Thornton sparks Skyhawks fourth quarter rally from 11-point deficit
Thornton scored seven of her nine second half points in the fourth quarter to spark the Skyhawks comeback to claim the NEC win (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
EASTON, Mass. (January 13, 2024) – Stonehill College stormed back from an 11-point deficit with 8:41 to play in the fourth quarter to claim a 60-56 triumph over FDU in a Northeast Conference women's basketball matchup on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Senior Jada Thornton scored seven of her nine second half points in the fourth quarter to spark the Stonehill rally and finished with her ninth double-figure scoring game of the season with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and blocked shot. Junior Sharn Hayward led Stonehill's three double-figure scorers with a game-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-for-6 from three-point distance, with two assists, while postgrad Lauren Sampson contributed 11 points, five boards and two assists in 30-minutes off the bench. Senior Cameron Ward finished a point and rebound shy of the Skyhawks first double-double of the season with nine points, including seven in the second half on 7-of-8 free-throw shooting, and a career-high matching nine rebounds over 20-minutes.
Freshman Staci Williams led three from FDU in double-digits with 15 points, converting 7-of-9 free-throws, with three rebounds. Classmate Bella Toomey added 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting off the bench and three boards, while senior Abaigeal Babore chipped in ten points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Senior Teneisia Brown grabbed a game-high ten rebounds for the Knights with seven points and two steals.
FDU stretched a 6-0 run between the third and fourth quarters to open a game-high 11-point lead (49-38) after a Williams jumper off a turnover 1:19 into the final frame. Stonehill responded with the next seven points, sparked by a Hayward three-pointer, to pull back within four (49-45) two minutes later after consecutive baskets by Thornton. Toomey and sophomore Lilly Parke answered with jumpers to reclaim an eight-point lead (53-45) for FDU midway through the quarter.
Hayward drained four three-pointers in scoring a game-high 16 points to lead the Skyhawks three double-figure scorers (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Stonehill followed with the next six points, capped by a three-point play from Thornton, to pull within two (53-51) with 4:41 remaining. After Williams split two free-throws on FDU's next possession, neither team scored for two and a half minutes until Sampson knotted the score (54-54) with a three-pointer with 2:07 to play. After Thornton hauled in a missed three-pointer from the Knights, freshman Brooke Paquette pushed the Skyhawks in front with a driving layup with 1:20 to go, and then sealed their first win with two free-throws with 7.2-seconds on the clock. Ward capped the scoring with a pair of free-throws with 3.2 remaining after a Williams layup that closed out the victory.
Stonehill scored the first seven points of the game and held a nine-point lead of its own (13-4) after a Hayward layup with 4:45 to play in the opening quarter as she scored seven first quarter points for the Skyhawks. FDU pulled within three (13-10) after two Williams free-throws with 3:17 left in the frame, but Sampson answered with four-straight to restore a seven-point Stonehill cushion (17-10) with 1:25 to play in the first.
FDU was back within two (17-15) heading to the second quarter and senior Abby Conklin gave the Knights their first lead (18-17) less than 90-seconds in. Sampson responded with a three-point play for Stonehill, but FDU used 47.1-percent shooting (8-17) in the quarter to lead by as much as seven before taking a five-point lead (33-28) into halftime after Thornton capped the first half scoring.
Hayward connected on a three-pointer to pull Stonehill within two (37-35) with 6:32 remaining in the third quarter. The Skyhawks were still within four (41-37) after two free-throws from freshman Breana Delaney with 2:32 to go in the third, but FDU scored six of the last seven points of the quarter to take a nine-point lead (47-38) into the final ten minutes.
Noteworthy
- Stonehill made 6-of-13 shots from the floor (46.2-percent), including 2-for-4 from three, in the fourth quarter but most importantly converted 8-of-9 (88.9%) free-throws in the frame to finish shooting 19-for-22 (86.4%) from the line for the afternoon.
- Stonehill outscored FDU 22-9 in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks also held a 13-5 advantage in second chance points despite FDU holding a 10-9 edge on the offensive glass and 35-32 overall.
- Stonehill finished with fewer turnovers (18-17) than its opponent for the fourth time this season.
- Sampson has scored in double-figures for three-straight games and in three of her four games since making her Stonehill debut after transferring from Providence and missing the first 12 games of the year to injury.
- Thornton has back-to-back double-figure scoring games, scoring ten plus points for the ninth time this season overall (12th career).
- Stonehill earns its first win in three meetings all-time against FDU – all coming over the last two seasons.
- The win snaps the longest losing streak in Stonehill history (16 games) dating through a two-point setback to FDU in its 2022-23 season finale and halts the longest winless drought to start a season in program history.
Up Next
Stonehill (1-15, 1-2 NEC) is right back in action here at Merkert Gym on Monday, when it hosts Wagner College for a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day matinee on NEC Speaks Up! Day around the Conference at 2 p.m. FDU (3-13, 1-2 NEC) hosts Saint Francis University on Monday at 2 p.m.
Tickets for home Stonehill basketball games can be purchased in advance online at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets.
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