Senior Mary Louise Dixon scored a season-high 30 points to go with nine assists to help lead the Skyhawks to victory. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Dixon and Faieta combine for 55 points to lead 59-percent shooting Skyhawks
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (January 8, 2014) – Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's USA TODAY Sports Division II poll, shot nearly 60-percent from the field, including 67% in the second half, to secure a key 104-92 triumph over 13th-ranked Adelphi University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Center for Recreation and Sports tonight.
Senior guard Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) and junior forward Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) combined for 55 of Stonehill's 104 points as the Skyhawks finished shooting 59.1-percent (39-for-66) from the field, including 67.7% (21-31) in the second half, on the night. Dixon led the way with a season-high 30 points, including 17 in the first half, on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and a 7-for-8 effort at the free-throw line, to go with nine assists, three rebounds and two steals. Faieta added a career-best 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range, converting 2-of-3 free-throws to go with a team-high eight rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
Junior Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) contributed 12 points, connecting on 3-of-4 three-pointers and 3-of-4 free-throws, while sophomore Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial) rounded out the Skyhawks double-figure scorers with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from the line, with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Stonehill buried 7-of-14 (50%) three-pointers on the night, including 4-for-7 in the second half, and converted 19-of-23 (82.6%) free-throws in putting a halt to a string of back to back losses. The Skyhawks held a 34-29 rebounding edge. Adelphi shot 55.9-percent (38-for-68) from the field, including 64.3% (18-28) in the first half, making 7-of-24 (29.2%) three-pointers, and converting 9-of-14 (64.3%) free-throws.
Junior Tori Faieta added a career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to go with eight rebounds tonight. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Senior Jessica Kitrys (Parlin, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) led Adelphi with a game-high 31 points on 15-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists. Classmate Sade Jackson (Hackensack, N.J./Aquinas) notched a double-double with 22 points and 12 assists with two rebounds and four steals, while junior Jenna Halaby (Maspeth, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) came off the bench to add 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five assists, four rebounds and a blocked shot. Freshman Calli Balfour (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) chipped in with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Stonehill trailed by ten (32-22) with 8:31 remaining in the first half and then outscored Adelphi 25-9 over the remainder of the frame to take a six point (47-41) lead into the intermission. Dixon (17) and Faieta (15) combined for 32 points to lead the way for the Skyhawks in the opening frame. Dixon sparked a 12-2 Stonehill run that knotted the score (34-34) with 4:58 remaining in the opening half with six points. After a Halaby basket put Adelphi back on top, Faieta drilled a three to put the Skyhawks in front (39-36) with 2:22 to play in the half that keyed a 13-5 stretch to close out the half, while Dixon chipped in another six points during that stretch.
Stonehill quickly pushed its lead to 14 points (59-45) on a jumper from sophomore Paige Marshall (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) four minutes into the half. Pelletier drilled back to back three-pointers to key the Skyhawks run. The Skyhawks lead was 12 (61-49) after a Kitrys jump shot with 15:16 remaining, when the visitors reeled off 11 straight points to push their lead to 23 (72-49) after a Dixon basket with 12:20 remaining. She had six points in all during the run, while Faieta canned a three-pointer as well.
Faieta's third three-pointer of the night put Stonehill's lead back at 23 (92-69) to seemingly seal the win with 5:15 remaining. Balfour answered with a three at the other end for Adelphi before junior Ashley Gendron (Auburn, N.H./Manchester Memorial) scored inside at the other end to put the Skyhawks lead back at 22 (94-72) with 4:54 to play.
Stonehill's lead was still 22 (96-74) after another Gendron basket inside with 4:22 on the clock when Adelphi got back in the game with 15 straight points to claw back within seven (96-89) after a Jackson layup with 1:45 remaining. After Pelletier made one of two at the line on the other end, Jackson pulled the Panthers within five (97-92) with 1:32 still to play. The Skyhawks held from there, sealing the win by canning 5-of-7 free-throws and getting a key layup by Dixon while holding Adelphi scoreless the rest of the way.
Stonehill (8-4, 5-3 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday, when it returns home for the first time in over a month to host Pace University at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. Adelphi (12-1, 6-1 NE-10) travels to Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
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