Sophomore Asia Ewing led the Skyhawks with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals at Saint Rose on Saturday. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Skyhawks score two field goals in final 7:48 to allow Golden Knights to pull away

Senior Ashley Rath (Victor, N.Y./Victor) led Saint Rose with 20 points as she hit 6-of-12 shots from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, while converting all six free-throw attempts to go with five assists. Classmate Ali Johnson (Falls Church, Va./George C. Marshall) added a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds with three blocked shots and two steals. Senior Ola Shajuyigbe (Albany, N.Y./Colonie) contributed 17 points, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and four boards, while classmate Alison McGrath (Troy, N.Y./Catholic Central) chipped in eight points, nine rebounds and two steals.

Sophomore Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) led the way for Stonehill with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Classmate Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) added 13 points (all first half), seven boards and two assists, while freshman Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) contributed nine points, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

Saint Rose finished shooting 43.4-percent (23-for-53) from the field, including 48.1% (13-27) in the second half to help overcome a three point (31-28) halftime deficit. Both teams made 6-of-14 (42.9%) three-pointers for the afternoon, but the Golden Knights converted 17-of-21 (81%) free-throw attempts, compared to 4-for-6 (66.7%) for Stonehill. The Skyhawks were held to 25.8% (8-21) shooting from the field in the second half, including 2-for-7 (28.6%) from three-point range, after making 43.3% (13-30) in the opening half (4-7 three's) to finish at 34.4% (21-61) overall.

Sophomore Mary Louise Dixon scored all 13 of her points in the first half and added seven rebounds and two assists. PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Saint Rose trailed by three at the half (31-28), but forced a 36-36 tie five minutes into the second half on a layup by Johnson that helped spark an 11-2 run that put the Golden Knights up seven (45-38) after a basket from junior Emily Trapp (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) with 10:45 to play. Trapp also added a conventional three point play to finish with five points during the run.

Stonehill closed back within two (45-43) with 8:39 remaining after a three-point play from Ewing and a basket by freshman Jamie Panton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex). After the teams traded three-pointers on their next possessions, Saint Rose reeled off ten straight points to open a 12 point cushion (58-46) after a Rath jumper with 4:16 remaining.

Saint Rose held Stonehill to just two field goals over the final 7:48, with those coming on back to back possessions that trimmed the Skyhawks deficit to eight (58-50) on a layup from Faieta with 3:24 on the clock, which would prove to be the visitors final field goal of the day. The Golden Knights scored 11 of the final 13 points of the contest from there, converting nine of its final ten free-throws, including six by Rath, to seal the win with the 17 point final advantage the largest of the day.

Stonehill came out firing, scoring the first four points of the contest, on its way to an 11 point lead (14-3) after a three-point play by Dixon 3:14 in. Faieta was instrumental in the run with six points and two assists during that stretch. The Skyhawks lead was still 11 (19-8) after a basket from sophomore Morghan Farnsworth (Cornish, N.H./Windsor (Vt.)) with 13:31 remaining in the half.

Stonehill's lead was nine (24-15) after a three-pointer from Ewing with 7:31 remaining, when Saint Rose scored seven straight points to draw within two (24-22) after a steal and layup by Rath with 5:28 left in the half. The Skyhawks regained a six point cushion 28-22) with a Dixon layup with 2:47, but the Golden Knights forced the first tie (28-28) on a Shajuyigbe jumper with 15-seconds to go in the frame. Dixon sent Stonehill into halftime with the lead by hitting a three-pointer with three seconds left.

Stonehill (7-6, 3-6 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday when it visits No. 15-ranked Assumption College at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, January 14, to host Le Moyne College at 1:30 p.m. Saint Rose (9-4, 6-3 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.