Thornton posted her second double-double of the season with a game-high 17 points and career-best 12 rebounds (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

Baker double-double and Lusher lead four Dolphins in double-figures

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (February 9, 2024) – Le Moyne College overcame an early deficit and pulled away in the second half to secure a 72-51 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast Conference women's basketball action on Ted Grant Court inside the Henninger Athletic Center tonight.

Fifth-year Lytoya Baker posted a double-double, while postgrad Sydney Lusher also scored a team-high 15 points to lead four Le Moyne players in double-figures in the win. Baker totaled 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds (six offensive) with three assists, two steals and a blocked shot for the Dolphins, while Lusher connected on a trio of three-pointers on her way to 15 points, adding four rebounds, four assists and five steals. Sophomore Sierra Linnin and junior Haedyn Roberts rounded out the Dolphins in double-figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Linnin buried 4-of-9 three-pointers, including 4-of-6 in the fourth quarter to key a game-clinching 17-3 run, adding two steals and two blocked shots, while Roberts grabbed six boards and converted all six free-throw attempts.

Seniors Jada Thornton and Cameron Ward combined for 31 of Stonehill's 51 points in the contest. Thornton posted her second career double-double (both this season) with a game-high 17 points and career-best 12 rebounds, adding three assists, while Ward finished with 14 points, converting 6-of-7 free-throws, with four rebounds and two assists. The duo combined to shoot 12-of-29 (41.4-percent) from the floor, while the remainder of the Skyhawks finished 7-for-24 (29.2%).

Four different Stonehill players tallied three points in the opening quarter as the Skyhawks staked out an early seven-point cushion (12-5) after a three-pointer from junior Sharn Hayward with two minutes to play in the frame. The triple capped a 9-0 run for the Skyhawks sparked by a Thornton layup off a nifty feed from the top of the key by Ward and included a three-pointer from postgrad Lauren Sampson who was held under double-digits for just the second time in ten games played for Stonehill. The Skyhawks finished the opening frame with a 15-7 rebounding advantage, including four from Thornton, pulling down as many offensive boards (seven) as Le Moyne had rebounds in total through ten minutes.

Ward added 14 points for the Skyhawks tonight (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Baker scored the last five points of the first quarter to pull Le Moyne within two (12-10) heading to the second. Ward opened the second quarter with a layup and the teams traded baskets for the first three minutes of the stanza until Lusher buried a three-pointer that sparked a 7-0 Dolphins spurt to reverse the lead (21-18) after a jumper from freshman Leah Middleton just past the halfway mark of the quarter.

Thornton and Hayward answered with a jumper and three-pointer to put Stonehill back in front (23-21) with 2:50 left in the half. Le Moyne followed with another late run, scoring the final eight points of the half, the first four from Roberts, to carry a six-point lead (29-23) into halftime.

Lusher scored the first four points of the second half to quickly stretch the Le Moyne lead to ten (33-23), but Ward converted a three-point play to close the Stonehill deficit back to seven (33-26) with a three-point play. The Skyhawks were still within seven (37-30) after a turnaround jumper from Thornton to reach double-figures with six minutes left in the third, but Le Moyne took control of the game with an 11-2 run, led by five points apiece by Lusher and sophomore Kaia Goode, to open a 16-point lead (48-32) with 2:35 remaining in the quarter.

Stonehill scored eight of the last ten points in the third to close back within ten (50-40) after four-straight free-throws from Ward in the final minute of the frame. Thornton cut the gap down to eight (50-42) on the opening possession of the fourth, but that would be the closest the Skyhawks would get. Linnin drained back-to-back three-pointers to restore a 14-point lead (56-42) for Le Moyne and nearly single-handedly led a 17-3 run to seal the win and push the lead to a game-high 22 (67-45) after another triple with 4:47 to go.

Noteworthy

• Thornton's double-double is the fourth of the season for Stonehill and matches the team-high of two along with Ward, as the duo each registered the first two double-doubles of the season against Merrimack on January 21.
• Thornton scored in double-figures for the third-straight game, averaging 18.7 points in this stretch, leading Stonehill in scoring in two-straight and ten times this season overall (13 career). She has posted a team-high 13 double-figure scoring games this season (16 career).
• Thornton pulled down double-digit rebounds for just the second time in her career – both this season and in double-double performances.
• Ward has scored in double-figures in back-to-back games and the fourth time this season overall (six career).
• Sampson saw a team season-high eight-game streak of double-figure scoring games halted despite not missing a shot in the contest, connecting on her lone shot from the field, a three-pointer, and converting both free-throw tries, for five points in 13-minutes.
• Stonehill finished with a 38-36 rebounding edge, outrebounding its seventh opponent this season. After holding a 7-1 advantage on the offensive glass after a quarter of play, offensive rebounds finished at 14 a side and Le Moyne outscored the Skyhawks 15-9 in second chance points.
• The Dolphins finished with a 23-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
• After shooting 3-for-12 (25%) in the first quarter, Le Moyne shot 45.2% (24-53) over the final three quarters.

Up Next
Stonehill (3-20, 3-7 NEC) closes out its season-long matching three-game road trip on Thursday, when it visits Merrimack College for an NEC matchup in North Andover, Massachusetts, at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, February 17, for their Alumnae Day game and the return matchup against Le Moyne at Merkert Gymnasium at 2 p.m. Le Moyne (10-13, 8-2 NEC) visits Central Connecticut State University on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Tickets for home Stonehill basketball games can be purchased in advance online at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets.

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