Hyslip led the Skyhawks with 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner)

Monteleone leads Setters with game-high 23 points

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (January 14, 2017) – Pace University held off a furious fourth quarter comeback effort from Stonehill College to claim a 69-66 triumph in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Goldstein Fitness Center this afternoon.

Sophomore Alexandra Monteleone (Cold Spring, New York/Haldane) led Pace, which snapped a four game drought with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, including 2-for-8 from three-point distance, and converting 3-of-5 free-throws, while freshman Jackie DelliSanti (Commack, New York/Commack) added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Junior Geena Rosalbo (Staten Island, New York/Curtis) rounded out the Setters double-figure scorers with ten points, seven boards, four assists and two steals. Senior Kirsten Dodge (Fabius, New York/Fabius-Pompey) nearly chipped in with a double-double, finishing with nine points, a game-high nine rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals.

Junior Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) led Stonehill with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, draining her lone three-point attempt, converting 5-of-10 free-throws with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Freshman Kelsey Shaw (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) was the only other Skyhawk in double-figures with 11 points, five boards, four assists and a steal. Junior Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) added eight points, four assists and three steals, while sophomore Tayler Wornum (Randolph, Massachusetts/Archbishop Williams) chipped in with seven rebounds.

Pace finished shooting 46.2-percent from the field (24-for-52), including 56% (14-25) in the first half to build a double-digit lead. The Setters were held to 4-for-19 (21.1%) shooting from three-point distance, but converted 17-of-22 (77.3%) free-throws and held a 41-32 rebounding advantage, while Stonehill outscored the Setters 15-7 for second chance points. The Skyhawks were limited to 39.4% shooting (26-for-66) overall, including 30% (9-30) in the opening half, connecting on 4-of-17 three-pointers (23.5%) and 10-of-20 (50%) free-throws.

Shaw reached double-figures for the fourth time in five games with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. (PHOTO BY Barry Gutradt)

Pace led by as much as 14 points, but held off Stonehill in the fourth quarter to claim the win, ending a four-game skein and snapping the Skyhawks win streak at two games. The Setters built a double-figure lead within the first quarter (19-7) and then withstood a Stonehill second quarter run that pulled the Skyhawks within five (30-25) midway through the frame after junior Elizabeth Grip (Shrewsbury, Massachusetts/Shrewsbury) made one of two free-throws before restoring a 12 point cushion (39-27) at the intermission.

Stonehill scored the first seven points of the third quarter to pull back within five (39-34) after a Walsh three-pointer followed four straight points from Hyslip. Pace responded with a 9-0 run to open its game-high 14 point lead (48-34) after Monteleone drained a three-pointer with three minutes remaining in the quarter. The Setters carried a ten point lead into the fourth quarter (50-40), but the Skyhawks closed to within a possession (53-50) after back to back Grip layups with 6:23 still to play.

Grip and Hyslip answered a Dodge basket to pull Stonehill within a point (55-54) with 4:38 remaining, but Pace appeared to answer and seal the win by reclaiming a nine point lead (65-56) after a DelliSanti layup with 2:25 to go. The Skyhawks rallied once more, scoring seven straight to close within two (65-63) after a Walsh triple with 30-seconds to play. Rosalbo was fouled and made both free-throws at the other end, but Hyslip drilled a three to cut the gap to a point (67-66) with eight seconds to go. DelliSanti made two clutch free-throws at the other end to stretch the lead to three and the Setters withstood a last-second three-point attempt at the buzzer to seal the win.

Stonehill (7-8, 6-5 NE10) returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts nationally-ranked Adelphi University for an NE10 matchup at 5:30 p.m. Pace (9-9, 3-7 NE10) visits nationally-ranked Bentley University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

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