Head Coach Trisha Brown has led the Skyhawks to their 25th 20-win season and a two-game lead atop the NE10's Northeast Division standings. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix) |
Skyhawks move up two spots in both NCAA Division II national polls
NE10 January Team of the Month Announcement
WBCA Division II Coaches' Poll
D2SIDA Top 25 & Regional Media Polls
EASTON, Mass. (February 13, 2018) – The Stonehill College women's basketball program has been tabbed the Northeast-10 Conference's "Team of the Month" for January via social media fan polls conducted via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the NE10 announced today.
It marks the first "Team of the Month" accolade for a Stonehill athletics program over the three years of its existence. The women's basketball team rolled to a 9-0 record during the month of January, including an 8-0 mark in NE10 play, consisting of primarily cross-divisional play with the NE10's Southwest Division. The Skyhawks capped the month with a 77-66 triumph over then No. 3/3-ranked and rival Bentley University before a near-capacity crowd at Merkert Gymnasium, which out the Skyhawks in the driver's seat to claim the top seed for the Northeast Division in the upcoming NE10 Tournament. Stonehill also picked up wins over regionally-ranked Roberts Wesleyan College on New Year's Day (77-59) and Southern Connecticut State University (63-52) on January 13.
Seven of Stonehill's nine wins in January were by double-digits and the Skyhawks' offense averaged 71 points per game, while yielding only 56.7 points, allowing opponents to shoot just 32.9-percent from the field, including 23.8% from three-point distance. Stonehill leads the NE10 in field goal percentage defense (33.7%) and three-point field goal defense (24.7%), while ranking third in scoring defense (57.3 ppg). The Skyhawks are second in the NE10 for scoring offense (70.5 ppg), third in field goal percentage (41.6%) and first in free-throw percentage (76.6%). Stonehill reached the 20-win plateau for the 25th time in program history last week.
Stonehill (21-2, 17-1 NE10), which remains ranked No. 1 in this week's D2SIDA East Region poll, moved up two spots in both Division II national polls released this afternoon. The Skyhawks are ranked No. 8 in the D2SIDA Top 25 media poll and 20th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll. Stonehill picked up two more first place votes in the D2SIDA East Region poll, leading the way with 58 points over second-ranked University of the Sciences in Philadelphia's 56 points and the remaining two first place votes.
Stonehill is back in action for a pair of home games this week, starting Wednesday night, when it hosts Merrimack College for its #Play4Kay Game at Merkert Gym at 5:30 p.m. Fans who wear pink to the game will be admitted free of charge and the women's basketball team will be accepting donations for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in conjunction with the WBCA. The Skyhawks round out the week by hosting Assumption College for Senior Day on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Tickets for Stonehill home games can be purchased online in advance at stonehillskyhawks.com.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.