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Kelsey Simonds has averaged 21 points and 10.3 rebounds during Stonehill's three-game winning streak. |
Syracuse, N.Y. - Senior Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine) sparked a game-ending 10-0 run with five points, a steal and an assist, as the 19th-ranked Skyhawks escaped with a 63-58 road win at LeMoyne's Ted Grant Court on Saturday afternoon.
Down by as many as 19 in the opening moments of the second half, Stonehill outscored the Dolphins 44-22 in the second half to improve to 16-4 overall and 12-3 in Northeast-10 play, a half game ahead of Assumption and Franklin Pierce and a full game in front of Bentley, all winners on Saturday, in the race for the Conference's top spot.
The Skyhawks shot 57 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes, led by Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass.) who, after going 3-for-10 in the first half, made eight of her nine shots in the second half, finishing with game-highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds.
The double-double for Simonds was her eighth of the season and second in as many games.
As efficient as Stonehill was in the second half, it was as equally as inefficient in the first 20 minutes, allowing the Dolphins to build their lead.
LeMoyne raced out to an early 24-12 lead and held a 36-17 edge in the waning seconds of the first half before settling for a 36-19 halftime bulge.
While the Dolphins shot 50 percent in the opening stanza, the Skyhawks connected on only 30 percent of its 23 attempts, went 0-for-7 from behind the arc and committed nine of their 12 turnovers.
LeMoyne used two separate 8-0 runs to help create its first half lead, while making four of its seven three-point attempts.
The tide began to change for Stonehill almost immediately in the second half as they scored nine of the first 11 points to trim the Dolphin advantage to 38-28.
A three-pointer from Stupinski had the LeMoyne lead down to single digits at 43-34 for the first time since midway through the first half. After a layup from the Dolphins' Courtney Coryea, the Skyhawks ran off seven straight points, capped by a three-pointer from freshman Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H.), chiseling the LeMoyne lead to 45-41.
Stonehill finally got over the hump, taking a 53-52 lead following a 7-1 run that featured a triple from sophomore Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y.) and two layups from Simonds.
The Dolphins responded with a three-point play from Coryea and a three-pointer from Kathleen Gladstone to give LeMoyne a five point lead at 58-53 with 2:39 remaining.
Gladstone's basket would be the Dolphin's last, however, as Stupinski ignited the final scoring flurry. First, she found Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass.), who drained a three-pointer and then she collected a steal on the following LeMoyne possession.
After Tighe found Simonds inside for a basket to tie the score at 58, Stupinski grabbed a rebound and then converted a conventional three-point play with 37 seconds left, giving Stonehill a 61-58 lead. Stupinski then sealed the game with a pair of free throws with 19 seconds remaining.
McWhirter and Stupinski each had 11 points for Stonehill, while Tighe chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds. Stupinski added seven assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Gladstone (20 points) was the only Dolphin in double figures, going 9-for-12 from the floor, while Vanessa Holden added seven points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.
The Skyhawks will now play three straight games at home, with the first coming on Tuesday with a game versus UMass-Lowell.