Carter had another hot-shooting night against USciences, finishing with a team-high 18 points in the win (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Carter leads Skyhawks to big bounce back win with 18 points

ROCKVILLE CENTER, N.Y. (November 17, 2019) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 5 in the D2SIDA East Region preseason poll, handed University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, ranked No. 17 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II preseason poll and No. 21 in the D2SIDA Top 25 national poll, its first loss of the season with a 65-61 triumph in non-conference women's basketball action on day two of the Molloy College Classic, hosted at Molloy's Quealy Gymnasium this afternoon.

Senior Grace Carter led Stonehill, which shot over 46-percent from the field, including 6-for-13 (46.2%) from three-point range, by scoring ten of her team-high 18 points in the second half as she finished 5-for-7 from the floor, including 4-for-6 from three-point distance, and converted all four free-throws. She added six rebounds and six assists and has averaged 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists over the Skyhawks last three games against USciences, shooting 79% (15-19) from the floor, including 12-for-16 (75%) from three.

Sophomore Megan Hill posted her first career double-double in 21 minutes off the bench, posting career-highs of 12 points and ten rebounds, while adding a pair of steals. Senior Gabrielle Reuter rounded out the Stonehill players in double-figures with ten points, four rebounds and three assists, while classmate Kelsey Shaw chipped in seven key points (all in the first quarter) as she made all three of her shots from the field, including a three-pointer, while adding five boards and five assists. Sophomore Isabella Santoro contributed nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Senior Jordan Vitelli led three in double figures for USciences with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 3-for-8 from three, and three rebounds. Junior Irisa Ye was kept in check with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals, while freshman Harlem Jennings totaled 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting off the bench.

Hill posted her first career double-double with career-highs of 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Stonehill started fast, grabbing a seven-point lead (11-4) after Reuter made one of two at the line midway through the opening quarter. USciences pulled back within a point (13-12) with a Jennings layup with a minute remaining, but the Skyhawks answered with layups from Shaw and Hill to take a five point lead into the second (17-12).

Stonehill got another Hill layup and a Carter three-pointer to open a ten-point gap (22-12) less than a minute into the second quarter. Carter gave the Skyhawks a 12-point lead (26-14) on a jumper with 5:37 to play in the half, but USciences outscored Stonehill 15-4 over the remainder of the quarter, sparked by two Vitelli three-pointers and seven points from Jennings, to draw back within a point (30-29) at the intermission.

USciences kept the momentum going through the first half of the third quarter as Vitelli pushed the Devils in front with a layup a minute in and they grabbed a four point lead (32-26) after a three-pointer from junior Jess Huber less than three minutes in. The USciences lead was still four (34-28) after a Ye layup a minute later, but Stonehill netted seven-straight points, including four by Santoro, to reclaim the lead (41-38) with 2:38 left in the third. The Devils were back within a point (41-40) after sophomore Taylor Hamm scored with 2:20 to go in the frame, when the Skyhawks reeled off eight-straight to close out the quarter for a nine-point lead (49-40) after a Carter triple heading into the fourth.

Stonehill reclaimed a ten-point cushion (52-42) with a Carter jumper a minute into the fourth and then stretched it to 11 when sophomore Sophie Glidden split two free-throws with 8:13 to play. USciences rallied again, pulling within a point (54-53) after a Ye layup with 5:57 remaining, on run sparked by three-pointers from Huber and Vitelli.

USciences was able to snare the lead (57-56) with a Vitelli layup with 3:21 to play, but Stonehill responded with a three-point play from Hill to reclaim the lead once again (59-57). Vitelli pulled the Devils even with 65-seconds to go, but Santoro responded with a layup for the Skyhawks and Carter made all four free-throws in the final half minute to offset Ye's final basket of the night and seal the big early-season win.

Stonehill (3-1, 0-0 NE10) is off until it opens its Northeast-10 Conference and home schedule against Saint Michael's College on Saturday at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. USciences (4-1, 0-0 CACC) returns to Molloy next Saturday to face the Lions at noon.

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