Women's Basketball Set To Begin Quest For Northeast-10 Tournament Title Tuesday Evening As 23rd-Ranked Skyhawks Host UMass Lowell In Conference Quarterfinal Action

February 27, 2006

2005-2006 Stonehill College Women's Basketball

7:00 p.m. EST

LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Stonehill begins its quest for its first Northeast-10 Conference tournament title in nine years this evening as the second-seeded and 23rd-ranked Skyhawks entertain the 10th-seeded UMass Lowell River Hawks in quarterfinal round play of the 2006 league championships. Stonehill clinched second place in the final conference standings and reached the 22-win plateau for the second time in four years last Tuesday evening with a 51-41 Northeast-10 triumph over Assumption at Laska Gymnasium in Worcester, Mass. Sophomore Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine/Mount Ararat) led the way with 14 points (including four three-pointers), four assists and three steals in the triumph for the Skyhawks, which also received 12 points and six rebounds from junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y./Trinity Catholic). Junior Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass./Brockton) chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds in the win for the visitors, who also received eight caroms from junior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) as well as six assists from junior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham). The victory enabled Stonehill to record its highest league regular season finish in seven years, as the Skyhawks have advanced to the conference quarterfinals for the 23rd time in the 25-year history of the Northeast-10 tournament. UMass Lowell advanced to tonight's quarterfinal round by posting a 67-54 victory over seventh-seeded Saint Michael's in first round play of the 2006 Northeast-10 Championships on Sunday afternoon at the Ross Sports Center in Colchester, Vt.

HONOR ROLL HONOREES: Sophomore Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine/Mount Ararat) and junior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y.) each earned spots on the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll on Monday for their efforts in Stonehill's 51-41 regular season ending victory at Assumption last Tuesday evening. Stupinski scored 14 points, dished off four assists and recorded three steals in the triumph for the Skyhawks, while Collins added 12 points and six rebounds for the visitors.

STONEHILL IN THE NORTHEAST-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS: Stonehill sports a 36-22 (.621) mark in 58 previous Northeast-10 tournament contests all time, as the Skyhawks' win total and winning percentage rank second all-time in league playoff history. Stonehill and Bentley are the only two schools to qualify for all 25 Northeast-10 tournaments, as the Skyhawks are seeking their first playoff crown since 1997 and their fifth overall.

STONEHILL IN THE POST-SEASON: Tonight is Stonehill's 100th post-season contest, as the Skyhawks have posted a 58-41 (.586) mark in 99 contests over a 35-year span dating back to the inaugural 1971-72 campaign. Stonehill is 13-16 in 15 NCAA Division II tournament appearances and has advanced to a pair of Elite Eights and three Sweet Sixteens, with the 1994-95 edition advancing all the way to the Final Four with a school-record 30 victories.

LAST MEETING: Stonehill and UMass Lowell last met on February 7th at Costello Gymnasium in Lowell, Mass., and the River Hawks posted a 62-59 victory over the Skyhawks. Caitlin Kennedy led the way with 17 points in the setback for Stonehill, which also received a double-double effort of 14 points and 11 rebounds from freshman Kelsey Simonds (Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) as well as nine points and five boards from Kim Morast.

THE SERIES: Stonehill and UMass Lowell are meeting for the 29th time this evening, and the Skyhawks hold an 18-10 advantage over the River Hawks in the all-time series between the two schools. Tonight's outing marks the second post-season match-up between Stonehill and UMass Lowell, as the River Hawks posted an 84-78 victory over the Skyhawks in the 1993 NCAA New England Regional semi-finals played at Bentley.

THE SKYHAWKS: Collins leads Stonehill and the Northeast-10 in scoring at 18 ppg while adding 6.2 rpg, while Simonds follows at 10.5 ppg and a team-best 7.2 caroms per contest. Kennedy is next at 9.7 ppg while adding 6.1 rpg, while Stupinski adds 9.0 ppg and a league-leading 5.8 apg. Morast follows at 8.3 ppg to date for the Skyhawks.

