Fandre double-double sparks Mountain Hawks to second-straight win
Thornton scored in double-figures for the third-straight game, finishing with a team-high ten this afternoon (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
EASTON, Mass. (November 11, 2023) – Lehigh University held off Stonehill College down the stretch to collect a 62-50 victory in a non-conference women's basketball matchup on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Sophomore Lily Fandre posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting with two assists to lead three from Lehigh in double-figures. She also connected on 2-of-4 three-pointers and chipped in a steal and blocked shot. Junior Meghan O'Brien added 12 points, eight rebounds (four offensive) and three blocked shots, while senior Jamie Behar made all four shots she took, including two three-pointers, for ten points in seven minutes off the bench.
Senior Jada Thornton led Stonehill's scoring with ten points, adding two rebounds and two steals, while sophomore Paige Martin pulled down a career and team-high ten rebounds (four offensive), with five points and a steal. Junior Maureen Stapleton contributed a season-high eight points and seven rebounds and postgrad Anna Boruta chipped in eight points, five boards and two blocked shots.
Stonehill was still in the game at the half, trailing by eight (28-20) following a first half in which it shot just 21.1-percent from the floor (8-for-38), including 1-of-10 from three-point distance. The Skyhawks was able to hold Lehigh in check on the defensive end as well, limiting the Mountain Hawks to 36.4-percent (12-33), including 1-for-12 from deep, while forcing 11 turnovers with just five in the opening 20-minutes themselves.
Lehigh started the second half with a 19-7 run to open a game-high 20-point margin (47-27) after five-straight points from Behar who hit a three-pointer and then added a fastbreak layup off her own steal with 3:50 to play in the third quarter. Boruta drained a three at the other end to spark Stonehill back to within 12 (49-37) heading to the fourth quarter as Martin capped the frame with a three-point play.
Martin pulled down a career-best ten rebounds for the Skyhawks, marking the team's first double-digit rebound game of the year (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
The teams traded baskets over the first five minutes of the fourth, but Stonehill crept back to within two possessions (53-47) following a layup by freshman Isabella Mallory with four minutes remaining. Fandre connected with a three at the other end to break up the rally and Boruta had the Skyhawks within seven (56-49) after a layup with two minutes to go.
Stonehill, which rebounded with 43.3-percent shooting in the second half (13-for-30), would not score from the floor again and Lehigh was able to close the game out from there, connecting on 5-of-6 free-throws in the last minute to extend its lead back into double-figures for the final margin.
Noteworthy
- Martin posts Stonehill's first double-figure rebound total of the season and the first of her career, including her season at St. Francis-Brooklyn last year.
- Thornton has scored in double-figures in all three games so far, giving her six for her career.
- Stapleton has seven rebounds in all three games.
- Freshman Catelyn Wheeler heads yet another solid performance by a Stonehill freshman early in the season with season-high totals of six points and five rebounds off the bench.
- Stonehill and Lehigh were meeting for the second-straight year after the Skyhawks made their NCAA Division I debut against the Mountain Hawks in the 2022-23 season-opener, hosting the Patriot League member for the first time.
Up Next
Stonehill (0-3, 0-0 NEC) wraps up its opening run of four games over the first eight days of the season on Tuesday night, when it hosts Bryant University at Merkert Gym at 6 p.m. Lehigh (2-0, 0-0 Patriot) visits Delaware on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
