Collins Scores 23 Points And Grabs 10 Rebounds To Notch Second Straight Double-Double Effort As Women's Basketball Matches Best Start In 10 Seasons With 84-74 Northeast-10 Victory Over LeMoyne

December 3, 2005

STONEHILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Saturday, December 3, 2005

Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.

FINAL:STONEHILL 84, LE MOYNE 74

EASTON, Mass.-- Junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y.) scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record her second straight double-double effort as Stonehill held off a furious comeback in the final 7:40 of action to post an 84-74 Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball victory over LeMoyne Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium.

The host Skyhawks have matched their best start in 10 years at 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Northeast-10 play, as Stonehill last began a year 7-0 during the 1995-96 campaign. The Skyhawks overcame a slow start to take a 38-26 advantage at the break buoyed by an 11-2 run over the final 2:40 of the half, and the hosts blistered the nets in the first 12-plus minutes of action of the second half, shooting 69 percent over that stretch to take a 75-52 lead with 7:40 to play. The visiting Dolphins (3-3, 2-2 Northeast-10) then scored the next 16 points of the contest to whittle the deficit to nine points with 4:01 remaining, and LeMoyne got cut that margin to seven points on two occasions before Stonehill converted seven of eight free throws in the final 1:39, including four by sophomore Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine), to notch the victory.

Junior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass.) added 12 points and four rebounds in the win for Stonehill, which also received 10 points and six boards from junior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y.). Senior Bethany Roderigue (Winslow, Maine) canned three three-pointers for nine points for the Skyhawks, who also received nine points and six rebounds from freshman Kelsey Simonds (Bridgewater, Mass.) as well as eight points, six assists and five steals from Stupinski. Stonehill shot 52 percent from the field and connected for nine three-pointers while holding a 34-26 rebounding edge and outscoring LeMoyne by a 19-9 margin at the foul line.

Sophomore Kim Wagoner (Cicero, N.Y.) led four players in double figures with 20 points for LeMoyne, which also received 14 points, including four three-pointers, from senior Ann Belforti (Watertown, Conn.). Junior Lindsay Ellis (Fairport, N.Y.) notched a double-double effort of 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Dolphins, which also received 10 points from freshman Vanessa Holden (Suffern, N.Y.) as the visitors shot an even 50 percent from the floor and canned nine three-pointers but were hurt by 20 turnovers on the afternoon.

Stonehill travels to Brookville, N.Y. on Wednesday evening to take on LIU-C.W. Post in a non-league outing that tips-off at 6:00 p.m., while LeMoyne heads to Lowell, Mass. on Monday evening to take on UMass Lowell in a Northeast-10 match-up that begins at 5:30 p.m.