Martin has been named to the D2EastHoops.org All-Decade first team (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Martin, '18 named to East Region All-Decade first team, with Dixon, '14 and Faieta, '15 honorable mention selections
2017-18 Elite Eight squad an honorable mention for Team of the Decade
D2 East Women's All-Decade Team and Review
EASTON, Mass. (February 7, 2020) – The perennial East Region and Northeast-10 Conference contending Stonehill College women's basketball team is well represented in the D2EastHoops.org All-Decade review for the seasons of 2009-10 through 2018-19, the website announced today.
Stonehill women's basketball graduate and All-American Kelly Martin, '18, headlines the honorees with her selection to the All-Decade first team by the website. She captained the 2017-18 Skyhawks to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and that team was recognized as an honorable mention Team of the Decade by the website. Two of Martin's former teammates, Mary Louise Dixon, '14 and Tori Faieta, '15 rounded out Stonehill's selections by being named honorable mention All-Decade team recognition.
Stonehill's 2017-18 team posted a 29-4 record overall, one win shy of the program record, and was ranked No. 8 in the final Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll. The Skyhawks returned to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the third time in program history, but its first since 1995, after winning the East Regional as the top seed in front of a packed house at Merkert Gymnasium with a 71-61 triumph over University of the Sciences. Stonehill won its ninth NE10 regular season championship with a 20-1 mark, winning a program-record 20-straight Conference games to set a program record for league wins.
The 2017-18 Elite Eight team, with seniors pictured above, were named an honorable mention All-Decade Team (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix) |
Martin was named the NE10 Player of the Year and was an All-NE10 first team pick. She was joined in earning All-NE10 honors by fellow senior captains Samantha Hyslip, '18 and Courtney Walsh, '18, while classmate Elizabeth Grip, '18 was named the NE10's Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Trisha Brown collected NE10 Coach of the Year accolades for the fourth time. Martin would also collect D2CCA East Region Player of the Year honors, while Brown was named the United States Marine Corps Division II East Region Coach of the Year by the WBCA for the third time in her career.
Stonehill posted a perfect 18-0 record at home and led the NE10 in assists per game (18.4 – 7th), blocked shots per game (6.7 – 1st), defensive rebounds per game (31.0 – 8th), field goal percentage defense (.342 – 3rd), free-throw percentage (.768 – 27th) and rebounds per game (43.7 – 17th), while ranking second in the Conference for rebounding margin (+7.4 – 18th), scoring margin (+12.4), scoring offense (70.3 ppg) and three-point percentage defense (.256 – 3rd), ranking third for field goal percentage (.418), scoring defense (57.9 ppg – 20th) and three-point percentage (.335).
Martin was a three-time All-NE10 selection over her career, capping her career with WBCA, D2CCA and Division II Bulletin All-America honors as a senior. She was also named the D2CCA East Region and NE10 Player of the Year as a senior when she was the only player in the NE10 to rank among the top 12 in the Conference for scoring, rebounding and assists, leading Stonehill with 16.6 points (4th) and 5.0 assists (2nd), while ranking second on the team with her 7.4 rebounds per game (11th), adding 1.1 steals in 34.1 minutes per game (4th).
Dixon, '14 |
Faita, '15 |
Martin started 91 of 107 games played over her collegiate career at Stonehill. She finished her career ranked 11th in program history with her 1,486 career points, while also ranking third for career minutes per game (31.7), fourth in career free-throw percentage (.835), sixth with 399 made free-throws, eighth with 515 defensive rebounds, ninth with 145 three-pointers and tenth with 448 assists. She earned All-NE10 third team honors as a sophomore and second team accolades her junior year before missing the entire 2016-17 season to injury. She was named to the All-Tournament team at the 2018 and 2015 NCAA Division II East Regional, earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2018 East Regional.
Faieta, who would represent the United States at the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Games in Taiwan, capped an outstanding four-year career at Stonehill by being named to the WBCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team as well as a Division II Bulletin All-American following her senior season. The Daktronics All-East Region pick and unanimous All-NE-10 first team honoree was named to the All-Tournament team at the 2015 NCAA Tournament's East Regional. She finished her four-year career ranked 13th in program history with 1,402 points, while her 215 career blocked shots rank second all-time and her 880 rebounds third in program history. Her 103 career games started ranks fifth all-time and her .497 field goal percentage fifth.
Dixon earned honorable mention All-America honors from the WBCA and Division II Bulletin as a senior to cap her outstanding career at Stonehill in which she was a three-time All-NE10 performer, with first team honors as a junior and senior. The two-time Daktronics All-Region selection finished her career ranked ninth all-time with an even 1,500 career points. She is the only player in program history with over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds (604) and 500 assists (574), ranking fourth all-time for assists and 16th for rebounds. Dixon's 32.9 career minutes per game is a program-record, while she also ranks second for free-throw percentage (.853) and career starts (100), fourth for free-throws made (425), seventh for three-point field goals made (149), ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.356), ninth for steals (187) and 11th all-time in scoring average (13.3 ppg).
Stonehill (15-5, 11-3 NE10), ranked No. 6 in this week's D2SIDA East Region poll, and winners of four-straight and eight of nine after Wednesday night's 65-55 win over rival Bentley University, ranked No. 4 in the regional poll, is back in action tomorrow, when it visits Saint Anselm College, ranked 3 in the D2SIDA East poll and receiving votes in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll, for another key NE10 at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Merkert Gym next Saturday, February 15, to host Assumption College for its Play4Kay Game at 1:30 p.m.
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