Senior Shannon Brown paced the Skyhawks with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Stoddard nets game-high 19 points as Greyhounds withstand Skyhawks third quarter run 

EASTON, Mass. (February 13, 2016) – Assumption College, ranked tenth in this week's D2SIDA East Regional poll, bookended the game with strong first and fourth quarter surges to claim a 62-55 triumph over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action as part of Play 4Kay Day on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Junior Allison Stoddard (East Lyme, Connecticut/East Lyme) led three Assumption players in double-figures with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, including 5-for-8 from three-point distance, while dishing out two assists. Classmate Jo Impellizeri (Seaford, New York/St. Anthony's) added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while converting 2-of-3 free-throws, with six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots. Senior Kelly Conley (Ellington, Connecticut/Ellington) registered 11 points, four boards, three assists and three steals for the Greyhounds.

Senior Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nevada/Centennial) paced Stonehill with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 1-for-2 from three-point distance, and five rebounds. Junior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) scored all 13 of her points in the second half to go with four rebounds and four assists.

Sophomores Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) and Kate Ross (Fall River, Massachusetts/The Lincoln School) each pulled down double-figure rebound totals to lead Stonehill to a commanding 45-28 rebounding advantage for the contest. Hyslip had a career-high 13 boards to go with four assists, three points and two steals, while Ross hauled in nine of her career-best 11 boards (six offensive) in the first half, and blocked two shots.

Sophomore Kate Ross pulled down nine of her career-high 11 rebounds in the first half today. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Assumption won despite just 38.3-percent shooting (23-for-60) on the afternoon, connecting at 42.1% (8-19) from three-point range and converting 8-of-11 (72.7%) free-throws. Stonehill shot 41.4% from the floor (24-58), but just 6-for-18 (33.3%) in the fourth quarter, while cashing in on only 4-of-14 (28.6%) three-pointers. Despite its 45-28 rebounding advantage, including 18-17 on its offensive end alone, Stonehill only outscored the Greyhounds by six in second chance points (14-8).

Stonehill overcame a slow start to trail by just a point at halftime (30-29). The Skyhawks scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take their first and largest lead of the game (36-30) after a putback by Hyslip 2:10 in. Stonehill still led by five (40-35) following a Brown jumper with 5:11 left, but Assumption knotted the score with 4:20 remaining in the third after a Stoddard triple and Conley layup.

Both teams struggled to score until Martin hit a three for Stonehill (43-40) with 1:39 remaining. Junior Morgan O'Brien (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading) drew Assumption within a point (43-42) on a layup with 31-seconds to go. Sophomore Elizabeth Grip (Shrewsbury, Massachusetts/Shrewsbury) opened the fourth quarter scoring with a jumper 15-seconds in, but junior Kelly Carey (Long Beach, New York/Holy Trinity) leveled the game with a three-pointer two minutes later.

The teams traded baskets until five straight points from Impellizeri gave Assumption a four point lead (53-49) with 3:55 to play. Stonehill cut the deficit in half twice over the next two minutes before a Stoddard three pushed the Assumption advantage to five (58-53) with 50-seconds remaining and then Conley made one of two free-throws with 28-seconds to go that put the Greyhounds up six (59-53). Martin scored a layup at the other end with 20-seconds remaining, but Stonehill would get no closer with the visitors doing enough at the line from there to seal the win.

Stonehill (12-12, 7-11 NE-10), which falls into a three way tie for fifth in the NE-10's Northeast Division standings with the loss, looks to get back on track Wednesday at Saint Anselm College at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, February 20, to host Southern New Hampshire University for a key NE-10 battle on Senior Day at 1:30 p.m. Assumption (14-9, 10-8 NE-10) hosts Merrimack College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

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