Junior Mary Louise Dixon led the Skyhawks with a season-high matching 17 points aided by 10-for-10 shooting at the line. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Skyhawks improve to 7-0 with second half surge

EASTON, Mass. (December 1, 2012) – Stonehill College ran its season-opening winning streak to seven games as a second half surge sent the Skyhawks to a 56-50 victory over Saint Michael's College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Junior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led Stonehill with a season-high matching 17 points, aided by a 10-for-10 effort at the free-throw line, to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sophomore Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) added 11 points off the bench as she connected on 3-of-9 three-pointers. Sophomore Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to go with eight points, three assists and two blocked shots.

Senior Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) led Saint Michael's with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, while draining both free-throw attempt and adding three steals. Freshman Megan Gaudreau (Brooklyn, Conn./Pomfret School) posted 11 points off the bench on 3-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) led the Purple Knights with nine rebounds, but was held to four points – 16 below her season average.

Amy Pelletier chipped in 11 points off the bench. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Stonehill shot 47.8-percent (11-for-23) from the field in the second half to help break away from a 23-23 halftime draw and finished shooting 38.5% (20-52) from the field overall. The Skyhawks were 6-for-20 (30%) from three-point range and converted 10-of-11 (90.9%) free-throws while posting a 40-33 rebounding advantage. Saint Michael's took advantage of 22 Stonehill miscues for a 23-15 edge in points off turnovers while shooting 10-for-30 (33%) in each half and connecting on 6-of-23 (26.1%) three-pointers.

Stonehill scored the first five points of the second half on a three-pointer from sophomore Jamie Panton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) and Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) layup a minute and a half in. The Skyhawks pushed the lead to nine (36-27) after two free-throws by Dixon with 11:55 remaining and it reached 11 points (41-30) on a Pelletier jumper with 9:33 to play.

The Stonehill lead was still 11 (49-37) after a Dixon three with 5:10 left when Saint Michael's surged to within three after a three-pointer from freshman Makenzie Barud (Red Hook, N.Y./Coleman Catholic) with 1:42 remaining. The Purple Knights were able to draw within two (52-50) with a Gaudreau three-pointer with 25-seconds to go.

Dixon was fouled and made both her free-throws at the other end and then she stole the ball from Olsen with 15-seconds to play and hit two more free-throws to seal the win. Olsen missed a three with eight seconds to play to cap the contest and the Skyhawks seventh-straight victory.

Stonehill (7-0, 4-0 NE-10), winners of its first seven games of the season for the first time since starting 9-0 in 2007-08, is back in action on Wednesday when it visits Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks will not return home for 42 days when it hosts The College of Saint Rose on Saturday, January 12, at 1:30 p.m. Saint Michael's (1-5, 0-4 NE-10) travels to Merrimack College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

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