Women's Basketball Returns To Action After Two-Week Hiatus As 25th-Ranked Skyhawks Take Unblemished 10-0 Mark On Road For Northeast-10 Clash At Merrimack

December 31, 2005

2005-2006 Stonehill College Women's Basketball

5:30 p.m. EST

THE GAME: Stonehill returns to action for the first time in two weeks this evening as the Skyhawks, ranked 25th nationally in Division II, look to continue their best start in 11 years by taking on the two-time defending NCAA Northeast Regional champion Merrimack Warriors in a Northeast-10 Conference clash. Stonehill, which takes the floor this evening as a nationally ranked team in Division II for the first time in nearly three years, has been idle since posting an 84-63 non-league victory over Saginaw Valley State back on December 19th at Merkert Gymnasium. Freshman Kelsey Simonds (Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) netted a career-high 22 points while adding five rebounds and four blocks in the win for the Skyhawks, who also received 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals from junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y./Trinity Catholic). Junior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) was also in double figures for the hosts with 15 points and four assists, while sophomore Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine/Mount Ararat) tied the Stonehill single-game assists record by dishing out 15 assists while notching seven steals. Junior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) chipped in with nine points for the winners, who shot 59 percent from the field for the evening and recorded 27 assists on 35 field goals. Merrimack enters tonight's action looking to end a six-game slide, as the Warriors dropped a 72-64 non-league decision to third-ranked Drury in second round play of the 2005 Valley Cup last Thursday evening here at the Volpe Complex.

LAST SEASON: Stonehill dropped both of its meetings with Merrimack during the 2004-2005 campaign, as the Warriors posted a 72-58 victory over the Skyhawks on January 3, 2005 at Merkert Gymnasium before notching a 77-52 triumph on January 22, 2005 here at the Volpe Complex. Patricia Odom netted 13 points in the home setback for Stonehill, while Alisha Collins collected 12 points in the road decision for the Skyhawks.

THE SERIES: Stonehill and Merrimack are meeting for the 56th time this evening, and the Skyhawks hold a 48-7 advantage over the Warriors in the all-time series between the schools.

THE SKYHAWKS: Collins leads Stonehill in scoring at 18.4 ppg, while Simonds follows at 11.6 ppg and paces the Skyhawks on the boards at 8.9 caroms per contest. Kennedy is also in double figures at 10.5 ppg while adding 5.9 rpg, while Stupinski adds 9.7 ppg and 6.4 apg.

THE WARRIORS: Senior Joelle Martin leads Merrimack in scoring and rebounding at 19.2 ppg and 6.5 caroms per contest, while sophomore Ashley Brownlee adds 8.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg.

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 an 82-44 (.651) 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 2-6 during her career against Merrimack.

HEAD COACH LIZ BRIGGS: Liz Briggs is in her first season as Head Women's Basketball Coach at Merrimack College. A 1992 graduate of Saint Anselm, Briggs has guided the Warriors to a 4-9 (.308) during her inaugural season on the Merrimack bench, while her career collegiate mark, including three seasons at Susquehanna, stands at 36-50 (.419). Briggs, who is assisted by Susan Roarke, has never previously faced Stonehill during her career.

RANK AND FILE: After receiving votes in each of the first two USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II national polls, Stonehill cracked the Top 25 on December 20th for the first time since March 2003 in entering the rankings at the #25 spot in the poll. The Skyhawks were also ranked 25th in their previous appearance in the WBCA poll in March 2003. Here is the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II Top 25 as of December 20th:

RankInstitution (First Place Votes)Last Week's RankRecordPoints

1.Washburn University (Kan.) (22)19-0598

2.University of North Dakota - Grand Forks (2)312-0567

3.Drury University (Mo.)28-1517

4.Emporia State University (Kan.)510-0515

5.University Of Charleston (W.Va.)48-0513

6.Saint Cloud State University (Minn.)611-0486

7.Western Washington University 75-0460

8.Henderson State University (Ark.)89-1401

9.Glenville State College (W.Va.)128-0367

10.Grand Valley State University (Mich.)98-2326

11.Valdosta State University (Ga.)138-1308

12.California State University - Chico116-1302

13.Rollins College (Fla.)169-0295

14.Seattle Pacific University (Wash.)105-2273

15.West Texas A&M University 177-0267

16.American International College (Mass.)199-0231

17.Lake Superior State University (Mich.)146-2207

18.Central Missouri State University 187-2156

19.University Of Minnesota-Duluth 2211-1152

20.Florida Gulf Coast University 2411-0140

21.Carson-Newman College (Tenn.)157-3130

22.Angelo State University (Texas)208-2129

23.Fairmont State University (W.Va.)217-191

24.Saint Augustine's College (N.C.)NR7-065

25.Stonehill College (Mass.)NR9-061

Dropped Out: Shaw University (N.C.), California University (Pa.)

