Women's Basketball Rallies Past Merrimack in Final Quarter, 62-60


Martin totaled a team-high 14 points with nine rebounds and six assists for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY SportsPix)

Martin scores team-high 14 points, while Hyslip nets tenth career double-double

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (November 29, 2017) – Stonehill College, ranked seventh in this week's D2SIDA East Region media poll, battled back from a ten-point deficit after three quarters by outscoring Merrimack College 22-10 in the fourth to claim a 62-60 decision for its fourth-straight win in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action on Hammel Court at the Volpe Athletic Center tonight.

Senior forward Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) scored the go-ahead basket with eight seconds remaining and posted her tenth career double-double (third of the season), finishing with 13 points and ten rebounds as she scored six points in the final frame alone. Senior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) scored a team-high 14 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists, while classmate Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) scored eight of her 11 points in the final quarter for the Skyhawks.

Sophomore Kelsey Shaw (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds for Stonehill, while classmates Gabrielle Reuter (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) and Grace Carter (Arlington, Massachusetts/Arlington) each chipped in with nine points.


Hyslip posted her tenth career double-double and her layup with eight-seconds left put the Skyhawks ahead for good. (PHOTO BY SportsPix)

Freshman Alyssa Casey (Andover, Massachusetts/Andover) scored a game-high 28 points to lead the way for Merrimack, shooting 12-for-24 from the floor, with five rebounds and four steals. Junior Lindsay Werner (Groton, Massachusetts/Groton-Dunstable) was the only other Warrior in double-figures with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists, while classmate Karlee Alves (Ellington, Connecticut/Ellington) added a team-high nine rebounds, with four assists and three steals.

Merrimack closed the third quarter with a 14-2 run to take a ten-point lead (50-40) into the final frame. Casey led the Warriors run with nine points, while Werner added a three-pointer that gave the hosts the lead (41-38) with 2:44 remaining in the third.

Walsh drained back-to-back three-pointers to pull Stonehill within four (50-46) a minute into the fourth to spark the comeback. Merrimack was able to restore an eight point cushion (54-46) after a layup from Alves with 6:57 remaining, but the Skyhawks scored the next 12 points to regain the lead (58-54) after a Shaw free-throw with 4:13 to go. Five different players scored for Stonehill during the run, with Carter draining a three-pointer and Hyslip scoring four points.

Merrimack pulled even (58-58) with 29-seconds remaining after a Casey layup with 3:10 remaining and then two free-throws from freshman Mayson Kimball (Webster, New Hampshire/Tilton School). Stonehill held for one shot and Hyslip made it count with a layup with eight-seconds remaining to put the Skyhawks back in front. Casey was fouled at the other end, but missed both free-throws with three-seconds to go, and then Martin sealed the win with a pair from the stripe before Casey added a consolation basket at the horn.

Stonehill (4-1, 3-1 NE10) is back in action on Saturday, when it hosts Franklin Pierce University for an NE10 clash at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. Merrimack (3-3, 1-2 NE10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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