Senior Paige Marshall scored a team-high 20 points with six assists and four rebounds for the Skyhawks tonight. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass/SportsPix)

Bradford and Hebert lift Chargers past Skyhawks

Seniors Briana Bradford (Waterbury, Connecticut/Holy Cross) and Lauren Hebert (North Reading, Massachusetts/North Reading) combined for 40 points to lead New Haven as it snapped a three game losing streak, while handing Stonehill its first four game drought since January/February 2010. Bradford scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-23 shooting with nine rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Hebert added 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, and eight boards. Junior India Dotson (Akron, Ohio/Frederick (Md.)) contributed 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting, with three rebounds and two blocked shots, while freshman Katia Onge (New City, New York/Immaculate Heart Academy) chipped in ten points on 5-of-8 shooting with four boards.

Senior Paige Marshall (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) and junior Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) combined for 36 points to pace Stonehill. Marshall scored a team-best 20 points, aided by an 11-for-12 effort at the free-throw line with six assists, four rebounds and a steal. Martin contributed 16 points, two boards and an assist, while freshman Maty Diabate (Holden, Massachusetts/Wachusett Regional) chipped in eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, converting both free-throws, to go with three boards.

New Haven finished shooting 52.4-percent from the field (33-for-63) overall, including 62.5% (20-32) in the first half to build a 12-point halftime margin (43-31), posting a 56-26 scoring advantage in the paint. The Chargers made 2-of-9 three-pointers (22.2%) and 12-of-18 free-throws (66.7%), held a 41-35 rebounding advantage and outscored Stonehill 20-11 in points off turnovers, despite committing just one less giveaway (12-11) on the night. The Skyhawks were limited to 31.7-percent shooting for the contest (19-for-16), including 2-for-16 (12.5%) in the fourth quarter after closing the gap to four (61-57) early in the frame, connecting on just 2-of-15 (13.3%) three-pointers and converting 22-of-27 (81.5%) free-throws overall.

Junior Kelly Martin added 16 points for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass/SportsPix)

Stonehill trailed by 11 (24-13) after a quarter of play and 12 at the half (43-31) and then New Haven stretched its lead to 19 (52-33) two minutes into the third quarter after back to back layups from Hebert. The Chargers lead was still 17 (59-42) after a Bradford jumper with 4:25 to play in the third quarter and 16 (61-45) following another Bradford bucket with 3:20 on the clock. Stonehill scored the final eight points of the third quarter, getting four each from Marshall (all at the free-throw line) and Martin, capped by a layup with 26-seconds left that cut the gap to eight (61-53) at the intermission.

Senior Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nevada/Centennial) scored a layup and Martin added two free-throws as Stonehill worked its way back within four (61-57) a minute into the fourth quarter. New Haven wouldn't buckle any further and the Skyhawks didn't score another field goal until the closing seconds to clinch the win from there. The Chargers scored six straight to regain a ten point lead (67-57) with 6:37 to play after five straight points from Bradford on their way to a game-high 20 point margin (80-60) in the final minute.

Stonehill (8-8, 3-7 NE-10) is right back in action here at Merkert Gym on Saturday when it hosts Pace University for an NE-10 clash at 1:30 p.m. New Haven (7-8, 3-6 NE-10) travels to Assumption College on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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