Ward posted the Skyhawks fourth 20-point game of the season with her career-high total tonight (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Roman and Shepard double-doubles outduel combined 39 points from Ward and Thornton

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (February 15, 2024) – Merrimack College was dominant on the glass and used a pair of double-double performances to fend off Stonehill College 74-56 in a Northeast Conference women's basketball matchup on Bert Hammel Court tonight.

Freshmen Madison Roman and Thalia Shepard led four Merrimack players in double-figures with double-double performances. Roman scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting with 11 rebounds (six offensive) and four steals, while Shepard added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Warriors. Postgrad Jayme DeCesare added 13 points, seven boards and three assists for Merrimack, while sophomore Rose Caso rounded out the Warriors in double-figures with 11 points and three rebounds.

Seniors Cameron Ward and Jada Thornton combined for 39 of Stonehill's 56 points on the night, while the remainder of the Skyhawks combined for six field goals, shooting 23.1-percent, and 17 points. Ward scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, converting 4-of-5 free-throws, with a team-high eight rebounds and career-best three-blocked shots. Thornton scored in double-figures for the fourth-straight game with 19 points and three assists. Junior Sharn Hayward chipped in with a trio of three-pointers for nine points with four assists and three boards.

Merrimack had an answer for each Stonehill run over the course of the contest after grabbing an early seven-point lead (13-6) after a three-pointer from postgrad Kaylee Thomas capped a 9-0 run with 3:28 to play in the opening quarter. The Warriors extended the lead to nine (19-10) after back-to-back triples from DeCesare in the final 20-seconds of the opening frame, but the Skyhawks rallied to within four (21-17) after Hayward's first three of the game 2:13 into the second.

Thornton posted her fourth-straight double-figure game, adding 19 points for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

Stonehill pulled even (28-28) with 45-seconds to play in the first half after four-straight points from Ward, but freshman Paloma Garcia sent Merrimack into halftime with the lead with a layup on its next possession.

DeCesare and Roman combined to push the Merrimack lead back to seven (35-28) less than two minutes into the second half but Stonehill came storming back to pull even again (37-37) midway through the third quarter after back-to-back threes from Ward and a Thornton free-throw. Merrimack held and restored a seven-point margin (45-38) with a Roman layup with three-minutes to play in the frame, before extending its lead to 11 (51-40) by scoring the last six points of the third.

Stonehill made a push to within seven (55-48) after a Ward layup with 6:12 to play but would get no closer. Merrimack reclaimed a double-figure lead (61-49) after a Caso layup with 3:46 remaining, but Ward again pulled the Skyhawks within reach (62-53) after a three-point play with 2:42 still on the clock. The Warriors responded again, this time sealing the win with 12-straight points on four each from Roman, Shepard and Thomas.   

Noteworthy

• Thornton is averaging 18.8 points over her current run of four-straight double-figure scoring games, shooting a combined 41.9-percent (31-for-71) in this stretch, giving her 14 double-figure scoring games this season (17 career).
• Ward has scored in double-figures in three-straight games and the fifth time this season overall (seven career).
• Ward's first career 20-point game is the fourth for a Stonehill player this season – by four different players, including Hayward's career-best and team season-high 33 on a school and NEC record-matching 11 three-pointers against Wagner on January 15.
• Merrimack posted a 50-32 rebound margin over Stonehill – snapping a run of three-straight games in which the Skyhawks won the rebounding battle. The Warriors held a 22-20 edge on their own offensive glass, which produced a 25-7 advantage in second-chance points.
• Stonehill finished with an 18-13 edge in points off turnovers, including 10-3 in the first half, in game where it was +2 (17-15) in turnovers, including 9-8 in the first 20-minutes.
• The Skyhawks finished with season-high nine blocked shots, including Ward's career-best three and a career-high matching three from junior Maureen Stapleton.

Up Next
Stonehill (3-21, 3-8 NEC) is right back in action on Saturday, when it returns home to host Le Moyne College for an NEC matchup on Alumnae Day at Merkert Gymnasium at 2 p.m. Merrimack (9-15, 6-5 NEC) visits LIU on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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

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