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The Game
Stonehill continues a string of five out of six games at Merkert Gymnasium as it hosts its first Northeast Conference game in its inaugural NCAA Division I season against Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Paula Sullivan Court this evening. The Skyhawks have won two-straight and four of seven after a 73-66 victory at Central Connecticut State University in the NEC debut on Monday. The Red Flash dropped a 76-25 decision to Wagner College at home in their NEC opener on Monday.

Media Information
Tonight's game will be broadcast live via SkyhawksVision on NEC Front Row. Charlie Bergeron (PBP) and Brian Buckley (analyst) have the call of the action for the 24th-straight year. The broadcast can be accessed via stonehillskyhawks.com through its NEC Front Row portal (necfrontrow.com/schools/SC) or through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku via the NEC On the Run App.

Last Time Out
Stonehill jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half behind 56-percent shooting in the frame on its way to a 73-66 victory over Central Connecticut State in its Northeast Conference debut at Detrick Gymnasium on Monday. Fifth-years Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) and Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) combined for 39 points to lead four from Stonehill in double-figures. Glidden scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, with five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot, while Bramanti scored all 19 of her points in the first half on 7-of-10 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three in the opening half, finishing 7-for-12 in the contest, while adding a season-high six assists, two rebounds and a block. Bramanti spearheaded a Stonehill offensive effort that shot 56.3-percent (18-for-32) in the first half, including 3-for-7 from three (42.9%), before shooting 51.9% (28-for-54) to finish at 50-percent of better from the floor for the second-straight game and third time over the last five games. Junior Cameron Ward (Bound Brook, N.J.) reached double-figures for the second-straight game with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, eight rebounds, an assist and block, while senior Mia Kelly (South Hadley, Mass.) chipped in ten points and four boards.

Against the Red Flash
Tonight marks the first meeting all-time between these two programs.

Player of the Week
Fifth-year guard Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) earned Northeast Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season on Tuesday. She led Stonehill to a 2-0 week, averaging 22.0 points on 51.9-percent shooting (14-for-27), including 4-for-8 (50%) from three-point distance, while converting 12-of-15 free-throw attempts (80%), with 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals in 35.8 minutes per game. Bramanti opened the week with 25 points in the Skyhawks 82-71 win over Queens on 7-of-15 shooting, converting 9-of-12 free-throws with four rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals. She followed that up by scoring all 19 of her points in Monday's NEC debut win at Central Connecticut State in the first half, as the Skyhawks jumped out to as much as a 17-point first half lead, finishing 7-for-12 shooting from the floor, with two rebounds, a season-high six assists and a blocked shot. Bramanti earned NEC Player of the Week honors for the first time on December 12 after averaging 25.5 points on 52.9-percent shooting (18-for-34), including 8-for-15 (53.3%) from three-point range, including a career-high 38 points in a win over Bryant, including 6-for-8 from three-point distance.

Prime Performers
Fifth-year Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) was also named to the Northeast Conference's Prime Performer list for the fifth-straight week on Tuesday, along with classmate Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine). Glidden earns Prime Performer status for the second time this season after averaging 17.5 points on 59.3-percent shooting (16-for-27), with 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over Stonehill's 2-0 week. Glidden scored a career-high 20-points, including eight in the fourth quarter to clinch the win in the Skyhawks NEC debut at Central Connecticut State on Monday, adding five rebounds and two assists, while making 9-of-13 shots from the floor. Bramanti (5 selections) and Glidden (two) are joined in earning multiple NEC Prime Performer selections by senior Mia Kelly (South Hadley, Mass.) who is also a two-time selection, while postgrad Maddie Loder (Independence, Minn.) earned the recognition once to this point.
NEC Prime Performers:
Nov. 14: Maddie Loder
Nov. 28: Sophie Glidden
Dec. 5: Emily Bramanti & Mia Kelly
Dec. 12: Emily Bramanti
Dec. 19: Emily Bramanti
Dec. 26: Emily Bramanti & Mia Kelly
Jan. 3: Emily Bramanti & Sophie Glidden

NEC Debut Wins
Stonehill is one of eight women's programs among ten Northeast Conference newcomers since the league was formed as the ECAC-Metro in 1981 to record a win in its NEC debut game after its 73-66 victory at Central Connecticut State on Monday. The Skyhawks join Bryant (2009), Sacred Heart (2000), Quinnipiac (1998), CCSU (1998), Rider (1983), Mount Saint Mary's (1990) and Monmouth (1985) in posting NEC debut wins.

Let's Make it Two!
Stonehill is one of just four NEC newcomers to win their debut games on both the men's and women's side after the Stonehill women notched a 73-66 victory in their Conference opener at Central Connecticut State on Monday, coupled with the men's 74-67 win at Sacred Heart on December 29. Stonehill is the first since Quinnipiac won both openers in 1998, also joining Rider (1992-93) and Monmouth (1985-86).  

