Junior Kelly Martin led Stonehill at Maine with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner) |
Martin leads Skyhawks in exhibition with 22 points
BANGOR, Maine. (November 8, 2015) – Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in the USA Today Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II preseason poll, battled tough in dropping a 77-58 decision to Division I University of Maine in a women's basketball exhibition game at the Cross Insurance Center this evening.
Senior guard Sophie Weckstrom (Espoo, Finland) poured in 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 6-for-7 from three-point range, while converting both free-throws and adding four assists to lead Maine. Junior Sigi Koizar (Vienna, Austria) added 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting with six assists and four rebounds, while senior Liz Wood (Catlett, Virginia/Liberty) contributed nine points, a team-high five rebounds, five assists, three steals and a blocked shot.
Maine finished shooting 55.8-percent from the field (29-for-52), including 64.5% (20-31) in the first half, while connecting on 13-of-25 (52%) three-pointers, including 9-for-13 (69.2%) over the first 20 minutes. Stonehill shot 50-percent (12-for-24) in the opening half, including 6-for-12 (50%) from beyond the arc, but finished at 42.9% (21-49), including 6-for-16 (37.5%) from three, overall. Rebounds finished even at 26 apiece, while the Skyhawks had three more turnovers (12-9).
Junior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) paced Stonehill with 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-for-6 from three, while converting all eight free-throws to go with a team-high nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. Sophomore Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) added ten points, two assists and two steals, while senior Paige Marshall (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) chipped in six points and four assists.
Sophomore Courtney Walsh added ten points, two assists and two steals. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner) |
Maine jumped out to a 15-4 lead after Stonehill senior Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nevada/Centennial) scored the opening basket of the game, but was answered by a three-pointer at the other end by Wood. The Black Bears lead was 12 (19-7) with 3:12 remaining in the opening quarter when Stonehill reeled off eight straight points, keyed by back-to-back Walsh three-pointers, to close within four (19-15) with 2:08 to go.
Weckstrom capped the opening frame with a triple to give the hosts a seven point lead (27-20) and the Maine lead grew to nine (29-20) after a layup by senior Mikaela Gustafsson (Sodertalje, Sweden) a minute into the second. Stonehill answered again to pull within three (31-28) after two straight three-pointers from Martin. The Skyhawks were still within six (40-34) with three minutes left in the first half, but Maine scored the last nine points of the frame to take a 15 point (49-34) lead into the intermission.
Stonehill outscored Maine 10-8 in the third quarter, pulling within ten (54-44) after a jumper by sophomore Kate Ross (Providence, Rhode Island/The Lincoln School) with under a minute to play in the third, but senior Lauren Bodine (Louisville, Kentucky/DuPont Manuel) capped the stanza with a three-pointer to regain a 13 point (57-44) lead for the Black Bears. The Skyhawks would get no closer over the final ten minutes.
Stonehill opens its 2015-16 season next weekend when it competes at the Assumption College Tip Off Tournament against Goldey-Beacom College on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Maine opens its season at Harvard University on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
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