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Senior Erika Stupinski handed out 10 assists in the win over Southern Connecticut. |
Easton, Mass. - Junior Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and senior Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine/Mount Ararat) each made clutch shots and free throws in regulation and in overtime to rescue No. 10 Stonehill, as the Skyhawks emerged with a 65-60 win over Southern Connecticut in the quarterfinal round of the Northeast-10 Women's Basketball Championship Tournament at Merkert Gymnasium on Tuesday evening.
Stonehill saw its 13 point lead moments after halftime erased by a 17-4 Owls' run eight minutes into the second half.
Freshman Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./The New Hampton School) and sophomore Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning Painted Post East) then drained huge shots to push the Stonehill advantage back to five at 42-37.
SCSU then scored six straight to take a 43-42 lead with 5:56 remaining, its first since the opening moments of the contest.
Simonds found sophomore Erin Gray (Clifton Park, N.Y.) for an inside hoop and then Stupinski drained a pair from the charity stripe to open the Stonehill lead up to 46-43.
The Owls scored four of the next six point to trim the Purple and White's lead down to one at 48-47, but a three from the top of the key from Simonds pushed Stonehill's lead to two possessions at 51-47 with 1:33 remaining.
SCSU, the defending NCAA National Champion and two-time defending Northeast-10 tournament champion, got two baskets on consecutive trips from Rochelle Johnson to even the score at 51-51 with 19 seconds left in regulation.
Stupinski had a chance to win the game for the Skyhawks but her jumper was off and the rebound was corralled by Johnson, who found freshman Logan Lentz streaking up the floor but her running jumper as the buzzer sounded was too hard, sending the game into overtime.
After Kate Lynch scored on a steal and fast break finish that resulted in a three-point play, giving the Owls a 58-55 lead with 2:44 left, Stonehill closed the game on a 10-2 run, with half of those points coming from Simonds. She and Stupinski, who combined to score 18 of the final 20 Skyhawk points, were the only Stonehill players to score in overtime until Methven hit the final two free throws with six seconds left.
The Owls scored the first four points of the game before Stonehill went on a 16-2 run to open up a 16-6 lead halfway through the first half. The lead grew to as many as 12 in the first 20 minutes, before settling for a 31-20 halftime lead as Stonehill held Southern Connecticut to 25 percent shooting.
For the game Stonehill, who cooled off in the second half, shot 39 percent from the floor, including 80 percent in the overtime session, while the Owls made just 35 percent of their attempts.
Neither team shot the ball well from behind the arc, combining to go 6-for-37 from three-point land.
SCSU converted 26 Stonehill turnovers into 21 points, while the Skyhawks capitalized on its interior advantage, holding a 34-28 edge in point in the paint.
Simonds took game high honors with 24 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two assists and two steals. Stupinski, who earlier in the game became just the sixth player in school history to surpass 500 career assists, had 10 helpers to go with nine points and six rebounds.
Gray had four points and nine rebounds off the bench, while McWhirter chipped in with seven points, two steals and a block.
The Owls, who end their season at 15-14, were led by Kate Lynch's 18 points, seven boards and four steals.
Lentz, who played all 45 minutes, finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Johnson, who was saddled with early fouls and eventually fouled out, added 13 points and six rebounds in just 22 minutes.
The Skyhawks 24 wins this season are tied for the most wins in a season under seventh year head coach Trisha Brown.
Stonehill (24-4), host Bentley, a team they swept in the season series, on Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the tournament semifinals. The other semifinal pits Bryant, who defeated Assumption, against Franklin Pierce who knocked off LeMoyne.