Women's Basketball Heads Into Home Stretch With Tough Road Contest Thursday Evening As Ninth-Ranked And Unbeaten Skyhawks Renew Rivalries With Bentley In Northeast-10 Match-Up

January 25, 2006

2005-2006 Stonehill College Women's Basketball

5:30 p.m. EST

THE GAME: Stonehill is set to take the floor as a top 10 team for the first time in nearly 11 years this evening as the Skyhawks, ranked ninth in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II national poll, look to remain unbeaten on the season in renewing their longstanding rivalry with the Bentley Falcons in a Northeast-10 Conference clash. Stonehill, off to the best start in the program's 35-year varsity history, enters tonight's action after posting a 65-53 Northeast-10 triumph over Merrimack last Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium, as junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y./Trinity Catholic) led the way for the Skyhawks with a career-high tying 30 points while grabbing a career-best 16 rebounds. Fellow junior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) was also in double figures for the winners with 11 points and five boards, while sophomore Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine/Mount Ararat) chipped in with eight points and six assists for the hosts, who also received seven points, four rebounds and three assists from junior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) in sweeping the regular season series from the two-time defending NCAA Northeast Regional champions and claiming their 50th win in 57 series meetings with the Warriors. Bentley, winners of two straight and 10 of its last 12 outings, also enters tonight's action after posting a 12-point Northeast-10 victory over Merrimack, as the Falcons bested the Warriors by a 57-45 margin on Tuesday evening here at the Dana Center.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y./Trinity Catholic) was named on Monday as the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season after leading Stonehill to three victories last week. Collins averaged a near double-double effort of 21 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and one block on the week, including a career-high tying 30 points and a career-best 16 rebounds in a 65-53 victory over Merrimack. Collins added 17 points and five boards in a 62-54 triumph at LeMoyne and collected 16 points and seven caroms in a 69-63 win over Saint Anselm while shooting 52 percent (22-42) from the field for the week.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Freshman Kelsey Simonds (Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) was named on Monday as the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season in helping Stonehill post three victories last week. Simonds averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.3 steals on the week, including 17 points, five rebounds and four steals in a 69-63 victory over Saint Anselm. Simonds added 10 points, three boards and two blocks in a 62-54 triumph at LeMoyne and shot 82 percent (9-11) from the foul line.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: On all three occasions in which Alisha Collins has been named as Northeast-10 Player of the Week this season, Kelsey Simonds has also been tabbed as the conference's Freshman of the Week. Simonds also earned a Northeast-10 Player of the Week accolade earlier this month.

LAST MEETING: Stonehill and Bentley last met on November 22, 2005 at Merkert Gymnasium, and the Skyhawks posted a 101-59 victory over the Falcons. Alisha Collins led three players in double figures by scoring a career-high 30 points, while Kelsey Simonds added a double-double effort of 21 points and 10 rebounds for Stonehill, which also received a career-high 18 points (including six three-pointers) from senior co-captain Bethany Roderigue (Winslow, Maine/Winslow). Erika Stupinski chipped in with eight points and eight assists for the Skyhawks, who blistered the nets at a 63 percent clip and canned 15 three-pointers (two shy of school single-game record), as the hosts shot 71 percent (15-21) from behind the arc and 89 percent (16-18) from the charity stripe. The win was Stonehill's largest margin of victory in the 76-game series with Bentley and marked the first time that the Skyhawks had eclipsed the century mark in the scoring column since netting a school-record 109 points against Assumption in January 1995.

THE SERIES: Tonight's contest marks the 77th meeting between Stonehill and Bentley in one of the storied rivalries in New England women's basketball, and the Falcons hold a 51-25 advantage over the Skyhawks in the all-time series between the two schools.

THE SKYHAWKS: Collins leads Stonehill and the Northeast-10 in scoring at 18.6 ppg while adding 6.3 rpg, while Simonds follows at 10.9 ppg and 7.7 caroms per contest. Kennedy is next at 9.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg, while Stupinski adds 9.2 ppg and leads the Northeast-10 in assists at 5.8 apg. Morast checks in at 8.2 ppg as well for the Skyhawks.

THE FALCONS: Graduate student Carolyn Gottstein leads Bentley in scoring and rebounding at 12.9 ppg and 8.6 caroms per contest, while senior Kate Kelley follows at 10.8 ppg. Junior Shannon Kirwan is also in double figures for the Falcons at 10.3 ppg.

