Sophomore Jamie Panton established a scoring career-high for the second straight game with a game-high 22 points, including 13 in the second half comeback. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Sophomores lead Skyhawks to third straight win with career-high scoring nights
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (January 9, 2013) – Stonehill College, ranked 23rd in this week's USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, rallied from a 17 point second half deficit to claim a 73-70 victory over the University of New Haven in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Charger Gymnasium tonight.
Sophomores Jamie Panton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) and Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) combined for 39 points to lead the way for Stonehill with career-high scoring performances for both. Panton established a new career-high for the second straight game with 22 points (13 second half) on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, to go with four rebounds and two assists. Faieta scored 15 of her career-best 17 points in the second half, shooting just 5-for-13 from the field, but converting all seven free-throw attempts and adding four rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals.
Junior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) added nine points, converting 7-of-8 free-throws, a team-high nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sophomore Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) also contributed nine points with three rebounds and two assists, while junior Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) chipped in seven points, eight rebounds, five assists, a block and two steals.
Sophomore Ashley LeBlanc (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) led the way for New Haven with a double-double performance of 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Classmate Bria Moore (West Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career) also finished with 12 points for the Chargers, while junior Anh-Dao Tran (Webster, Mass./Holy Name) posted 11 points, seven assists, three rebounds and a steal. Freshman Lauren Hebert (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) chipped in ten points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range off the bench with three rebounds.
Stonehill shot 38.1-percent (24-for-63) from the field, including 9-for-30 (30%) from three-point range, but took advantage of 84.2-percent (16-for-19) shooting from the free-throw line. New Haven finished with a 45-34 rebounding advantage, but second chance points were basically even at 17-16 for the Chargers. The Skyhawks edged the Chargers 17-15 in points off turnovers with 11 miscues compared to 14 for the hosts.
New Haven finished shooting 40.3-percent (27-for-67) from the field after hitting at 48.6-percent (18-for-37) in building as much as an 18 point first half lead, but shot just 30% (9-30) in the second half. The Chargers made 36.8% (7-19) of their three-pointers and converted 9-of-14 free-throws (64.3%) on the night.
Sophomore Tori Faieta scored 15 of her career-best 17 points in the second half for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Stonehill's first lead of the game came with just 1:12 remaining in regulation as Faieta converted a conventional three-point play (71-69). The Skyhawks held New Haven without a field goal over the final 5:35 and finished the game with a 14-2 run as the Chargers missed on their final eight shots from the field, converted just two of four free-throws and added three turnovers down the stretch.
After a miss on the New Haven end, Ewing made one of two at the line to push the lead to three points (72-69) with 40-seconds to play. Freshman Briana Bradford (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross) split two free-throws at the other end and Tran snared the offensive rebound, but the Chargers couldn't take advantage by missing two shots before Ewing grabbed the defensive rebound with 11-seconds remaining.
Ewing was fouled and split her two attempts to put the lead to three (73-70) and give New Haven a last shot, but Tran's three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark to send Stonehill home with the comeback win.
New Haven jumped out to an early 8-2 lead three minutes into the game, keyed by a Tran three-pointer. A 13-0 Chargers run turned a four point lead into a 17 point (28-11) cushion after a jumper from junior Ayana Duncanson (Elmont, N.Y./Francis Lewis) with 8:40 left in the first half. Six different New Haven players scored baskets during that stretch.
A Panton three-pointer drew Stonehill within 14 (30-16) with 6:39 remaining, but New Haven extended the lead to a game-high 18 points (34-16) with a Moore jumper with 6:12 to play. Stonehill trimmed the lead to ten points (39-29) with a 13-5 stretch capped by a Dixon jumper with 1:16 left before halftime.
New Haven pushed the lead back to 13 (44-31) at halftime and regained a 17 point margin (51-34) after a Moore free-throw two minutes into the second half. Stonehill started to chip away, closing the gap to 12 (51-39) with a Faieta hoop with 16:47 remaining. A Pelletier three-pointer drew the Skyhawks within single digits (63-54) with 11:33 to play, sparking a 10-0 run that would cut the deficit to four (63-59) after a Panton three ball with 7:10 to go. New Haven worked the lead back to nine (68-59) after Moore's basket with 5:35 left before Stonehill mounted its winning rally.
Stonehill (11-1, 7-1 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it returns to Merkert Gymnasium for the first time in 42 days to host The College of Saint Rose at 1:30 p.m. New Haven (6-6, 5-3 NE-10) visits Merrimack College on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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