Junior Kelly Martin led the Skyhawks with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass/SportsPix)

Setters erase 13-point fourth quarter lead as Skyhawks streak reaches five 

EASTON, Mass. (January 16, 2016) – Pace University rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to claim a 59-56 victory and hand Stonehill College, receiving votes in this week's D2SIDA East Regional poll, its fifth straight defeat in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Postgrad Jaclyn Oskam (Glenmont, New York/Bethlehem Central) drained a three-pointer with 21-seconds to play to push Pace in front before postgrad Shanice Maynard (Camden, New Jersey/Woodrow Wilson) sealed the Setters win by connecting on one of two free-throws with three seconds left. Oskam finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range off the bench, with two rebounds and a steal.

Junior Kirsten Dodge (Fabius, New York/Fabius-Pompey) led Pace with 14 points off the bench and six rebounds, while sophomore Gabriella Rubin (Staten Island, New York/Moore Catholic) totaled 12 points, connecting on 4-of-9 from three, with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Maynard chipped in six points, five assists, four boards and two steals.

Junior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) was the lone Stonehill player in double-figures with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3-for-8 from three-point range, four rebounds and four assists. Senior Paige Marshall (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) added nine points, aided by 7-for-7 shooting from the free-throw line, with four rebounds, while freshman Tayler Wornum (Randolph, Massachusetts/Archbishop Williams) also netted a season-high nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, while converting 3-of-5 free-throws, with a season-high matching four boards.

Freshman Tayler Wornum scored a season-best nine points off the bench. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner)

Pace shot 38.6-percent from the field (22-for-57), including 50% (14-28) in the second half, connecting on 10-of-23 three-pointers (43.5%), including 7-for-12 (58.3%) over the final 20 minutes. The Setters held a 37-31 rebounding advantage and their reserves outscored the Stonehill bench 28-17. The Skyhawks also shot 50% (11-for-22) from the floor in the second half, finishing at 38.8% (19-49) overall, making 5-of-12 three-pointers (41.7%) and converting 13-of-19 (68.4%) free-throws overall. Stonehill posted a 14-6 edge in points off turnovers for the day with one less giveaway (17-16) than the Setters.

Stonehill held a game-high 13 point lead (47-34) after Martin capped a 20-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarter with 8:06 to play. Martin opened the final frame with a three-pointer and Marshall scored five points as well during the stretch. The Skyhawks still led by 12 (48-36) after a free-throw by sophomore Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) with 6:58 on the clock.

Hyslip gave Stonehill a nine point lead (53-44) with 4:36 remaining, but Pace would close the game out with a 15-3 run from there to pull out the win. Back to back three-pointers from Rubin and Oskam had the Setters back within three (50-53) with 3:11 left and then sophomore Geena Rosalbo (Staten Island, New York/Curtis) pulled the visitors within a point off a turnover with 1:45 to go.

Oskam gave Pace the lead (55-53) with a three-pointer with 1:28 to play. After Marshall made two free-throws to knot the score with 1:11 remaining, Hyslip nosed Stonehill back in front (56-55) with one of two at the line with 49-seconds to play. Oskam followed with her second go-ahead triple over the last 90-seconds, which put the Setters ahead for good (58-56) with 21-seconds left. Marshall missed a layup at the other end to force overtime and then Maynard provided the final margin when she split two free-throws after being fouled on the rebound.

The teams combined for just 11 points in a first quarter in which Stonehill emerged with a 7-4 lead. Pace used an 11-0 run to open a ten point lead (19-9) after a layup by senior Yuni Sher (Poughkeepsie, New York/Long Island Lutheran) with 2:16 left in the first half. The Skyhawks closed back within four (22-18) at the intermission, but the Setters scored the first six points of the third quarter to regain the ten point cushion (28-18) after a layup from Alexandra Monteleone (Cold Spring, New York/Haldane). Dodge split two free-throws with six minutes remaining in the third quarter leading up to Stonehill's 20-point run.

Stonehill (8-9, 3-8 NE-10), which has dropped five in a row for the first time since the 2004-05 season, hits the road on Wednesday for a Northeast-10 matchup at Adelphi University at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, January 23, to host nationally-ranked American International College for their Alumnae Game at Merkert Gym at 1:30 p.m. Pace (10-8, 5-5 NE-10) hosts nationally-ranked Bentley University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

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