Senior Kristen McWhirter led Stonehill with 17 points to go with four assists and a career-best four blocked shots. (PHOTO by Bert Lane) |
Meredith leads Greyhounds with 23 points, eight rebounds
Junior Kelly Meredith (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) led Assumption with a game-high 23 points (13 first half), eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Sabrina Siciliano (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) notched a double-double with 14 points, on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, ten rebounds and three assists, while classmate Gabrielle Gibson (Amityville, N.Y./Copaigue) scored 12 of her 15 points in the second half, on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Senior Molly Griffiths (Walpole, Mass./Ursuline) rounded out the Greyhounds double-figure scorers with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Freshman Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) fell just an assist shy of a triple double for Stonehill, finishing with career-highs of 15 points, ten rebounds and nine assists with two steals. She shot 5-for-8 from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, while converting 3-of-5 free-throw attempts. Senior Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) led the Skyhawks with 17 points (14 first half), four assists, a career-high four blocked shots and three rebounds, while freshman Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) contributed 14 points, on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, eight rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Mary Louise Dixon nearly notched her first career triple double, finishing with season-highs of 15 points, ten rebounds and nine assists. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Assumption missed its first 13 shots from the field, scoring its first field goal of the night at the midway point of the first half on a Siciliano layup with Stonehill holding a 19-4 lead at the time. The Greyhounds shot 55.6-percent (20-for-36) from the field in the second half to finish shooting 40.6% (28-69) from the field overall while converting 14-of-18 (77.8%) free-throws. Assumption took advantage of 27 Stonehill turnovers for a 32-9 edge in points off turnovers for the night. The Skyhawks finished shooting 47.2% (25-for-53) from the field after hitting 56% (14-25) of their shots in the opening half.
It was a tale of two halves as Assumption trailed by as much as 16 points in the first half before coming back for its third-straight win. Stonehill led by 11 (37-26) at the half behind 56-percent (14-25) shooting, compared to 24.2% (8-33) shooting by the Greyhounds. Assumption drew within four (40-36) after a layup from Siciliano 2:30 into the second half. The Skyhawks answered and regained a 12-point cushion (50-38) after a Dixon three and Ewing layup with 13:51 to play.
A 14-1 run pulled Assumption within a point (54-53) after two-straight Gibson layups with 8:30 remaining. Stonehill still led by three (58-55) after an O'Kane jumper with 5:47 left, but Assumption reeled off six straight points to take the lead (61-58) after two straight baskets from Siciliano with 3:23 to play. O'Kane pulled the Skyhawks within a point (61-60) with 3:08 left, but the Greyhounds closed the game out with a 13-3 run to seal the win. Meredith sparked the closing stretch with a conventional three point play and added a three-pointer as well during the run.
Assumption didn't score a field goal until Siciliano scored a layup with 10:05 remaining in the opening half as Stonehill opened the game with a 19-3 lead after two free-throws from junior Tania Williams (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) with 11:51 remaining in the half. The Skyhawks scored the first 11 points of the contest, capped by a McWhirter three 3:51 into the game.
Assumption drew within five (25-20) on a Gibson three 4:35 before halftime, but Stonehill pushed the lead back into double figures (35-22) following a three-point play by McWhirter 2:10 before halftime.
Stonehill (9-6, 4-6 NE-10) is back in action on Sunday when it visits the University of New Haven for a Conference clash at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, January 22, to host Adelphi University at 1:30 p.m. Assumption (11-3, 9-1 NE-10) hosts 15th-ranked Bentley University on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.