Senior Amy Pelletier scored a season-high 20 points to lead the Skyhawks past LIU Post this afternoon. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Pelletier's season-high 20 points lead Skyhawks to third straight win
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (December 31, 2014) – Stonehill College, ranked 13th in the most recent USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and D2SIDA Division II Top 25 polls, closed out 2014 on a winning note with a 64-59 victory over LIU Post in non-conference women's basketball action at Pratt Recreation Center this afternoon.
Senior Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Massachusetts/Bishop Fenwick) led three Stonehill players in double-figures with a season-high 20 points (14 first half) on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, including 6-for-11 from three-point range, to go with two rebounds and a steal. Classmate Tori Faieta (Lynn, Massachusetts/Saint Mary's) added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 at the free-throw line, to go with a team-high eight rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) rounded out the double-figure scorers with ten points, two boards, two assists and three steals, while senior Ashley Gendron (Auburn, New Hampshire/Manchester Memorial) chipped in nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, including her lone three-point attempt, with four rebounds and two assists.
Senior Chelsea Williams (Copiague, New York/Copaigue) led LIU Post with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor, while converting 5-of-6 free-throws, with five rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals. Junior Nyasia Davis (Rahway, New Jersey/Abraham Clark) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds (five offensive) to go with six points, two assists and a steal, while senior Ashley Castle (Brooklyn, New York/Medgar Evers Prep) chipped in nine points and three boards.
Senior Tori Faieta added 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Stonehill shot 41.7-percent (25-for-60) from the field, including 8-for-22 (36.4%) from three-point range, while converting 6-of-9 free-throw attempts. The Skyhawks edged LIU Post in second chance points 12-10 despite coming out on the short end of a 43-33 rebounding margin by the Pioneers. LIU Post shot 36.5-percent (23-for-63) overall, including 45.2% (14-31) in the second half after hitting at just 28.1% (9-32) in the opening half. The Pioneers hit just 3-of-12 (25%) three-pointers and were 10-for-14 (71.4%) from the line.
Stonehill overcame a seven point deficit in the final eight minutes to claim the key non-conference win. Castle's layup with 8:01 to play capped a 17-2 LIU Post run that erased an eight point Skyhawks lead (45-37) after a jumper by freshman Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) with 13:26 remaining in the contest. Williams had six points to lead the Pioneers during that stretch.
Stonehill answered with a 13-3 run to regain the lead for good (60-57) on a Martin three-pointer with 2:04 on the clock. Faieta scored five points for the Skyhawks during that stretch, while Pelletier knotted the score with a triple with 3:29 to go. Castle pulled LIU Post back within one (60-59) with a layup with 1:07 remaining, but Gendron followed with a three-pointer to push the Skyhawks lead to four (63-59) with 44-seconds left and then Martin made one of two at the free-throw line with three-seconds to play after Castle missed a three at the other end.
Neither team led by more than eight in the contest which featured four ties and three lead changes. With the exception of a Williams three-pointer to open the scoring on the afternoon, Stonehill led the entire first half, holding the game-high eight point margin (26-18) after one of Pelletier's four first half three-pointers with three minutes left before the half. LIU Post closed within two (30-28) at the half, but Stonehill reclaimed its eight point advantage with Hyslip's jumper with 13:26 left before the back and forth finish.
Stonehill (8-1, 5-1 NE-10), ranked second in the D2SIDA East Regional poll, is back in action on Saturday when it opens the New Year with a Northeast-10 Conference matchup against Saint Michael's College on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. LIU Post (5-5, 2-1 ECC) visits Bentley University on Monday at 7 p.m.
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