Others Receiving Votes: Delta State University - 60; Clayton College & State University - 26; North Carolina Central University - 17; Shaw University - 17; Wheeling Jesuit University - 17; North Georgia College & State University - 16; Michigan Tech. University - 15; Missouri Western State - 14; Regis University - 14; California University Of PA - 12; Fort Valley State University - 11;Presbyterian College - 6; Southern Conn. St. University - 5; Pace University - 4; Wingate University - 4; Tusculum College - 2; Saint Michael's College - 1; University Of Central Arkansas - 1; Wayne State College - 1.

FAST START: Stonehill's 10-0 start is the Skyhawks' best since the 1994-95 NCAA Final Four team began that 30-win season under Paula Sullivan with 13 straight victories. Stonehill's current 10-game winning streak matches its longest since a similar 10-game win skein in January 1997 during Kelly Hart's inaugural season as head coach.

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.

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 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 658-252 (.723) 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.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: Stonehill is now 53-1 in its last 54 contests when holding an opponent to 59 or fewer points after the December 10th victory over Bryant, a streak that dates back to February 2001.

CONFERENCE RANK AND FILE: As of December 18th, Stonehill led the Northeast-10 in scoring offense (75.4 ppg), field goal percentage (.471), assists (17.78 apg), steals (10.89 spg), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.96) and three-point field goals made (7.11 pg) while ranking second in scoring margin (+17.1), three-point field goal percentage (.400), rebounding defense (30.8 drpg), rebounding margin (+ 8.1), blocked shots (4.33 bpg) and turnover margin (+ 3.00). Alisha Collins ranks second in individual scoring at 18.1 ppg, while Kelsey Simonds was second in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and third in blocked shots (1.78 bpg) and while leading the league on defensive rebounds (7.11 drpg). Erika Stupinski leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.45) while ranking second in assists (5.44 apg) and third in steals steals (3.22 spg), while senior co-captain Barbara Dauplaise (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) leads the Northeast-10 in three-point field goal percentage (.625).

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 Strodusburg6936.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.

THIRTY-THREE IN A ROW, LOOK AT EM GO: Stonehill has posted 34 straight winning campaigns after last year's 14-win season, a streak that dates back to the program's inception in 1971. The Skyhawks recorded 25 of those winning campaigns 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.

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 139-35 (.799) at Merkert Gymnasium.

SKYHAWK TALK: The December 10th victory was Stonehill's 41st in 57 series meetings with BryantThe December 5th win at LIU-C.W. Post improved Stonehill's all-time mark against New York Collegiate Athletic Conference foes to 34-5 (.872), as the Skyhawks have also bested NYCAC foes Molloy (69-60) and Adelphi (69-54) this season Stonehill has won six straight in the series with Saint Anselm and five straight in the series with Saint Michael's dating back to January 2002Collins became the first Skyhawk to score 30 points in a game in the win over Bentley since Kristen McDonnell turned the trick on January 20, 2003 at PaceAfter scoring 55 points for the game in the last meeting between the two teams last January, Stonehill tallied 58 points in the opening half of the November 22nd triumph over BentleyThe Skyhawks became the third team ever to reach the 100-point plateau against the FalconsThe November 22nd triumph over then 11th-ranked Bentley was Stonehill's first over a ranked opponent since March 2004 when the Skyhawks bested then 20th-ranked Holy Family in the NCAA Northeast Regional quarterfinalsThe November 19th win over Adelphi was the Skyhawks' eighth triumph in as many meetings with the PanthersStonehill has won all five of its season openers under Brown's tutelageThe November 15th season-opening match-up with St. Thomas Aquinas was the first meeting between the two teams since Stonehill's 83-49 triumph over the Spartans in the 2003 NCAA Northeast Regional quarterfinalsStonehill has played over 900 contests in 34-plus varsity seasons of action 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 NovemberStonehill's 8-1 start last winter was its second in three seasonsStonehill has won 67 of its last 97 contests (.691) dating back to November 2002.

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 Thursday, January 5th for a Northeast-10 showdown with 16th-ranked American International at Merkert Gymnasium that begins at 5:30 p.m. EST. The Skyhawks close out the week on Saturday, January 7th by heading to Smithfield, R.I. to take on Bryant in a Northeast-10 outing that tips-off at 1:30 p.m. EST.