as 11th-ranked Stonehill matched its best start ever by rallying from a seven-point second half deficit to post a 61-58 Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball victory over Assumption Tuesday evening at Merkert Gymnasium.
The host Skyhawks, who matched the 1971-72 squad's 14-0 start in Stonehill's first varsity season and improved to 9-0 in Northeast-10 play with the triumph, trailed by nine late in the opening half before closing their deficit to 33-30 at the break, but the visiting Greyhounds (7-7, 3-6 Northeast-10) extended their advantage to seven points early in the second half. Assumption maintained a pair of three-point leads before the Skyhawks used an 8-0 run over a 3:48 stretch to take a 52-47 edge with 7:31 to play on a three-pointer by sophomore Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine). The Greyhounds responded with six unanswered points of their own to regain a 53-52 lead with 5:32 to play on a lay-in by sophomore Megan Urban (Portland, Maine), but Stonehill came back to take a four-point cushion (57-53) with 2:51 remaining on a lay-in by junior Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass.). Assumption answered once again to tie the score on a jumper by senior Kristen DiCalogero (Walpole, Mass.) with 1:58 remaining, but a Collins jumper 21 seconds later gave the Skyhawks the lead for good at 59-57 but set up a frantic finish.
After Greyhound sophomore Charde Floyd (Worcester, Mass.) made one free throw with 1:14 to play, Assumption regained possession with a chance to take the lead only to see Floyd miss the front end of a one-and-one. Stonehill held the ball for 26 seconds before missing a shot but getting the rebound back with five seconds to play, and Stupinski converted a pair of free throws with 0.5 ticks remaining to enable the Skyhawks to remain unbeaten.
Stupinski finished with 11 points and seven assists in the triumph for Stonehill, which moved up from 17th to 11th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II national rankings earlier in the day, their highest rank in 11 years. Junior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass.) added nine points for the Skyhawks, who also received five points and nine rebounds from junior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y.) as well as five points, five rebounds and five steals from Huggins. Freshman Kelsey Simonds (Bridgewater, Mass.) grabbed six caroms for the hosts, who overcame a 38 percent shooting effort to force 24 Assumption turnovers that were converted into 19 points. Stonehill, which picked up its 40th win in 54 series meetings with the Greyhounds, also matched the third longest winning streak in school history with its 14th straight triumph.
Floyd led the way with 13 points, seven boards and six assists in the setback for Assumption, which also received 12 points and six rebounds from DiCalogero and 10 points from senior Amanda Krawiec (North Providence, R.I.). The Greyhounds shot 44 percent from the floor and recorded 16 steals off 21 Stonehill turnovers, but the visitors missed 10 of their 18 attempts from the foul line on the evening.
Stonehill travels to Colchester, Vt. on Saturday afternoon to take on Saint Michael's in a Northeast-10 outing that begins at 1:30 p.m., while Assumption hosts Bryant in a Northeast-10 match-up on Saturday afternoon in Worcester, Mass. that also begins at 1:30 p.m.