Collins Scores 19 Points And Grabs Eight Rebounds, Stupinski And Huggins Chip In With 12 Points Each As Women's Basketball Opens 2006-2007 Season With 65-62 Non-League Victory Over Augustana (S.D.) In Opening Round Of Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic

November 3, 2006

STONEHILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

First Round – 2006 Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic

Friday, November 3, 2006

Disney's Wide World of Sports, Orlando, Fla.

FINAL: STONEHILL 65, AUGUSTANA (S.D.) 62

ORLANDO, Fla.-- Senior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y.) scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead three players in double figures as Stonehill began its 2006-2007 season with a 65-62 non-league college women's basketball victory over Augustana (S.D.) in first round play of the 2006 Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic Friday afternoon at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Skyhawks (1-0) raced out to a quick six-point advantage less than five minutes into the contest and built their advantage to as many as 12 points midway through the opening half before settling for a 38-30 lead at the break, and a Collins jumper coupled with a three-pointer by senior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass.) on the first two possessions following intermission gave Stonehill's its largest lead of the day of 13 points at 43-30. The Vikings (0-1) then scored 14 of the game's next 15 points to over a six-minute span to forge a 44-44 tie, and Augustana took its only lead of the day at 52-51 with 9:31 remaining on a lay-in by senior Alison Adamson (Willmar, Minn.).

The Skyhawks regained as much as a five point lead in the closing minutes of the contest before the Vikings made one final run, closing that gap to one at 63-62 with 1:02 to go on a lay-in by sophomore Whitney Hofer (Hartford, S.D.), but a pair of free throws by senior Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass.) with 14 seconds remaining gave Stonehill its final margin of victory, as Hofer missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with seven seconds to play for Augustana.

Huggins and junior Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine) each netted 12 points in the triumph for the Skyhawks, as Huggins added six assists and five rebounds. Senior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y.) added seven boards for the winners, who also received eight points from Morast and six points off the bench on a pair of three-pointers by junior Daryl Cioffi (New Milford, N.J.). Stonehill shot 32 percent from the field for the day but connected on nine three-pointers, including four by Stupinski, while holding a 16-8 scoring advantage from the foul line for the contest.

Junior Ashley Holiday (Hayti, S.D.) paced Augustana with 14 points and nine rebounds in its setback, while Adamson chipped in with 12 points for the Vikings, who shot 37 percent from the field and held a 49-43 rebounding edge but missed 12 of 20 free throw attempts on the afternoon, including a 7-of-18 effort in the second half alone.

Stonehill squares off with Felician in second round play of the 2006 Disney Tip-Off Classic on Saturday afternoon at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex beginning at 2:00 p.m., while Augustana will take on 11th-ranked West Texas A&M in second round play of the tournament beginning at Noon.