Senior Kristen McWhirter led the Skyhawks with a career-high matching 24 points to go with five rebounds and two assists. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

McWhirter leads Skyhawks with career-high matching 24 points

Senior guard Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) led Stonehill with a career-high matching 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point range, while converting both free-throw attempts to go with a team-high matching five rebounds and two assists. Junior Priscilla Dodoo (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) added a career-high 13 points (all first half) off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, canning her lone three point attempt, with five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot. Freshman Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) contributed nine points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals, while junior Cori O'Kane (Pocasset, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) also netted nine points, draining 3-of-4 three-pointers, while adding five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Senior Dominique Stellmacher (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) led New Haven with 14 points and three steals off the bench. Freshman Audrey Cunningham (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) added ten points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshmen Ayana Duncanson (Elmont, N.Y./Francis Lewis) and Anh-Dao Tran (Webster, Mass./Holy Name) each grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, while Tran also chipped in six points, three assists and three steals.

Junior Priscilla Dodoo scored all 13 of her career-high points in the first half. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Stonehill finished shooting 44.4-percent (28-for-63) from the field, including 9-for-15 (60%) from three-point range – with all those attempts coming in the first half as the Skyhawks built a 24 point (43-19) halftime lead. They also finished with a 43-34 rebounding advantage and outscored the hosts 32-11 on points off turnovers (UNH 23, STO 16). New Haven shot 39.7-percent (23-for-58) from the field, including just 33.3% (8-24) in the first half, making 6-of-15 (40%) three's and converting just 1-of-4 free-throw attempts.

With the game tied at 12-12 after a Tran three-pointer with 13:13 left in the first half, Stonehill reeled off 15 straight points, aided by three three's, to run out to a 27-12 lead after a Dodoo three with 8:04 left before the break. She had seven points in all to spark that run. After a New Haven basket from Stellmacher, the Skyhawks used a 14-2 spree to open a 25 point margin (41-16) after a Dodoo layup 56-seconds before the break. Stonehill buried three more from long distance during that stretch, with McWhirter canning a pair.

Stonehill's lead never dropped below 19 points the rest of the way, extending its advantage to 26 (55-29) after a Dixon layup 5:19 into the second half. The Skyhawks lead grew to as much as 27 (63-36) after a McWhirter jumper at the midway point of the half before settling for the 20 point winning margin.

Stonehill (10-6, 5-6 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it visits American International College for a Northeast-10 matchup at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, January 22, to host Adelphi University at 1:30 p.m. New Haven (2-13, 1-10 NE-10) hosts Saint Michael's College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.