Walsh scored 14 of her career-high 25 points in the first quarter, including 11 in the opening three minutes. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner) |
Walsh nets career-high 25 points, while Martin records double-double & 1,000th point to lead Skyhawks
EASTON, Mass. (November 25, 2017) – Stonehill College, ranked tenth in this week's D2SIDA East Region media poll, shot 53-percent from the field and placed five players in double-figures on its way to a commanding 99-69 triumph over LIU Post in non-conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Seniors Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) and Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) combined for 44 points to lead Stonehill to its third-straight win. Walsh netted a career and game-high 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including 7-for-12 from three-point distance, with three assists as she scored 11 points before the game was three minutes old on her way to 14 first quarter points overall. Martin posted her second double-double of the season (fourth career) with 19 points, including the 1,000th of her career, and a career-best 12 assists without a turnover, marking her third career double-double with points and assists. Martin, who also collected five rebounds for the afternoon, scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half, finishing with 1,002 career points after reaching the 1,000-point milestone with two free throws with 48.6-seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Senior Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) added 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and seven rebounds in 20 minutes of play for Stonehill. Sophomores Gabrielle Reuter (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) and Grace Carter (Arlington, Massachusetts/Arlington) each netted ten points off the bench for the Skyhawks, with Reuter pulling down five boards (four offensive), in 18 minutes and Carter dishing out five assists. Freshman Jennifer Worden (Abington, Massachusetts/Abington) chipped in with a season-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Kelsey Shaw (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) dished out a career-high seven assists.
Martin posted her second double-double of the year, netting her 1,000th career point in the process and dishing out a career-high 12 assists. (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner) |
Senior Sasha Patterson (Brooklyn, New York/Benjamin Banneker) led LIU Post with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, while converting 6-of-8 free throws, with six rebounds. Sophomore Asia Turner (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Abington Friends) was the only other Pioneer in double-figures with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3-for-4 from three-point distance.
Stonehill never trailed, jumping out to an 11-point lead (17-6) just three minutes into the game behind Walsh's 11 points (3-for-3 from three) as the Skyhawks drained four three-pointers in all during that stretch. LIU Post pulled back within seven (22-15) after two free-throws by Patterson with three minutes remaining in the opening quarter, by Stonehill used a 13-5 run to close out the frame and take a 16-point lead (36-19) into the second. Five different players scored for the Skyhawks during the run, including five by Hyslip who converted a three-point play to close out the half.
Stonehill wouldn't let LIU Post back within double-digits the rest of the way, closing the first half with a 13-2 run after the Pioneers were able to draw within ten (44-34) on a three-pointer by postgrad Kylie Garrett (Mount Orab, Ohio/Western Brown) with three-minutes to go in the second. Carter buried back-to-back three-pointers for Stonehill around two LIU Post free-throws to spark the run, which included a triple from Martin, as well as her two free-throws to reach 1,000-points, as the Skyhawks carried a 21-point cushion (57-36) into the intermission.
Walsh opened the second half with another three, but LIU Post scored the next nine points to close the gap to 15 (60-45) 2:17 into the third. That would be the closest the Pioneers would get the rest of the way as Stonehill responded with nine straight points of its own, including four by Carter, to restore its 24 point lead (69-45) midway through the quarter.
Stonehill (3-1, 2-1 NE10) returns to action on Wednesday, when it visits Merrimack College for a Northeast-10 Conference matchup at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, December 2, to host Franklin Pierce University for an NE10 clash at 1:30 p.m. LIU Post (2-4, 0-0 ECC) visits Bloomfield College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
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