Globe Mass Top 10
Stonehill fifth-year guard Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) was recognized by the Boston Globe on Tuesday as one of the top ten players among the nine NCAA Division I men's basketball programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Bramanti was ranked No. 6 by Globe columnist Ethan Fuller. Sam Breen of UMass leads the list that also includes Harvard's Harmoni Tuner (No. 2), Sydney Taylor of UMass (No. 3), Dontavia Waggoner of Boston College (No. 4), Boston University's Caitlin Weimar (No. 5), Taina Mair of BC (No. 7), Northeastern's Derin Erdogan (No. 8), Bronagh Power-Cassidy of Holy Cross (No. 9) and Marissa Hamilton from Merrimack (No. 10).

Preseason Prognostications
Stonehill was picked to finish ninth in its first Northeast Conference season by the league's head coaches. Wagner received six first place votes to top the preseason rankings, followed by Fairleigh Dickenson with two first place votes. St. Francis Brooklyn is picked third, while Saint Francis (Pa.) is fourth with the remaining first place vote.  

Bright Television Lights
The Northeast Conference announced that Stonehill's February 9 matchup with former NE10 rival Merrimack College will be broadcast live on ESPN+ through the NEC's 26-game television package. The matchup at Merkert Gym is among 21 games that will be featured on ESPN networks, including a record 13 women's games. Paul Dottino (24th year) and Craig D'Amico (14th year) will once split play-by-play duties on women's telecasts. Pam Roecker is back for her 21st year as color analyst. Pack Network and Northeast Sports Network (NSN) will handle production duties for the league's ESPN3/ESPN+ package.

Back-to-Back
Stonehill has won back to back games for the first time in its NCAA Division I era after victories over Queens (N.Y.) to round out its non-conference schedule on December 29 as well as its 73-66 NEC debut win at Central Connecticut State on Monday. The Skyhawks and FDU are the only two NEC programs with consecutive win streaks heading into this weekend.

It Makes 'cents
Stonehill has won all five of its games this season in which it has shot a higher field goal percentage than it's opponents, compared to an 0-9 record when it does not.

Great Eight
Stonehill fifth-year Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) has scored in double-figures in eight straight games after scoring 19 points in Monday's NEC debut win at Central Connecticut State. She is averaging 19.6 points on 50.5-percent shooting (53-for-105) during that span, including a white-hot 56.5% (26-46) from three-point distance. She is also contributing 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game during this stretch.

20-20 Vision
Fifth-year forward Sophie Glidden's (Scarborough, Maine) career-high 20 points at Central Connecticut on Monday marked the fourth 20-point game for Stonehill. She joins classmate Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.), with two, and senior Mia Kelly (South Hadley, Mass.) in scoring 20-plus points this season  

Playing the Percentages
Stonehill fifth-year Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) leads the NEC in field goal percentage, having made 48.5-percent of her shots from the floor this season (66-for-136). She ranks 11th among NEC scoring leaders with 10.4 points per game after her career-best 20 points at Central Connecticut State on Monday.

Shooters Shoot
Stonehill owns three of the top four shooting games in the NEC so far this season after shooting a season-high 51.9-percent (28-54) at Central Connecticut on Monday. Only St. Francis Brooklyn (52.2% vs. Merrimack) owns a higher shooting game this season in the NEC, while the Skyhawks have shot 50-percent or better three times this season, including each of the last two game, all coming over the last five contests.

Doubles Quad
Stonehill has featured four players scoring in double figures for the first time this season in each of the last two games. The Skyhawks are 4-3 this season with three-plus double-figure scorers.

Cam on a Roll
Junior Cameron Ward (Bound Brook, N.J.) has posted the first two double-figure scoring games of her career over the last two games, including a career-best 14 points, of which she scored ten in the first quarter, in Stonehill's win over Queens (N.Y.) on December 29. She followed that up with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the Skyawks NEC debut win at CCSU on Monday, adding a team-high eight rebounds. She is chipping in 7.8 points per game since moving into the starting lineup ten games ago, including 9.0 points per game over the last six.

In Transition
Stonehill announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference and commence a four-year transition to full NCAA Division I membership on April 5. The Skyhawks started their four-year transition on July 1 and will earn full NCAA Division I membership in 2026-27. At the June NEC meetings, the Conference presidents announced a shift in the waiting period for automatic qualifier sports from competing for NEC postseason championships from four to two years, making Stonehill eligible to compete in the NEC postseason starting in 2024-25.

Getting Social
Fans and media members of Stonehill athletics have multiple social media outlets to get updates on all 21 varsity programs. The department's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stonehillskyhawks, and you can also follow @GoStonehill on Twitter and @stonehillskyhawks via Instagram!  Stonehill women's basketball is also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StonehillCollegeWomensBasketball, Twitter and Instagram by following @stonehillwbb. You can even follow head coach Trisha Brown on Twitter via @CoachTB_SC.

Up Next
Stonehill returns to action here at Merkert Gymnasium on Sunday when it hosts Sacred Heart University for an NEC matchup at 2 p.m.