THE RIVER HAWKS: Senior Emily Kordas leads UMass Lowell in both scoring and rebounding at 10.8 ppg and 5.4 caroms per contest, while senior Mariette Guillaume follows at 9.6 ppg. Senior Sacha Simms and freshman Antonnea Robinson add 7.9 and 7.6 ppg, respectively, for the River Hawks to date.

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 94-49 (.657) 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 triumph over Adelphi on November 19th, is 4-6 during her career in post-season play overall and is 5-2 during her career against UMass Lowell.

HEAD COACH KATHY O'NEIL: Kathy O'Neil is in her 21st season as Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. A 1981 graduate of Saint Michael's, O'Neil has guided the River Hawks to an overall mark of 355-249 (.588) during her tenure, and she is assisted by Aliya Cox, Dahima James and Enjoli Edwards. O'Neil is 10-13 during her career against Stonehill.

POLL POSITION: Stonehill is once again the only school to have both its women's and men's basketball squads ranked in their respective Division II national polls, as both Skyhawk squads are ranked 23rd in their respective WBCA and NABC polls. The Stonehill women have been ranked as high as ninth this season, while the men's team has been rated as high as 10th.

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.

TWENTY-TWENTY VISION: Stonehill reached the 20-win plateau for the third time in four years under Head Coach Trisha Brown and for the 18th time overall with the February 4th triumph at Saint Rose. The Skyhawks have won 20 or more games on 10 occasions since 1991, including a school-record 30 victories during the 1994-95 campaign. Former Stonehill mentor Kelly Hart recorded a pair of 20-win seasons prior to Brown's arrival, as Skyhawk Director of Athletics Paula Sullivan won 20 or more games on 13 occasions during her 25-year tenure as head coach.

NATIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill was ranked 23rd in last week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II national poll released last Tuesday afternoon, as the Skyhawks have been rated in the top 25 in each of the last nine weeks. Stonehill has been rated as high as ninth in the WBCA poll, cracking the top 10 for the first time in 11 years on January 24th. Here is the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II Top 25 as of February 21st:

RankInstitution (First Place Votes)Last Week's RankRecordPoints

1.Washburn University (Kan.) (25)125-0673

2.University of North Dakota (2)228-0650

3.Drury University (Mo.)324-1613

4.Glenville State College(W.Va.)625-1563

5.Emporia State University (Kan.)522-3530

6.University Of Charleston (W.Va.)724-2510

7.Saint Cloud State University (Minn.)423-3504

8.Western Washington University822-1503

9.Rollins College (Fla.)924-0468

10.Delta State University (Miss.)1023-2438

11.Henderson State University (Ark.)1123-3393

12.Florida Gulf Coast University1224-1371

13.California State University - Bakersfield1421-2350

14.Grand Valley State University (Mich.)1322-3341

15.Fort Valley State University (Ga.)1523-1281

16.California State University - Chico1620-3269

17.West Texas A&M University1722-3232

18.Southern Conn. St. University1924-3210

19.Wayne State College (Neb.)2023-2182

20.Northern Kentucky University2122-3171

21.Clayton State University (Ga.)2221-4123

22.Shaw University (N.C.)2322-4105

23.Stonehill College (Mass.)1821-563

24.University Of California-San Diego2417-456

25.American International College (Mass.)2521-545

Others Receiving Votes: Regis University (Colo.) - 26; Wingate University (N.C.) - 21; Wheeling Jesuit University (W.Va.) - 18; Anderson College (S.C.) - 15; North Georgia College & State University - 14; Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) - 12; North Carolina Central University - 11; Holy Family University (Penn.) - 8; Pace University (N.Y.) - 2; California University Of PA (Penn.) - 1; Northern State University (S.D.) - 1; Presbyterian College (S.C.) - 1; University Of West Florida - 1.

REGIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill was ranked third in the sixth NCAA Division II Northeast Regional rankings released by the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee last Wednesday afternoon, as the Skyhawks sat atop the regional poll for four straight weeks 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 February 19th, are as follows:

1Southern Connecticut State23-321-3

2American International21-521-5

3Stonehill21-520-5

4Pace20-620-6

5Holy Family21-120-1

6Philadelphia U19-418-3

7St. Michael's17-915-9

8Saint Rose15-1112-11

9Bentley17-1216-9

10New Haven19-619-6

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.

THEY CALL IT THE STREAK: Stonehill's recent 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.

PRE-SEASON PROGNOSTICATION PREDICAMENT: After being picked to finish seventh in the final conference standings in the pre-season Northeast-10 coaches poll, Stonehill finished five spots higher as the league regular season runner-up to 18th-ranked Southern Connecticut.

NOT JUST ANOTHER FACE IN THE CROWD: Kelsey Simonds was 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. Skyhawk ice hockey freshman standout Brendan O'Brien was featured in the February 20th edition of Sports Illustrated in "Faces In The Crowd".

SKYHAWKS IN TV LAND: Stonehill has been the subject of a pair of recent local television features, as the Skyhawks were featured on New England Sports Network's "Sports Desk" program on January 29th and again on February 9th on Boston's Fox 25 (WFXT-TV) Evening News. Head Coach Trisha Brown was profiled by NESN's Mike Perlow, while Kelsey Simonds was profiled by Fox 25's Ryan Asselta, along with the Skyhawks' success this season.

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

CONFERENCE RANK AND FILE: In statistics through games of February 26th, Stonehill leads the Northeast-10 in scoring (70.5 ppg) and ranked second in field goal percentage (.425), blocked shots (4.59 bpg), assists (15.67 apg) and steals (10.67 spg). Alisha Collins leads the conference in scoring at 18 ppg, while Erika Stupinski leads the league in assists (5.81). Kelsey Simonds is also ranked second in blocks (1.96 bpg).

NCAA RANK AND FILE: Stonehill also ranks in several team and individual categories among NCAA Division II national statistical leaders through games of February 19th, as the Skyhawks are 32nd in won-lost percentage and 38th in free throw percentage. Individually, Alisha Collins rankd 18th in scoring, while Erika Stupinski is 13th in assists and Kelsey Simonds ranks 29th in blocked shots and 31st in free throw percentage.

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 Bentley, as Stonehill has won 19 of 20 games played during November under Brown's tutelage dating back to 2001.

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.

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 670-257 (.723) since the program's varsity inception in 1971. The November 19th victory over Adelphi was the 75th career triumph for Head Coach Trisha Brown, who now stands four wins shy of matching former Stonehill mentor Kelly Hart for second place on the Skyhawk career victory list with 98.

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

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 144-37 (.796) at Merkert Gymnasium.

SKYHAWK TALK: Last Tuesday's win enabled Stonehill to sweep the regular season series from Assumption and post its 41st triumph in 55 series meetings with the GreyhoundsStonehill is 6-3 against fellow NCAA Northeast regionally-ranked teams this seasonCollins has recorded 11 20-plus point performances this seasonStonehill improved to 14-1 all-time against Franklin Pierce with the February 11th victoryThe February 4th triumph at Saint Rose ended a three-game Golden Knight win streak in the seriesThe February 1st win over Pace was Stonehill's 15th in 19 series meetings with the Setters The January 21st win over Merrimack was Stonehill 50th victory in 57 series meetings with the WarriorsThe 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 2002 .The December 5th win at LIU-C.W. Post improved Stonehill's all-time mark against New York Collegiate Athletic Conference 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 Bentley 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 Stonehill 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 NovemberStonehill has posted a 79-35 mark in its last 113 outings dating back to November 2002 for a winning percentage over that time span of .699.

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: The winner of tonight's Stonehill-UMass Lowell quarterfinal round match-up advances to the 2006 Northeast-10 Conference semi-final round on Friday, March 3rd to take on the winner of the American International-Saint Rose quarterfinal. The highest remaining seed in the tournament overall following tonight's competition will host the "Final Four" this weekend.