Senior Amy Pelletier matched her season-high with 20 points to lead the Skyhawks this afternoon. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Pelletier matches season-high with 20 points as Skyhawks win eighth straight
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (January 17, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 7 in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 and No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II polls, outscored Bloomfield College 26-5 at the free-throw line in the second in posting a 75-63 victory in non-conference women's basketball action at the Bloomfield College Gym this afternoon.
Senior Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Massachusetts/Bishop Fenwick) led four Stonehill players in double figures with a season-high matching 20 points (11 first half) on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including 3-for-4 from three-point range, while converting 9-of-10 free-throws to go with two rebounds and two assists. The three three-pointers give Pelletier 242 over her career to move within seven of assistant coach Meg Methven's '10 career program record of 249.
Senior Tori Faieta (Lynn, Massachusetts/Saint Mary's) posted a double-double for the second straight game and seventh of the season overall (23rd career) with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) contributed 14 points (12 second half) on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor and converting 6-of-8 free-throws to go with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Junior Paige Marshall (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) added ten points on 2-of-3 shooting, draining 6-of-7 free-throws, while classmate Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nevada/Centennial) chipped in nine points, draining 7-of-9 free-throws, and seven boards.
Senior Tierra Scott (Bear, Delaware/Appoquinimink) led Bloomfield with game-highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double to go with five blocked shots and three assists as she shot 5-for-17 from the field, but converted 11-of-15 free-throws. Freshman De'Andra Humphries (Boston, Massachusetts/New Mission) joined Scott in double figures with 15 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Tianna Smith (Nanuet, New York/Paramus Catholic) chipped in nine points and three boards.
Stonehill finished shooting 40-percent (20-for-50) from the field, including 50% (11-for-22) in the first half, but converted 31-of-38 (81.6%) free-throws, including 26-for-31 (83.9%) in the second half. Bloomfield was held to 32.3-percent (21-for-65) shooting from the floor, including 4-for-22 (18.2%) from three-point range. The Bears made 17-of-24 (70.8%) free-throws, but just 5-of-5 in the second half, shooting 28.6% (8-28) from the floor in the first half and 35.1% (13-37) in the second.
Senior Tori Faieta posted her 23rd career double-double today. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Bloomfield took a quick four point lead (35-31) after a Smith layup two and a half minutes into the second half after the two teams played to a deadlock (29-29) over the opening 20 minutes. Freshman Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) gave Stonehill its first lead of the second half (38-37) with a three-pointer five minutes in. Scott drained two free-throws to put the Bears back in front on their next trip down the court.
Brown gave Stonehill the lead (40-39) with two free-throws with just over 13 minutes remaining and then freshman Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) put the Skyhawks up four (43-39) when she made one of two at the line just over a minute later. Humphries knocked down a three-pointer to push Bloomfield back in front (44-43) with 10:37 to go, but that would prove to be the host's final lead of the day.
Martin scored a layup to regain the lead for Stonehill and she completed the conventional three-point play to give the Skyhawks a four point cushion (48-44) after Pelletier converted two free-throws after a Bloomfield technical foul. Stonehill's lead was a point (50-49) after a layup by Bloomfield senior Lauren Deverin (Sewaren, New Jersey/Bishop Ahr) with 8:15 to play and then the Skyhawks scored six straight points, keyed by a Pelletier three-pointer, to open a seven point lead (56-47) with 6:57 remaining.
Stonehill was finally able to put the game away down the stretch, netting six straight points to open a nine point lead (64-55) with two Marshall free-throws with 2:21 on the clock. Bloomfield drew within six (64-58) when Humphries converted a three-point play with 1:34 remaining, but that would be as close as the Bears would get the rest of the way as the Skyhawks got a layup from Martin and then converted 9-of-10 free-throws in the final 30-seconds to seal their eighth straight win.
Neither team led by more than a possession in a first half that was tied five times and featured five lead changes until Stonehill forged a five point lead (21-16) after a Brown layup 6:46 before halftime. The Skyhawks stretched their lead to six (25-19) with a Jamie Panton (Williston, Vermont/Essex) layup with four minutes left for the largest lead of the half. Bloomfield scored eight straight points to take a four point lead (29-25) after a Scott layup with 39-seconds remaining, but Pelletier and Brown both canned a pair of free-throws to send the teams into halftime tied (29-29).
Stonehill (13-1, 9-1 NE-10), ranked first in the D2SIDA East Regional poll, returns home on Wednesday to host Southern Connecticut State University for a Northeast-10 Conference matchup in Merkert Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. Bloomfield (8-7, 6-2 CACC) visits Nyack College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
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