Walsh led the Skyhawks to their 12th straight win with a game-high 21 points. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Walsh shoots Skyhawks to 17th-straight NE10 win with 21 points
RINDGE, N.H. (February 10, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 10 in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll and 22nd in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, rolled to its 12th-straight win to maintain its two-game lead atop the Northeast Division standings with an 80-57 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at FPU Fieldhouse this afternoon.
Senior Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) paced a Stonehill offense which shot 47.5-percent from the field, including 7-for-13 (53.8%) from three-point distance, with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, with three rebounds and two assists. The Skyhawks have now win 12-straight overall and their last 17 NE10 games to claim a two game lead atop the NE10's Northeast Division standings with three games to play.
Senior Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists for Stonehill, while sophomore Kelsey Shaw (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) scored nine of her 11 points in the first half, adding five rebounds and two assists. Senior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) posted team-highs of seven rebounds and six assists, while junior Maty Diabate (Holden, Massachusetts/Wachusett Regional) chipped in eight points in 11 minutes off the bench.
Shaw added 11 points, five rebounds and two assists off the bench for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Sophomore Mya Mosley (Worcester, Massachusetts/Wachusett Regional) scored 16 of her team-high 20 points in the second half to lead Franklin Pierce, adding five rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot. Freshman Sophia Holmes (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) drained 4-of-4 three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone, scoring 12 of her 14 points in the frame.
Franklin Pierce scored the first five points of the contest, but Stonehill outscored the hosts 15-3 over the remainder of the opening quarter to grab a seven point lead (15-8), led by five points from Walsh. The Skyhawks outscored the Ravens 26-8 in the second frame to take control. Leading by seven (17-10) after two free-throws by senior Kelsey Mayo (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) a minute into the second, Stonehill reeled off a 16-2 run to open a 21-point advantage (33-12) after a Shaw layup just past the midway point of the quarter. Shaw had five points during the stretch, which was sparked by a Walsh three-pointer.
Stonehill scored the final eight points of the second to carry a 25-point cushion (41-16) into halftime. The Skyhawks lead reached 30 (54-24) after a layup from junior Tayler Wornum (Randolph, Massachusetts/Archbishop Williams) midway through the third quarter. Walsh buried a three-pointer to stretch that lead to 34 (65-31) heading into the fourth and the Skyhawks lead would peak at 36 early in the fourth quarter before closing out the win.
Stonehill (21-2, 17-1 NE10) returns to action on Wednesday, when it hosts Merrimack College at Merkert Gymnasium 5:30 p.m. Tickets for Stonehill home games can be purchased online in advance at stonehillskyhawks.com. Franklin Pierce (4-19, 1-17 NE10) hosts Assumption College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
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