Morast Scores 19 Points To Lead Trio In Double Figures, Collins Moves Into 10th Place On Career Scoring List As Fifth-Seeded Women's Basketball Advances To Northeast-10 Quarterfinals For 25th Time In 26 Seasons With 77-65 First Round Tournament Triumph Over Merrimack

February 25, 2007

STONEHILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

First Round – 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Championships

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Merkert Gymnasium, Easton, Mass.

FINAL: STONEHILL 77, MERRIMACK 65

EASTON, Mass.-- Senior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass.) scored 19 points, dished off five assists and recorded five steals to lead three players in double figures as fifth-seeded Stonehill advanced to the Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball quarterfinals for the 25th time in 26 seasons with a 77-65 victory over 12th-seeded Merrimack in first round play of the 2007 championships Sunday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium. The host Skyhawks, who improve to 21-7 overall on the season, advance to take on fourth-seeded Bentley in Tuesday's quarterfinal round to be played at the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass. beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The visiting Warriors, who finish the season at 7-21 overall, shot 62 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes of action and built a 10-point lead (32-22) on a conventional three-point play by sophomore Amanda Shannon (North Andover, Mass.) with 6:43 remaining in the half. Stonehill then scored 11 of the game's next 13 points to close to within one (34-33) on a jumper by sophomore Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass.) with 2:27 to play before intermission, but Merrimack was able to extend its edge to five (39-34) in the final minute of the first half on a lay-in by junior Takeya Faison (Lynn, Mass.) with 33 seconds remaining. The Skyhawks took advantage of a pair of turnovers, coupled with a Tighe lay-in, to score the final six points of the half and grab a 40-39 lead at the break, as a steal and lay-in by senior Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y.) at the buzzer provided the hosts' edge.

The Warriors took their final lead of the day on the second possession following intermission (41-40) on a pair of Faison free throws, as a Morast three-pointer sparked another 11-2 Stonehill run that gave the hosts a 51-43 lead with 16:37 remaining. Merrimack closed its deficit to four (58-54) with 9:45 remaining on a lay-in by junior Ashley Brownlee (Portland, Maine), but a decisive 16-2 Stonehill run over the next 4:45 of action extended the hosts' lead to 18 points at 74-56 on a pair of free throws by senior Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass.) with five minutes remaining, as the Warriors got no closer than 11 points in the closing minutes of play.

Collins added 17 points and five rebounds in the win for Stonehill and in the process moved into 10th place on the Skyhawk career scoring list with 1,359 points, while Tighe added 15 points (one shy of her career high) in the triumph for the hosts, who also received six points, nine rebounds and four assists from Huggins as well as six points and four boards from senior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y.). Stonehill shot 43 percent from the field and forced 25 turnovers that resulted in 24 points while holding a 39-37 rebounding advantage, as the Skyhawks claimed their fifth post-season victory in as many meetings with the Warriors and improved to 53-7 in 60 all-time series meetings between the two teams.

Freshman Casey Miller (Fairbanks, Ak.) led four players in double figures in the scoring column with 16 points in the setback for Merrimack, which also received 15 points and seven boards from Faison. Brownlee added 12 points and nine rebounds on the day for the Warriors, who also received 10 points and six caroms from Shannon as the visitors shot 38 percent from the field, including a 21 percent effort from behind the arc, as Stonehill also held a 21-14 scoring advantage at the foul line.

Stonehill and Bentley will meet for the 22nd time in post-season play in Tuesday's conference quarterfinal, as the Skyhawks and Falcons split their two regular season meetings, with each holding home court. Tuesday's contest will be the first post-season meeting between the two teams since the 2003 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Championship and will mark their 14th match-up in Northeast-10 tournament play.