Martin totaled 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Walsh and Martin lead Skyhawks to 12th-straight NE10 win
EASTON, Mass. (January 23, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 20 in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll and receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, ran its winning streak to seven games with a hard-fought 62-55 victory over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Senior guards Courtney Walsh (Windham, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) and Kelly Martin (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) steered Stonehill, ranked No. 3 in the D2SIDA East Region poll, to its seventh-straight win and its 12th in a row in NE10 play. Walsh scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, with three rebounds and three assists, while Martin tallied 12 points, aided by 6-of-7 shooting from the free-throw line, six rebounds, eight assists and a blocked shot.
Sophomore Grace Carter (Arlington, Massachusetts/Arlington) added eight points, four assists and two rebounds, while senior Samantha Hyslip (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior Elizabeth Grip (Shrewsbury, Massachusetts/Shrewsbury) blocked six shots for the Skyhawks and chipped in six points.
Walsh led the Skyhawks with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Sophomore Jackie DelliSanti (Commack, New York/Commack) scored 12 of her team-high 15 points in the first half to lead Pace, shooting 6-for-11 from the floor, and adding seven rebounds. Freshman Lauren Schetter (Beacon, New York/Beacon) registered a double-double with ten points and a team-high 11 rebounds for the Setters, while senior Gabriella Rubin (Staten Island, New York/Moore Catholic) rounded out the double-figure scorers with ten points and three offensive boards.
Pace led by five (21-16) two and a half minutes into the second quarter, but Stonehill scored 11-straight points to grab a six point advantage (27-21) following two Carter free-throws with 3:46 to play in the half. Reuter sparked the run with four-straight points, while Martin converted a three-point play.
Stonehill carried the six-point lead into halftime (34-28), after making 8-of-14 (57.1%) shots from the floor in the second frame. The Skyhawks pushed their lead into double-figures (40-30) after a Grip layup three-minutes into the third quarter followed back-to-back baskets from Hyslip. Stonehill's lead grew to a game-high 11 points (45-34) on a three-point play from Walsh, before settling for a nine-point edge (45-36) heading into the fourth.
Pace opened the fourth quarter with an 11-1 run to reclaim the lead (47-46) after a layup by freshman Iliana Krasniqi (Fairfield, Connecticut/Fairfield Warde) three and a half minutes in. The Setters buried three three-pointers during the run, including a pair by Rubin. Stonehill was able to collect the lead back with a three-point cushion (52-49) after a layup from freshman Jennifer Worden (Abington, Massachusetts/Abington) with 3:25 remaining, but a three-point play from DelliStanti pushed Pace back in front (55-54) with 1:57 on the clock.
Carter answered with a triple at the other end and Stonehill wouldn't trail again, sealing the win with a Martin layup, before canning three of four free-throws in the final half-minute, while Pace came up empty on four-straight three-pointers to close out the game and move the Skyhawks into a first place tie in the NE10's Northeast Division.
Stonehill (16-2, 12-1 NE10) heads back out on the road on Saturday, when it visits Adelphi University for an NE10 matchup at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Merkert Gym next Wednesday, January 31, to host rival Bentley University, currently ranked No. 3 in both Division II national polls, for a key NE10 clash at 5:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online in advance at stonehillskyhawks.com. Pace (10-10, 7-6 NE10) hosts Bentley on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
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