Bramanti scores 17 of game-high 23 points in second half to lead Skyhawks past NEC preseason favorites
Bramanti scored a game-high 23 points, adding six assists, netting 17 second half points (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney) |
EASTON, Mass. (February 23, 2023) – Stonehill College scored 26 points in the fourth quarter to shoot past Wagner College for a 73-66 victory in Northeast Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Fifth-year Emily Bramanti scored 17 of her game-high 23 points in the second half to fuel Stonehill to its second-straight win. He finished 7-for-13 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-8 from three-point distance, draining all six free-throw attempts with six assists, three rebounds and a blocked shot. Postgrad Maddie Loder was the only other Skyhawk in double-figures with 12 points, including ten in the fourth quarter alone, as she also made all six of her free-throws with five assists and four rebounds.
Freshman Colleen McCullagh chipped in a season-high eight points, all in the first half, on 4-of-6 shooting, with four rebounds, while fifth-year Sophie Glidden and senior Mia Kelly each hauled in a game-high eight rebounds for the Skyhawks.
Junior Julia Fabozzi led Wagner with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three, with five rebounds and three assists. Junior Alex Cowan added 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting, with two assists and two steals, while postgrad Zheneia Thybulle contributed 11 points, five boards, six assists and two steals.
Loder scored ten of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to help the Skyhawks seal a second-straight win. (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney) |
Stonehill got off to a fast start, leading by as much as six in an opening quarter in which it shot 54.5-percent from the floor (6-for-11). McCullagh provided two of those six-point cushions with her four first quarter points, but Wagner was able to close back within one (17-16) heading to the second quarter with a 9-4 spurt, with five points from Cowan.
After making 6-of-11 shots from the floor in the first quarter, Stonehill was just 5-for-17 (29.4%) in the second, allowing Wagner to grab a five-point lead (29-24) after a three-pointer from freshman Angelie Ricard with 2:47 left in the first half. The Seahawks carried a three-point lead (33-30) into halftime and then used a 10-3 run in the third quarter to open a ten-point cushion (49-39) after a Cowan layup with 3:56 left.
Stonehill finished the quarter strong, scoring the final eight points from four different players, to pull back within two (49-47) as junior Jada Thornton beat the buzzer with a jumper to head to the final quarter.
The teams traded scores over the first five minutes of the fourth, with Bramanti pushing Stonehill in front twice with back-to-back three-pointers around a Fabozzi triple, the second of which sparked an 11-0 run to put the Skyhawks up ten (68-58) after two Loder free-throws with 2:22 to play. Loder scored on a drive with 1:41 remaining to stretch the Stonehill lead to a game-high 12 (70-58) that sealed the Skyhawks second-straight win and third over the last four.
Noteworthy
- Stonehill finished shooting 43.9-percent from the floor, including 48.3% (14-29) in the second half, shooting 17-of-20 (85%) from the free-throw line, including 10-of-12 in the fourth quarter.
- The lead was shared pretty much evenly between the two, with Stonehill holding the lead for 18:24 and Wagner 18:44 in the contest.
- Bramanti scored in double-figures for the 21st time this season (47th career), netting 20-plus points for the seventh time (11th career). She moves into 31st place on Stonehill's career scoring list, passing Becky Barrett, '99 (1,067) with 1,068 points in 108 career games played.
- Loder's five assists follows up two-straight games with a season-high six helpers.
- Stonehill is 6-3 this season when Kelly at least shares the team rebounding lead.
- Stonehill is now 8-0 this season when shooting a higher percentage than its opponents.
- Stonehill earns a split of the regular season series with Wagner, the NEC's preseason favorites.
Up Next
Stonehill (9-19, 5-10 NEC) has a week off before it closes out its inaugural NCAA Division I season by hosting NEC regular season champions Fairleigh Dickinson for a Senior Night matchup here at Merkert Gym at 6 p.m. Wagner (12-13, 7-7 NEC) hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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