HEAD COACH TRISHA BROWN: Trisha Brown is in her fifth season as Head Women's Basketball Coach at Stonehill College. A 1987 graduate of Harvard, Brown is just the third head coach in the 35-year history of varsity women's basketball at Stonehill, as she has posted a 90-44 (.672) mark during her tenure and led the Skyhawks to back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2003 and 2004. Brown, who helped lead Harvard to one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history when the Crimson knocked off top-seeded Stanford in the 1998 NCAA Division I first round, is assisted by Kelly Thompson (Springfield '02) and former Skyhawk standout Kaitlyn O'Malley (Stonehill '04). Brown, who collected her 75th career victory in Stonehill's 69-54 triumph over Adelphi on November 19th, is 2-8 during her career against Bentley.

HEAD COACH BARBARA STEVENS: Barbara Stevens is in her 20th season as Head Women's Basketball Coach at Bentley College. A 1976 graduate of Bridgewater State, Stevens has amassed an overall mark of 547-97 (.849) during her tenure with the Falcons, while her career collegiate mark in 29 seasons stands at 704-188 (.789), as she collected her 700th career triumph earlier this month in a win over Bryant. Stevens, who is assisted by C White, Bill Gould and Shevon Gibbons, is 41-13 during her career against Stonehill.

AND THEY'RE OFF: To the best start in the 35-year history of Stonehill women's basketball, as the Skyhawks' 18-0 mark out of the gate surpassed the 1971-72 squad's 14-0 mark set during the inaugural varsity year in program history.

A BAKER'S DOZEN: Stonehill's 13-0 Northeast-10 start is its best since the 1994-95 season, as the Skyhawks also started conference play at 13-0 during that campaign en route to its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

THEY CALL IT THE STREAK: Stonehill's current 18-game winning streak ranks as the second longest such skein in school history, as the Skyhawks' 19-game winning streak from November 1993 through January 1994 ranks as the longest skein in program history.

MEET IT, BEAT IT: Stonehill has already surpassed its entire win total of last season, as the Skyhawks collected 14 triumphs during the 2004-2005 campaign.

NOT JUST ANOTHER FACE IN THE CROWD: Kelsey Simonds is featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" column in January 23rd edition of the magazine. Simonds was honored by Sports Illustrated after being selected as the Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week on four occasions this season, and she becomes the fourth Stonehill student-athlete to be honored with selection in "Faces In The Crowd", as women's lacrosse All-America performers Katie Lambert '03 and Lauren Stone '06, along with ice hockey standout Rob Pascale '04, have also appeared in the Sports Illustrated column over the last three years alone.

REGIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill was named on Wednesday afternoon as the top-ranked team in the second NCAA Division II Northeast Regional rankings released by the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee, as the Skyhawks sit atop the regional poll for the second straight week after ascending to the top spot on January 18th for the first time in 11 seasons. The NCAA Northeast Regional rankings, with records listed through games played as of January 22nd, are as follows:

1.Stonehill18-017-0

2.American International15-215-2

3.Southern Connecticut State15-313-3

4.Pace14-414-4

5.Saint Michael's13-411-4

6.Bentley12-811-5

7.Franklin Pierce11-710-5

8.Holy Family13-112-1

9.Saint Rose12-69-6

10.New Haven12-312-3

NATIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill moved up two spots in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II national poll released on Tuesday afternoon, as the Skyhawks moved into the top 10 for first time since March 1995 in checking in at the #9 spot in this week's rankings. Stonehill has been rated in the top 25 since December 20th, as the Skyhawks first cracked the poll at the #25 position, moved up to #17 a week later and had been ranked 11th in each of the last two weeks before moving into the top 10. The Skyhawks are one of five remaining unbeaten teams nationally, as #1 Washburn, #2 North Dakota, #6 Glenville State and #10 Rollins also have undefeated records in the top 10. Here is the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II Top 25 as of January 24th:

RankInstitution (First Place Votes)Last Week's RankRecordPoints

1.Washburn University (Kan.) (22)118-0622

2.University of North Dakota - Grand Forks (3)222-0596

3.Emporia State University (Kan.)318-1572

4.Saint Cloud State University (Minn.)417-1527

5.Drury University (Mo.)516-1519

6.Glenville State College (W.Va.)614-0512

7.University Of Charleston (W.Va.)716-1466

8.Western Washington University 915-1440

9.Stonehill College (Mass.)1118-0414

10.Rollins College (Fla.)1015-0400

11.Henderson State University (Ark.)816-2350

12.California State University - Chico1213-2312

13.Delta State University (Miss.)1516-1280

14.Florida Gulf Coast University 1418-1275

15.Grand Valley State University (Mich.)1315-3270

16.American International College (Mass.)1615-2241

17.California State University - Bakersfield1914-1227

18.West Texas A&M University 1714-2213

19.Lake Superior State University (Mich.)1815-3201

20.Fort Valley State University (Ga.)2314-1127

21.University Of Minnesota-Duluth 2016-4101

22.Clayton State University (Ga.)2113-386

23.Valdosta State University (Ga.)2213-574

24.Fairmont State University (W.Va.)2513-249

25.University Of California-San Diego NR12-237

Dropped Out: Angelo State University (Texas).

