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Penguin, Tasmania, junior guard earns weekly honors for the first time after record-breaking three-point barrage in Monday victory
NEC Women's Basketball Weekly Report
Hayward |
EASTON, Mass. (January 17, 2024) – Stonehill College junior guard Sharn Hayward has been named the Northeast Conference Player of the Week by the Conference office today.
Hayward earns the first weekly recognition of her career with her selection as the NEC Player of the Week and Prime Performer, joining former teammate Emily Bramanti, '23, a two-time selection, in earning NEC Player of the Week honors. She is the second Skyhawk to be named an NEC Prime Performer this season, along with postgrad Lauren Sampson, while freshman Brooke Paquette collected NEC Rookie of the Week accolades two weeks ago to give Stonehill NEC weekly honors in three consecutive weeks.
Hayward led Stonehill to a 2-0 weekend in NEC play by averaging 24.5 points on 73.9-percent shooting (17-for-23), including a blistering 71.4% (15-21) from three-point distance. She also contributed 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 38.9-minutes per game over the two victories. Hayward drained a school-record and NEC record-matching 11 three-pointers in scoring a career-high 33 points in Monday's 67-44 triumph over Wagner College at Merkert Gymnasium, connecting on 11-of-15 shots – all beyond the three-point arc – with three assists and two rebounds in 40-minutes of play. She opened the week with a team-high 16-points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-for-6 from deep, and two assists in Saturday's 60-56 victory over FDU in which the Skyhawks rallied from an 11-point deficit with 8:41 to play.
Noteworthy from Monday's outburst against Wagner:
- Broke the school-record for three-pointers in a game.
- Matched the NEC record for three-pointers set by Jessica Kovatch of Saint Francis against FDU in 2018 – in two fewer attempts than Kovatch.
- Led a school-record matching 17-point three-point field goal effort for Stonehill, which matched the number of total field goals made by Wagner in the game.
- Hayward's 11 three-pointers matched the season-high in Division I women's basketball this season and is the third-highest total across all levels of NCAA basketball regardless of gender.
- The 11 three-pointers exceeded Stonehill's previous team-high of ten at Central Connecticut State University the week prior.
- Fell three shy of the NCAA Division I women's record of 14 by Baylor's Juicy Landrum in 2019.
- 33 points is a team season high, and the Skyhawks first 20-plus point game of the year and is the second 30-point performance in the NEC this season.
Hayward earns NEC Player of the Week honors for the first time after connecting on a school-record 11 three-pointers for a career-best 33 points in Monday's win over Wagner (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Hayward, whose record-breaking performance was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter later Sunday night, connected on her first four three-pointers in the contest on her way to 12 first half points on 4-for-6 shooting from three in the half overall. Her 11 threes are nearly double the seven she made in 20 games as a freshman and only five shy of the 16 canned during her sophomore year. Hayward now ranks second among NEC three-point shooters with 2.24 per game, including a Conference-best 5.0 per game in NEC play, and third in three-point percentage at 34.9-percent, including an NEC-best 53.7% in Conference play.
Hayward, who had started three of her 49 career appearances in her first two collegiate seasons, has started all 17 games for Stonehill this season and is averaging 9.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in a team-high 32.2 minutes per game, converting 13-of-14 free-throws (92.9%) for the season. She ranks eighth among NEC leaders in minutes played, including 38.8 per game in NEC play (2nd NEC), and 12th in assists.
Hayward ranks fourth among NEC scoring leaders in Conference play with 16.0 points per game over the first four games, leading the NEC in shooting percentage (.537) and ranking 11th in assists (3.0) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.5). The Stonehill co-captain has started 20 of her 66 games played in three seasons, totaling 254 points, 66 rebounds, 70 assists and 13 steals, while shooting 88.5-percent from the free-throw line over her career.
Stonehill (2-15, 2-2 NEC) is back on the road for an NEC matchup at FDU on Friday at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Merkert Gym on Sunday to host Merrimack College for an NEC clash at 2 p.m.
Tickets for Stonehill home basketball games can be purchased in advance online at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets, with single game and season ticket packages available.
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.
