Junior Mary Louise Dixon led five Skyhawks in double-figured with 22 points and eight assists. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Skyhawks connect on ten three-pointers as Dixon leads five double-figure scorers

EASTON, Mass. (February 20, 2013) – Stonehill College, ranked 14^th in this week's USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, buried ten three-pointers and placed five players in double-figures to claim a 90-65 victory over Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

The victory clinches the No. 2 seed for Stonehill in the upcoming NE-10 Tournament set to tip off with first round action on Friday, March 1. The Skyhawks have earned a first round bye and will host a quarterfinal round matchup on Sunday, March 3, at 1 p.m., playing the winner of a Friday first round clash between the No. 7 and No. 10 seeds.

Junior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led five Stonehill players in double-figures with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, while converting both free-throw attempts to go with eight assists and three rebounds. Dixon is now within 100 points of 1,000 for her career as her total tonight gives her 917 points in 89 career games played.

Junior Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) added 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, converting both free-throws to go with a team-high six rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots and two steals. Sophomore Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) contributed 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting, five rebounds and two blocked shots, while classmate Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) connected on 4-of-8 three's on her way to 14 points off the bench with three boards and two assists. Sophomore Ashley Gendron (Auburn, N.H./Manchester Memorial) made all five of her shots from the field, including a three, for 11 points in 14 minutes off the bench with three assists and two steals.

Junior Asia Ewing added 19 points, a team-high six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Senior Sloane Sorrell (Berwick, Maine/Noble) was the lone Southern New Hampshire player in double-figures as she notched a double-double with 21 points and a game-high 11 rebounds with three steals, shooting 10-for-18 from the field. Classmate Michelle DeRoma (West Roxbury, Mass./Mount Alvernia) added nine points, including the 1,000^th of her career, on 4-of-8 shooting, including 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, and three assists. Senior Morgan Munson (Rockhampton, Australia) also contributed nine points, shooting 3-for-5 from the field, including 1-for-2 from deep, making both free-throws with two assists.

Stonehill finished shooting 53.6-percent (37-for-69) from the field, including 10-for-18 (55.6%) from three-point range, shooting 56.2% (18-32) from the field in the second half. The Skyhawks connected on 6-of-10 (60%) three-pointers in the first half in building a 12 point (45-33) halftime lead, and got a 29-16 advantage in bench points as well as a 23-12 edge in points off turnovers, committing just 11 turnovers themselves compared to 21 for Southern New Hampshire. SNHU shot 49.2% (29-59) from the field, but just 3-for-8 (37.5%) from beyond the arc, and posted a 34-33 rebounding edge.

Stonehill used a 19-6 run to turn a two point lead (22-20) with 8:10 left in the first half into a 15 point advantage (41-26) after a three-point play from Dixon with 2:25 left in the frame. The Skyhawks settled for a 12 point (45-33) halftime lead, but quickly pushed it up to 16 (49-33) after layups from Dixon and Faieta in the opening 30 seconds of the second half.

Southern New Hampshire drew back within eight (49-41) with two Munson free-throws with 16:50 on the clock, keyed by four points from Sorrell. Stonehill responded with an 8-2 spurt to regain the 16 point (59-43) margin on a Ewing three with 14:25 left. The Skyhawks lead grew to 18 (66-48) with 11:21 on the clock after back to back baskets from Gendron, and stretched it to 19 (69-50) on a Pelletier three with 10:47 to go.

SNHU was back within 15 (71-56) after a layup by sophomore Kaylea Griffin (Green Springs, Ohio/Clyde) with 8:36 to play, but Stonehill reeled off a 16-2 game-clinching run to open a game-high 29 point (87-58) lead after a layup by freshman Paige Marshall (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) with 3:30 remaining.

Southern New Hampshire had the early momentum, scoring the first four points of the game and leading by five (11-6) with a layup by sophomore Lorreta Rocha (Espargos, Cape Verde) five minutes into the game. Stonehill responded with a 12-2 run to reverse the five point lead (18-13) after a Pelletier three with 10:51 left in the opening frame and the Skyhawks wouldn't trail again.

Stonehill (21-3, 17-3 NE-10) is right back at home on Saturday when it hosts top-ranked and rival Bentley University as part of Alumni Day at the College for an NE-10 matchup at 1:30 p.m. Southern New Hampshire (11-13, 8-12 NE-10) hosts Merrimack College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

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