Sophomore Jamie Panton connected on 6-of-9 three-pointers on her way to a game-high 21 points this afternoon. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Panton and Pelletier lead three-point barrage by combining for 36 points
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (January 19, 2013) – Stonehill College, ranked 17th in this week's USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, drained 13 three-pointers and pulled away in the second half to claim a 78-57 victory over Le Moyne College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Ted Grant Court this afternoon.
Sophomore Jamie Panton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) and Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) combined for 36 points to lead four Stonehill players in double-figures as they buried a combined 11 three-pointers for the afternoon. Panton led all scorers with 21 points (14 first half) on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc and converting 3-of-4 free-throws to go with three assists. Pelletier added 15 points (12 second half) on 5-of-9 shooting from long distance in 23 minutes off the bench with three rebounds.
Sophomore Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) posted her first career double-double for the Skyhawks with 12 points and a game-high ten rebounds with three blocked shots as she made 6-of-8 shots from the field. Junior Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) rounded out the double-figure scorers for Stonehill with 11 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the field, five rebounds and two assists, while classmate Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) chipped in with ten assists as the Skyhawks distributed 24 helpers on 28 field goals for the contest.
Stonehill finished shooting 51.9-percent (28-for-54) from the field, including 55.2% (16-29) in the second half to pull away from an eight point (32-24) halftime advantage. The Skyhawks buried 13-of-23 (56.5%) three-pointers, including 6-for-10 (60%) in the first half, registered a 35-34 rebounding edge and 12-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Le Moyne shot 38.3-percent (23-for-60) from the field, including 36.7% (11-30) in the field half, and couldn't keep up from three-point range, finishing 2-for-12 (16.7%).
Sophomore Amy Pelletier made 5-of-9 three's for 15 points off the bench. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Sophomore Tessa Pucello (Syracuse, N.Y./Solvay) led Le Moyne with 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field, connecting on both three-point attempts and all three free-throw tries, to go with nine rebounds in 25 minutes. Freshman Maggie Brown (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland) added ten points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds.
Stonehill settled for an eight point (32-24) halftime lead, despite leading by as much as 11 early on in the first half. Panton opened the second half with a three-pointer and after the team traded baskets over the first two minutes, the Skyhawks used a 15-5 run to open a 21 point (53-32) lead following a Ewing layup five and a half minutes into the frame. Ewing totaled four points and Pelletier and freshman Paige Marshall (Braintree, Mass./Braintree), who contributed eight points and six assists on the day, canned back-to-back three-pointers during the stretch.
Pucello scored a jumper at the other end before Stonehill reeled off nine straight points, including three's by Pelletier and Panton, to open up a 28 point lead (62-34) with 11:16 remaining. The Skyhawks pushed their lead to 33 (69-36) after a pair of Marshall free-throws with 7:27 on the clock before settling on the 21 point final margin.
Stonehill never trailed, with the game featuring two early ties, and looked poised to run away with the game early as it opened a double-digit lead (18-7) five minutes in after back-to-back three's by Panton. Le Moyne closed back within six (18-12) on a Brown jumper with 11-minutes left in the half, but Stonehill regained a ten point (24-14) advantage with a Panton three-ball with 8:29 left in the half.
Le Moyne drew back within six (28-22) after a basket by freshman Lauren Price (Humble, Texas/Atascocita) with 2:49 remaining in the half, but that would prove to be as close as the Dolphins would get the rest of the way. Stonehill took an eight point (32-24) lead into halftime before pulling away in the second half on its way to a sixth straight win.
Stonehill (14-1, 10-1 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday when it visits American International College at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, January 26, to host Southern Connecticut State University at 1:30 p.m. Le Moyne (4-11, 2-9 NE-10) hosts UMass Lowell on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
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