Junior Amy Pelletier cashed in on five three-pointers for a career-high 21 points to lead the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Pelletier drains five three-pointers on her way to career-high 21 points
DAVIE, Fla. (November 9, 2013) – Stonehill College, ranked 7th in the USA Today Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II preseason poll, opened its 2013-14 season with an 82-64 victory over Barry (Fla.) University on day one of the 2013 NSU Sharks Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Nova Southeastern University, at NSU Arena today.
Junior Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) led five Stonehill players in double-figures with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 5-for-9 from three-point range, to lead a Skyhawks team that hit 10-of-21 (47.6%) of its three-pointers on the day while dishing out three assists. Classmate Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) added 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including her lone three-point attempt, and connecting on both free-throw attempts to go with three rebounds.
Senior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) dished out a game-high ten assists and snared four rebounds with her two points making her the 27th player in Stonehill history to reach 1,000 points for her career. Freshman Kelly Martin (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) led three Skyhawks with ten points and she made all three of her shots from the field, including a pair of three's, and both free-throws to go with a game-high six rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench in her collegiate debut. Classmate Casey McLaughlin (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) made 5-of-6 shots for ten points and five boards with a blocked shot in nine bench minutes in her first collegiate game, while junior Ashley Gendron (Auburn, N.H./Manchester Memorial) finished with ten points, three boards and three assists.
Senior Mary Louise Dixon dished out a game-high ten assists and became the 27th 1,000-point scorer in program history today. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Stonehill shot 55-percent (33-for-60) from the field and made all six of its free-throw attempts on the afternoon to go with its three point shooting efforts. The Skyhawks bench outscored the Barry reserves 27-8. The Buccaneers shot 46.8-percent (22-for-47) from the floor, but just 2-for-9 (22.2%) from beyond the arc, and was 18-for-26 (69.2%) at the line. Stonehill held a 31-24 rebounding edge, limiting Barry to six offensive boards.
Senior Tyler Hardy (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron) led Barry with 18 points, aided by 11-for-11 shooting from the free-throw line to go with four rebounds. Classmate Sharnese Neal (Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern) added 13 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field, five rebounds and two steals, while junior Ines Kerin (Trbovlje, Slovenia) contributed 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and two boards.
Stonehill led by eight (38-30) at the half and after Barry closed within four (38-34) with the first four points of the second half, the Skyhawks used a 14-5 rush to open a 13 point advantage (52-39) after a Pelletier three-pointer 5:23 in. The Buccaneers drew back within seven (54-47) with 10:46 to play, but back to back three's by Pelletier and Martin put Stonehill back up 13 (60-47) with 9:45 to go.
Barry was still within nine (67-58) with a Kerin three-pointer with 4:53 remaining, but Stonehill sealed the win with an 11-2 run over the next two minutes for an 18 point cushion (78-60) after a three-point play by Faieta.
Dixon reached the 1,000-point milestone with her lone basket of the night on a layup with 2:15 left in the first half to put Stonehill up seven (34-27) to cap an 11-4 stretch that broke the second and final tie of the night (23-23).
Stonehill (1-0, 0-0 NE-10) closes out its weekend in the Sunshine State tomorrow against No. 4-ranked and host Nova Southeastern on day two of the classic at noon. NSU opened the season with a 90-87 victory over 22nd-ranked Washburn University in today's first game. Barry (0-1, 0-0 SSC) will face Washburn at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks first home game is Wednesday, November 20, when they open their Northeast-10 Conference schedule against Merrimack College at Merkert Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m.
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