Chelmsford, Massachusetts, fifth-year guard's career-best 38 finishes a point shy of 30-year-old school record as Skyhawks shatter season-high scoring total
Bramanti erupted for a career and NEC season-high 38 points at Bryant this afternoon, finishing just a point shy of the program's single-game record (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (December 11, 2022) – Fifth-year guard Emily Bramanti netted a career-high 38 points to lead Stonehill College to a season-high point total on its way to an 81-74 triumph over Bryant University in a non-conference women's basketball matchup of former Northeast-10 Conference foes at Chace Athletic Center this afternoon.
Bramanti's 38 points bettered her previous career-best accomplished twice by 12 points and fell just a point shy Stonehill's school-record of 39 points by Hall of Famers Michelle Doonan, '95 (vs. UMass Lowell, 1994-95) and Sue Patchett, '97 (vs. American International, 1995-96). It marks the most points scored in the Northeast Conference this season by 12 and is the Skyhawks first 30-point outing since former teammate Kayla Raymond's '22 career-best 32 at the University of New Haven last January.
Bramanti, who scored 25 of her 38 in the second half, including 15 of the Skyhawks 17 third quarter points, finished 13-for-19 from the floor, including a blistering 6-for-8 from three-point distance, while converting 6-of-9 free-throws, to go with four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot over her 39-minutes of work. She was joined in double-figures by fellow fifth-year Sophie Glidden and postgrad Maddie Loder with ten points apiece. Glidden added six rebounds, three assists and a steal, while Loder chipped in three boards and three assists, with a blocked shot.
Glidden added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
Junior Mariona Planes Fortuny led Bryant with 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting, converting all six free-throws, nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks. Senior Nicole Gallagher added 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and five boards (four offensive).
Stonehill outscored Bryant 29-16 in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback from as much as a nine-point third quarter deficit for its second win in three games. Bryant scored the first six points of the second half to turn a three-point lead (38-35) into a nine-point cushion (44-35) after a Gallagher three-pointer less than two minutes into the third quarter. The Skyhawks chipped away and reclaimed the lead (49-48) with four-straight Bramanti points during a stretch in which she scored the first 15 Stonehill points in the third.
Bryant restored a six-point lead (58-52) heading to the final frame after a three-pointer from junior Lucie Castagne with 48-seconds remaining. The Bulldogs lead was still six (62-56) after two free-throws by sophomore Kemari Reynolds less than two minutes into the fourth when Stonehill reeled off seven-straight, including five from Bramanti, to take the lead (63-62) with just under seven minutes to play after a Bramanti triple.
Planes Fortuny answered with a turnaround jumper for Bryant, but that would be the Bulldogs last lead as Stonehill finished off a 14-2 run with the next seven points, including four by junior Cameron Ward, for a six-point Skyhawks lead (70-64) with 3:45 to play. That would be enough as Stonehill sealed the win at the free-throw line from there, converting 9-of-10 at the stripe after a key jumper from Loder with 1:49 on the clock kept Bryant at bay.
Noteworthy
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This afternoon marked the 64th meeting all-time between the two former NE10 foes, but the first at the NCAA Division I level, and first since the 2008 NCAA Division II Tournament. The Skyhawks now hold a 43-21 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 1981-82.
Loder also added ten points, to go with three boards and three assists (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) - Stonehill's 81 points are a season-high and tied for the second-highest single-game total in the NEC this season behind Fairleigh Dickinson's 82 points against Maryland Eastern Shore on November 22.
- Bramanti has scored in double-figures for the fourth-straight game and seventh time this season overall (33 career) with the fifth 20-plus point game of her career.
- Bramanti scored a prior career-best of 26 points twice, the last coming at Adelphi University almost a year ago to the day, on December 12, 2021.
- Bramanti's 38 points are 12 more than the other NEC season-high of 26 by FDU's Chloe Wilson against Illinois-Chicago on November 21 and just two shy of the NEC season-best regardless of gender as Saint Francis (Pa.) University's Josh Cohen netted 40 points against Lehigh University on November 21.
- Stonehill settled from ten turnovers in the first quarter to finish with 16 in the game overall and edged Bryant 18-16 in points off after the Bulldogs held an 8-2 margin after a quarter of play.
- Stonehill won the rebounding battle (31-30) for the fifth time in ten games this season – going 2-3 in those contests, and finishing today with a 13-9 edge in second chance points.
- Stonehill is 2-1 this season against America East members after back-to-back road wins over New Hampshire and Bryant.
Coach's Corner
"The phenomenal play of Emily Bramanti was obviously the difference maker for us tonight," said Stonehill head coach Trisha Brown. "Under a tremendous amount of pressure, it was one of the best offensive performances I've seen. We definitely saw a better fourth quarter grind for us tonight after the game at Holy Cross on Thursday. We had good improvement down the stretch with our ball movement and rebounding effort to pick up another hard-fought road win."
Up Next
Stonehill (3-7, 0-0 NEC) is right back in action on Wednesday, when it opens a three-game home stand wrapped around the holidays against UAlbany at Merkert Gymnasium at 6 p.m. Bryant (4-7, 0-0 America East) hosts Mitchell College next Sunday at 1 p.m.
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