Senior Emily Rousseau returned to the lineup after a month absence and led the Skyhawks with 16 points and four rebounds. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Skyhawks held to 24-percent shooting in road loss

Senior Logan Pintka (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie Central) led the way for Saint Michael's with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field while converting 6-of-7 free-throw attempts to go with five rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Junior Coreen Hennessey (Chatham, N.H./Fryeburg Academy) added 15 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the field, including her lone three-point attempt, and converting 4-of-5 free-throws, to go with four rebounds and five steals. Sophomore Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) contributed 13 first half points, a game-high eight rebounds and three assists off the bench.

Stonehill was unable to take advantage of the return of first team All-Northeast-10 senior guard Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) from injury, despite her team-best 16 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-3 from three-point range, while converting 3-of-4 free-throws, and snaring a team-best four rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. Freshman Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) was the only other Skyhawk in double-figures with ten points, three rebounds and a season-best six steals. Junior Tania Williams (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward-Melville) chipped in seven points and four boards.

Freshman Mary Louise Dixon added ten points and a season-best six steals (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Saint Michael's shot 47.9-percent (23-for-48) from the field, including 50% (14-28) in the first half to build a 17 point halftime lead it would not relinquish. The Purple Knights made 16-of-19 (84.2%) free-throws and drained 3-of-4 (75%) three-pointers in the opening half, while finishing with a 20-12 edge in points off turnovers. Stonehill finished shooting 24-percent (12-for-50) from the field, including 4-for-25 (16%) in the second half, draining 2-of-15 (13.3%) three-pointers on the afternoon while converting just 14-of-21 (66.7%) of its free-throws. After Rousseau's 6-for-10 shooting effort from the field, the Skyhawks were just 6-for-40 (15%) from the field for the day.

Saint Michael's led virtually start to finish, scoring ten of the first 12 points in the contest in the opening 5:48. Pintka had six of the Purple Knights first ten points and they extended the lead into double-figures (13-3) with a Mandy Scott (Vergennes, Vt./Vergennes Union) three-pointer with 13:50 left in the half. Stonehill missed its first five shots from the field and turned the ball over six times in the opening seven minutes before Rousseau broke the ice with a jumper with 12:59 left in the half to cut the Skyhawks deficit to eight (13-5).

Saint Michael's extended the lead to 13 (22-9) after two Pintka free-throws with 10:38 to go in the half, when Stonehill drew back within five with 7:45 to go after Rousseau drilled a three and then made one of two from the line on the Skyhawks next trip. Williams also scored four points during the 8-0 run.

Stonehill was still within six (24-18) with 7:09 remaining, when Saint Michael's pulled away with a 17-6 run to close the half and take a 17-point (41-24) cushion into the lockerroom. Pintka (who finished with 13 first half points) converted a three-point play to push the lead into double figures for good and Adach capped the half with a three-pointer and layup.

Hennessey opened the second half with a three-pointer to push the Saint Michael's lead to 20 (44-24) for the first time 1:37 into the frame. The Skyhawks missed their first four shots of the second half and had five more turnovers before Rousseau hit a jumper to cut the deficit to 20 (48-28) with 14:18 to play, but Stonehill never got closer than 18 points, after two Rousseau free-throws on the next possession, the rest of the way as the Purple Knights went on to lead by as much as 27 points on the day.

Stonehill (15-9, 10-9 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday for a key Northeast-10 matchup at Saint Anselm College at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, February 19, to host Southern New Hampshire University for Senior Day at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. Saint Michael's (12-10, 10-9 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.