Others Receiving Votes: Angelo State University (Texas) - 32; Wayne State College (Neb.) - 30; Southern Conn. St. University - 22; Shaw University (N.C.) - 16; Univ. of North Carolina-Pembroke -14; Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) - 14; North Carolina Central University - 13; Regis University (Colo.) - 13; Wingate University (N.C.) - 13; University Of Central Arkansas - 12; Presbyterian College (S.C.) - 9; Northern Kentucky University - 8; Barton College (N.C.) - 6; North Georgia College & State University - 5; University Of West Florida - 4; California (Pa.)- 3.

PULLING RANK: The January 5th victory over 16th-ranked American International was Stonehill's second of the year against a nationally-ranked opponent, as the Skyhawks bested then 11th-ranked Bentley by a 101-59 margin back on November 22nd.

THIRTY-FIVE IN A ROW, LOOK AT EM GO: With the January 10th triumph over Assumption, Stonehill has now posted 35 straight winning campaigns, a streak that dates back to the program's inception in 1971. The Skyhawks recorded 25 of those winning seasons during current Director of Athletics Paula Sullivan's tenure as head coach, and former Stonehill mentor Kelly Hart carried that streak to 30 seasons before Trisha Brown took over in 2001.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN: The December 19th win over Saginaw Valley State enabled Stonehill to reach the double-digit plateau in the victory column for the 29th straight season. The Skyhawks reached the 10-win mark before the turn of the New Year for the first time since December 1994.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: Stonehill is now 57-1 in its last 58 contests when holding an opponent to 59 or fewer points after last Saturday's victory over Merrimack, a streak that dates back to February 2001.

CONFERENCE RANK AND FILE: In statistics through games of January 22nd, Stonehill leads the Northeast-10 in scoring (72/9 ppg), field goal percentage (.438) and assists (16.06 apg), and the Skyhawks rank second in blocked shots (4.83 bpg). Alisha Collins leads the conference in scoring at 18.6 ppg, while Erika Stupinski leads the league in assists (5.83) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.78). Kelsey Simonds ranks second in the league in blocked shots (2.11).

NCAA RANK AND FILE: Stonehill also ranks in several team and individual categories among NCAA Division II national statistical leaders through games of January 22nd, as the Skyhawks are tied for first in won-lost percentage, 33rd in scoring margin, 35th in rebounding margin, 43rd in scoring and 48th in field goal percentage. Individually, Alisha Collins ranks 25th in scoring, while Erika Stupinski is 16th in assists and Kelsey Simonds ranks 27th in blocked shots.

COACH OF THE MONTH: Stonehill Head Coach Trisha Brown was recognized by Division II Women's Bulletin as the Division II Coach of the Month for her efforts in guiding the Skyhawks to a 6-0 start this season. Included in those six triumphs was a 101-59 victory over then 11th-ranked Bentley, as Stonehill has won 19 of 20 games played during the month of November under Brown's tutelage dating back to 2001.

NON-CONFERENCE NUMBERS: Stonehill is 22-2 (.917) in non-conference play during Trisha Brown's five-year tenure as head coach, including a 5-0 mark this season.

THE .700 (PLUS) CLUB: Stonehill has posted a 74-30 mark in its last 104 outings dating back to November 2002 for a winning percentage over that time span of .712.

HIGH SCORING HALVES: Following the January 14th second half effort at Saint Michael's, Stonehill has scored 46 or more points in a half of play on seven occasions this season, with the high-water mark coming on November 22nd with 58 first-half points against Bentley.

THE CENTURY MARK: The November 22nd 101-point effort in the win over Bentley marked the first time that Stonehill had scored 100 or more points in a game since January 24, 1995 when the Skyhawks notched a school-record 109 points in a 109-45 victory at Assumption.

BEHIND THE BENTLEY NUMBERS: Stonehill's 58-first half points in the November 22nd win over Bentley ranks as the second highest first-half total in school history, topped only by a 61-point effort in the opening 20 minutes against Springfield during the 1992-93 season. The Skyhawks' 15 three-pointers also ranks as the second highest single-game total in school history, as Stonehill has canned 17 three-pointers on two occasions.

MILESTONE VICTORIES: The November 18th 69-60 victory over Molloy was the 650th win in the 35-year history of Stonehill women's basketball, as the Skyhawks have amassed an overall mark of 666-252 (.725) since the program's varsity inception in 1971. The November 19th 69-54 win over Adelphi was the 75th career triumph for Head Coach Trisha Brown.

