#23 Women's Basketball Turns Back Merrimack, 62-57

Raymond and Reuter power Skyhawks to fourth straight win


Raymond scored a game-high 19 points for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix)

EASTON, Mass. (November 28, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked 23rd in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, used two double-digit second half runs to fuel a 62-57 victory over Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Junior Gabrielle Reuter notched her first double-double of the season (second career) and freshman Kayla Raymond scored a game-high 19 points to lead Stonehill to its fourth-straight win. Reuter totaled 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds (six offensive), with two assists and two blocked shots, finishing 5-for-10 from the floor. Raymond connected on 3-of-6 three-pointers on her way to a third-straight double-figure game with 19 points.

Senior Maty Diabate nearly added a double-double off the bench with a season-high matching ten points, nine rebounds (seven offensive) and two assists. Junior Grace Carter contributed nine points on 3-of-8 shooting from three, while sophomore Jennifer Worden chipped in six points, seven boards and seven assists.


Reuter posted her first double-double of the season and led the Skyhawks defensively. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix)

Junior Denia Davis-Stewart led three Merrimack players in double-figures with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, going 4-for-6 from the line, with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Senior Lindsay Werner added 13 points, connecting on 3-of-7 three-pointers, with four assists, while sophomore Mayson Kimball totaled 13 points, three boards and two assists.

Stonehill trailed by three at the half (31-28) after junior Emily Houle buried back-to-back three-pointers for Merrimack over the final 1:12. The Skyhawks opened the second half with a 10-0 run to grab the lead (38-31) less than four minutes in. Raymond scored four points and Carter connected from long distance to lead the run.

Merrimack reclaimed the lead (43-42) with two free-throws by Kimball with 1:22 to play in the third, but Diabate scored four-straight to carry a three-point lead (46-43) into the fourth. The Skyhawks used a 10-2 spurt to stretch their lead to a game-high 11 (58-47) midway through the final quarter. Five different players scored for Stonehill, with the run sparked by a three-pointer from freshman Emily Bramanti.

Merrimack made another late run, pulling within three (58-55) after a layup from senior Karlee Alves with 2:27 to go. However, Stonehill would limit the Warriors to just two possessions the rest of the way, out-rebounding the visitors 6-1 down the stretch, pulling down five of its 21 offensive rebounds in that span, and sealing the win with free-throws from Reuter and Diabate.

Stonehill (6-1, 3-1 NE10) is back in action on Saturday, when it visits Franklin Pierce University for an NE10 matchup at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Merkert Gym next Wednesday, December 5, to host Assumption College at 5:30 p.m. Merrimack (4-3, 0-3 NE10) visits Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

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