Assumption Pulls Away Against Women's Basketball, 85-72


Senior Paige Marshall led the Skyhawks with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner)

Greyhounds score 55 second half points behind balanced scoring 

WORCESTER, Mass. (November 18, 2015) – Assumption College, among teams receiving votes in the USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll and ranked third in the D2SIDA East Regional poll, pulled away in the second half to claim an 85-72 victory over Stonehill College, also receiving votes nationally and ranked No. 1 in the region, in the Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball opener for both at Laska Gymnasium tonight.

Senior Kelly Conley (Ellington, Connecticut/Ellington) led a balanced Assumption effort with 15 points, aided by 8-for-8 shooting from the free-throw line, to go with two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Junior Allison Stoddard (East Lyme, Connecticut/East Lyme) added 13 points, connecting on 3-of-6 three-pointers, with seven assists and two steals, while classmate Kelly Carey (Long Beach, New York/Holy Trinity) registered 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, with two rebounds and two assists.

Senior Paige Marshall (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) and junior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) combined for 38 points as the lone double-figure scorers for Stonehill as they shot a combined 14-for-30 (46.7-percent) from the field, while the remainder of the team was just 11-for-32 (34.4%). Marshall scored a game and season-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point distance, while converting all four free-throw attempts to go with a game-high nine rebounds and six assists. Martin added 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting, just 1-for-7 from three, going 3-for-4 from the line, with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.


Junior Kelly Martin added 18 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner)

Sophomore Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) contributed eight points, while senior Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nevada/Centennial) chipped in seven points and seven boards.

Assumption shot 44.6-percent from the field, including 9-for-20 (45%) from three-point distance, connecting on 53.1-percent (17-32) in the second half, including 5-for-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc, converting 18-of-23 (78.3%) free-throws for the night. Stonehill was limited to 40.3% shooting (25-for-62), including 6-for-22 (27.3%) from long distance, going 5-for-14 (35.7%) from deep in the second half. The Skyhawks held a 41-38 rebounding edge, but committed 19 turnovers which resulted in a 20-9 Greyhounds advantage in points off turnovers. Assumption's bench also outscored the Stonehill reserves 31-12.

Stonehill held a 31-30 halftime lead, but after the teams traded baskets to open the third quarter, Conley drained a three-pointer to put Assumption up two (35-33) a minute and a half in. A Marshall triple pulled the Skyhawks back within two and then Martin converted a three point play to regain the lead (41-39) with 6:36 left in the third.

Stonehill led by four (45-41) after a jumper by freshman Nicole Rojas (Cromwell, Connecticut/Cromwell) with 4:36 left in the quarter. Assumption answered with seven straight points to reclaim the lead (48-45) with 2:19 left in the quarter. Conley pushed the lead to four (51-47) with a three-pointer with 1:43 remaining and the advantage stretched to six (53-47) following a sophomore Teneya McLaughlin (Milford, Connecticut/Joseph A. Foran) basket before settling for a three-point edge at the break.

Consecutive three-pointers from Stoddard and Carey to open the fourth quarter pushed the Assumption lead to nine (59-50). The Greyhounds lead reached 12 (66-54) after a McLaughlin three ball with 7:52 to play and then 16 (72-56) with a jumper by junior Morgan O'Brien (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading) with 5:11 remaining. Stonehill made a push late, drawing within nine (81-72) on a Martin three-pointer with 41-seconds on the clock, but the Greyhounds were able to seal the win at the free-throw line from there.

Stonehill (2-1, 0-1 NE-10) is back on the court on Saturday when it hosts Saint Anselm College for its first home game of the season at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. Assumption (3-0, 1-0 NE-10) visits Saint Michael's College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

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