Methven Scores Career High 26 Points, Ties School Record With Eight Three Pointers In Leading Women's Basketball's Second Half Charge In 66-56 Northeast-10 Victory Over Bryant

December 13, 2006

STONEHILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.

FINAL: STONEHILL 66, BRYANT 56

EASTON, Mass.-- Freshman Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y.) came off the bench to score a career-high 26 points, including a school single-game record-tying eight three-pointers, to lead 18th-ranked Stonehill to a come-from-behind 66-56 Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball victory over Bryant Wednesday evening at Merkert Gymnasium.

The host Skyhawks (9-2, 5-2 Northeast-10) shot just 19 percent from the floor in the first 16-plus minutes of play and trailed by 18 points (33-15), but Stonehill ended the half on a 12-4 run to whittle its deficit to 10 (37-27 at the break). Methven's three-pointer with 10:45 to play in the contest capped a 34-12 run that gave the Skyhawks a four-point cushion at 49-45, and the hosts never trailed again in building their advantage to as much as 12 points in the final 2:08 of action. Methven tied the school record of eight treys first set by Michelle Doonan against Saint Anselm during the 1993-94 campaign.

The visiting Bulldogs (5-4, 3-4 Northeast-10) blistered the nets at a 71 percent clip in the opening 16 minutes of play in racing out to their 18-point lead, but after scoring 33 points in the first 16-plus minutes of action, Bryant scored just 23 points over the final 23-plus minutes, shooting just 31 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes of action.

Senior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y.) added 11 points, seven rebounds and four steals in the win for Stonehill, which also received 10 points and eight boards from senior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y.). Junior Daryl Cioffi (New Milford, N.J.) added eight points and six assists for the Skyhawks, who also received seven rebounds, four assists and four steals from senior Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass.). The hosts shot 34 percent overall from the floor in connecting for 10 three-pointers, but Stonehill held a whopping 22-5 advantage on the offensive glass that led to 20 Skyhawk second chance points. Stonehill held a 47-33 overall rebounding edge and forced 20 turnovers on the evening.

Senior Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, Conn.) was the lone player in double figures for Bryant with 22 points, as senior Joanna Skiba (Providence, R.I.) added six points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bulldogs, who also received six boards from freshman Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.). The visitors shot 43 percent for the evening but just 19 percent from behind the arc, as Stonehill posted its 43rd win in 59 series meetings between the two teams.

Stonehill travels to North Andover, Mass. on Sunday afternoon to take on Merrimack in a Northeast-10 outing that tips-off at 1:00 p.m., while Bryant hosts Bridgeport in a non-league contest on Sunday afternoon in Smithfield, R.I. at 2:00 p.m.