Junior Emily Rousseau scored 19 of her game-high 23 points in the second half to lead Stonehill past American International tonight. |
Stonehill Surges Past American International, 66-54
Rousseau nets 19 second-half points to lead Skyhawks to seventh-straight win
EASTON, Mass. (January 20, 2010) - Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, used a second half surge to notch its seventh-straight win with a 66-54 victory over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Junior guard Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) led the second half surge that broke open a four-point halftime lead (31-27) by scoring 19 of her game-high 23 points in that frame. She made 7-of-12 shots from the field (6-7 second half), including 3-of-5 from three-point range, while converting 6-of-7 free-throws to go with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
Senior Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) also had a hot hand with a season-high 18 points, aided by 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc while converting 6-of-8 free-throws, to go with four assists and three rebounds. Classmate Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) posted her second-straight double-double, her sixth of the season (29th career), with 12 points and a game and season-high matching 12 rebounds to go with two assists, two blocks and a steal.
Junior Adriana Johnson (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) led American International with 17 points, seven rebounds (four offensive), two assists and a blocked shot. Senior Kristin Boesenberg (Pocono Pines, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) added 11 points, canning 3-of-8 three-pointers, three rebounds and two assists, while junior Josephine McFarlane (Freemont, Calif./Westfield) pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
Senior Megan Methven netted a season-high 18 points, draining 4-of-6 three's. |
Stonehill finished shooting 38-percent (19-for-50) from the field, including 8-for-18 (44.4%) from three-point range, after connecting on 47.8% (11-23) in the second half (4-7 three's, 57.1%). The Skyhawks outscored American International 20-6 at the free-throw line and posted an 18-9 advantage in points off turnovers. AIC finished shooting 32.8-percent (21-for-64) from the field, including 6-for-23 (26.1%) from beyond the arc.
All six ties and lead changes in the contest came in the opening 20 minutes, but Stonehill led by as much as seven (27-20) after a Rousseau three with 4:26 left in the frame. The Skyhawks led by four (31-27) at the break, then began the second half with a 14-4 run to gain a 13-point advantage (44-31) with 15:22 to play after back-to-back Rousseau threes.
Stonehill pushed that lead to 15 (49-34) following two Rousseau free-throws with 12:51 left. AIC crept back within ten (51-41) on a Boesenberg three-pointer with 9:06 remaining, but the Skyhawks answered with six-straight points to open a game-high 16-point lead (59-43) after a free-throw from sophomore Tania Williams (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward-Melville) with 4:18 to play. A Boesenberg three with 59-seconds on the clock cut Stonehill's lead to nine (63-54), but the Skyhawks iced the game at the line from there.
Stonehill (15-4, 10-2 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits Adelphi University at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Tuesday, January 26, to host Le Moyne College at 5:30 p.m. American International (6-11, 4-8 NE-10) hosts top-ranked Franklin Pierce University on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
