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Erika Stupinski is averaging six assists and 4.5 steals a game so far this season. |
Worcester, Mass. - Junior Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass.) scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the second half alone, helping Stonehill shake off a rough start and post a 71-60 win over Molloy College at the Assumption Courtyard Classic on Saturday afternoon.
Simonds finished with a career-high 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting to go along with the 10 boards. She added five blocks and three steals in her 34 minutes of action.
Stonehill raced out to an 11-0 lead to begin the game before going cold and giving up 13 unanswered points to the Lions and eventually trailing 31-29 at the end of the first half.
The Skyhawks took the lead back early in the second half at 36-35 on a Simonds basket and never relinquished the advantage, going up by as many as 14 at one point late in the second half.
After shooting a frigid 36 percent from the field in the first half, Stonehill warmed up in the final 20 minutes, making 51 percent of their attempts, including Simonds' eight-for-10 display.
As was the case in their season-opening win, the Skyhawks shared the ball incredibly well, getting 19 assists attached to their 28 baskets.
Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass.) recorded her first double-double of the season with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while freshman Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H.) reached double figures with 10 points on four-for-seven shooting.
Randi Bender led the Lions (0-2) with 19 points and Kymira Woodberry chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Now 2-0, Stonehill travels to Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday to face the Penmen in their first Northeast-10 Conference game of the season.