AYE, AYE CAPTAINS: Seniors Bethany Roderigue (Winslow, Maine/Winslow) and Barbara Dauplaise (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) have been named as co-captains for the 2005-2006 edition of Stonehill Women's Basketball. Roderigue averaged 4.4 points per game and led the Skyhawks with 28 three-pointers last season, while Dauplaise averaged 2.2 points per game and chipped in with 11 three-pointers.

THE ALL-TIME VICTORIES LIST: Stonehill ranks 10th among all NCAA Division II women's basketball programs in both all-time victories and all-time winning percentage. The Skyhawks entered the 2005-2006 campaign with 648 wins and a .720 winning percentage. Here is the list of the top 10 Division II women's basketball programs of all-time:

TOTAL VICTORIESWINNING PERCENTAGE

1.Delta State8321.Bentley.812

2.Cal Poly Pomona7432.Arkansas Tech.797

3.Bentley7403.Pitt-Johnstown.795

4.Arkansas Tech7064.Delta State.789

5.Central Missouri State7035.Cal Poly Pomona.779

6.East Stroudsburg6936.West Texas A&M.766

7.Northern State6787.Northern State.759

8.Lincoln Memorial6588.Central Missouri State.725

9.Francis Marion6569.North Dakota.724

10.STONEHILL 64810.STONEHILL .720

TWENTY-TWENTY VISION: Stonehill reached the 20-win plateau for the second time in Trisha Brown's three-year tenure as head coach and for the 17th time in the program's illustrious 34-year history in 2003-2004. The Skyhawks have won 20 or more games on nine occasions since 1991, including a school-record 30 victories during the 1994-95 campaign. Brown and former Stonehill mentor Kelly Hart have each recorded a pair of 20-win seasons on the bench, as Skyhawk Director of Athletics Paula Sullivan won 20 or more games on 15 occasions during her 25-year tenure as Stonehill's head coach.

HOME SWEET HOME: Merkert Gymnasium has certainly provided a distinct home court advantage for Stonehill, as the Skyhawks amassed an incredible mark of 114-18 (.864) at home during the 1990's. Over the last 11 seasons alone, Stonehill is 143-35 (.803) at Merkert Gymnasium.

SKYHAWK TALK: Beginning with tonight's tilt, Stonehill will face four regionally-ranked foes in its next four outings (Bentley, Southern Connecticut, Pace and Saint Rose)Last Saturday's win over Merrimack was Stonehill 50th victory in 57 series meetings with the Warriors. The January 16th win over Saint Anselm was Stonehill's seventh straight over the Hawks and 44th in 63 series meetings between the teamsStonehill has now won 39 of 47 series meetings with Saint Michael's following the January 14th triumph, and the Skyhawks have won six straight over the Purple Knights since January 2002The January 10th win over Assumption was Stonehill's 40th in 54 series meetings with the GreyhoundsThe January 7th triumph at Bryant was Stonehill's 42nd in 58 series meetings with the BulldogsThe January 2nd victory over 16th-ranked American International was Stonehill's 44th in 58 series meetings with the Yellow Jackets and ended a nine-game AIC win streak in the series that dated back to the 1999-2000 season.The December 5th win at LIU-C.W. Post improved Stonehill's all-time mark against New York Collegiate Athletic Cofnerence opponents to 34-5 (.872), as the Skyhawks have also bested NYCAC foes St. Thomas Aquinas, Molloy and Adelphi this seasonCollins became the first Skyhawk to score 30 points in a game in the November 22nd win over Bentley since Kristen McDonnell turned the trick on January 20, 2003 at Pace The Skyhawks became the third team ever to reach the 100-point plateau against BentleyStonehill has won all five of its season openers under Brown's tutelage Stonehill has posted 3-0 starts in each of its five campaigns under Brown, who has compiled an 19-1 (.950) mark during the month of November.

SKYHAWKS ON THE WEB: For the second straight season, Stonehill basketball can be accessed on the world wide web through Free Teamline, a service of TRZ Sports of Kent, Ohio. A total of 16 Skyhawk regular season women's basketball broadcasts will be available throughout the 2005-2006 season via Free Teamline by accessing the official Stonehill Athletics website at www.stonehillskyhawks.com, powered by Presto Sports. Returning to call all of action of Stonehill basketball once again this winter is the tandem of Charlie Bergeron and Brian Buckley, who have served as the voices of Skyhawk Basketball since 1998.

WHO'S NEXT: Stonehill returns home on Saturday, January 28th to entertain Southern Connecticut (which received votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll) in a key Northeast-10 showdown at Merkert Gymnasium that tips-off at 1:30 p.m. EST.