Junior Mary Louise Dixon posted her fifth career double-double with a season-high 23 points and career-best 13 rebounds to go with eight assists, three steals and two blocked shots. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Dixon leads trio of double-double Skyhawks with season and career-best efforts

EASTON, Mass. (January 29, 2013) – Stonehill College, ranked 15^th in this week's USA TODAY Sports/ Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, took advantage of three double-double efforts to claim an 82-69 triumph over Adelphi University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Junior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led a trio of double-double performances for Stonehill as she finished two assists shy of her first career triple-double with a season-high 23 points (16 second half) and grabbed a career and game-best 13 rebounds with eight assists, three steals and two blocked shots. She made 5-of-10 shots from the field and converted 13-of-15 free-throws on the night in her second double-double of the season (fifth career).

Junior Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) scored ten of her 15 points in the first half to go with ten rebounds for her second double-double of the year (tenth career), adding three blocked shots, two assists and a steal as she made 6-of-16 shots from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. Sophomore Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) rounded out the double-double efforts with the third of her career (all this season), posting 15 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 6-for-12 from the floor, including her lone three point attempt, and converting 2-of-3 free-throws.

Sophomore Ashley Gendron (Auburn, N.H./Manchester Memorial) rounds out the Skyhawks double-figure scorers with ten points and five boards.

Junior Jessica Kitrys (Parlin, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) led Adelphi with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and converting 9-of-10 free-throws with a team-high eight rebounds, five steals, two assists and two blocked shots. Classmate Sade Jackson (Hackensack, N.J./Aquinas) added 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots, while sophomore Kelly Mannix (Barrington, R.I./Barrington) contributed 12 points, seven boards and two steals.

Junior Asia Ewing scored ten of her 15 points in the first half and added ten rebounds and three blocks for her tenth career double-double tonight. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Stonehill finished shooting 41.3-percent (26-for-63) from the field, including 50% (15-30) in the second half, and converted 21-of-26 (80.8%) free-throws, including 13-for-15 (86.7%) over the final 20 minutes. The Skyhawks connected on 9-of-24 (37.5%) three-pointers, but were 5-for-10 (50%) in the second half, and finished with a 44-31 rebounding advantage, resulting in an 11-5 edge in second chance points. Stonehill's bench also outscored the Adelphi reserves 18-6 on the night.

Adelphi shot 40-percent (24-for-60) from the field, just 28.6% (8-28) in the second half, and was 5-for-17 (29.4%) from three-point range on the night. The Panthers made 16-of-17 (94.1%) free-throw attempts.

Adelphi took a three point (37-34) halftime lead behind 50% (16-for-32) first half shooting and extended the advantage to five points (39-34) with a jumper from sophomore Jenna Halaby (Maspeth, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) a minute into the second half. Stonehill knotted the score (41-41) 3:13 into the frame after a layup from Ewing and three-pointer by sophomore Jamie Panton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex).

Adelphi regained a three point lead (44-41) when sophomore Samantha Milhaven (Port Washington, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) converted a three point play. Stonehill followed by reeling off ten straight points to open a seven point advantage (51-44) after two free-throws by Dixon with 12:53 to play. Gendron and Faieta both converted conventional three point plays and then Dixon scored the final four points of the run for the Skyhawks.

Adelphi closed back within a point (54-53) with 10:56 to go after four straight points from Kitrys. Stonehill finally began to pull away, using a an 11-0 rush to claim a 12 point lead (70-58) with a Faieta three ball from the top of the arc with 4:50 on the clock. Dixon again led the way in the run with six straight points, four from the free-throw line.

Adelphi drew within nine (72-63) after a three-pointer from junior Shannon Flynn (Williston Park, N.Y./St. Mary's College Prep) with 3:05 remaining and then were back within eight (75-67) after a Mannix layup with 2:12 to go, but Stonehill had the answer each time. The Skyhawks sealed the win with 5-for-6 shooting at the line over the final minute and a half.

Adelphi scored the first six points of the contest and led by seven (10-3) after two Jackson free-throws three minutes in. Stonehill answered with a 12-2 run to take its first lead (15-12) with 11:41 left in the half after four straight points from Gendron. The half featured six lead changes and the Panthers netted eight straight points to regain a four point advantage (26-22) after a Flynn three with 6:30 to go in the half.

Stonehill drew even (29-29) when Dixon made two of three free-throws after getting fouled shooting a three-pointer with 4:27 remaining in the frame. Adelphi outscored the Skyhawks 8-5 to close out the half and carry its three point lead (37-34) into halftime.

Stonehill (16-2, 12-2 NE-10) is back on the road on Saturday when it visits Pace University for a Northeast-10 showdown at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, February 9, to host Merrimack College for "Play for Kay" Day for breast cancer awareness in Merkert Gym at 1:30 p.m. Adelphi (9-9, 6-8 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

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