Box Score #9 Stonehill Shuts Down Felician,
69-52
Skyhawks hold Falcons to
33-percent shooting, Simonds & McWhirter net 20-plus
Boxscore
WORCESTER, Mass. (November
21, 2009) - Stonehill College, ranked 9th in
the USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)
Division II preseason poll, held Felician College to 33.3-percent
shooting to claim a 69-59 victory on day two of the 2009 Courtyard
Marriott Classic, hosted by Assumption College, at Laska Gymnasium
this afternoon.
Senior Kelsey Simonds
(Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and junior
Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton
Prep) combined for 44 points to lead Stonehill to its
second-straight win. Simonds made 7-of-15 shots from the field,
including 2-for-3 from three-point range, while converting 8-of-10
free-throws for a game-high 24 points, five rebounds, four assists,
four blocked shots and three steals in 29 minutes of action.
McWhirter drained 8-of-11 shots from the field, including 4-for-5
from beyond the arc, for 20 points to go with four rebounds, three
assists and two steals. Both Simonds and McWhirter were named to
the All-Tournament team.
Sophomore Tania Williams
(South Setauket, N.Y./Ward-Melville) grabbed a team-high
nine rebounds (five offensive) for the Skyhawks, while senior
Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) chipped
in ten points.
Senior Janelle Biamonte
(Secaucus, N.J./Marist) led Felician with a double-double
effort of 12 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists,
earning a spot on the All-Tournament team for the Falcons. Freshman
Renelle Wyke (Charlotte, N.C./Victory Christian Center
School) added ten points and three boards.
Stonehill finished shooting
39-percent (23-for-59) from the field, including 9-for-17 (52.9%)
from three-point range - including 6-for-9 (66.7%) in the second
half. Felician finished shooting 33.3-percent (20-for-60) from the
field after shooting 8-of-30 (26.7%) in the opening half, including
3-for-19 (15.8%) from three-point range - just 1-for-10 (10%) in
the second half. The Falcons posted a 45-36 rebounding advantage,
resulting in a 15-4 scoring margin in second chance points, but the
Skyhawks took advantage of 21 Felician miscues for a 20-13 break in
points off turnovers.
Stonehill closed the first half out
with an 11-2 run to take a nine-point halftime lead (29-20) after
Simonds hit one of two at the free-throw line with 34-seconds left.
The Skyhawks led by ten (28-18) after a Methven three with 1:12
left in the half.
Felician closed within six (29-23)
after a conventional three-point play by Biamonte, but Stonehill
responded with an 8-2 burst to take a 12-point advantage (37-25)
after a Rousseau three with 15:36 to go. The Skyhawks lead grew to
16 (45-29) after back-to-back McWhirter three's with 12:34
remaining.
Stonehill's lead extended to 18
(53-35) on a steal and layup by McWhirter with 8:40 to go. Felician
made one last run, drawing within 11 (54-43) after two Wyke with
4:03 remaining, but the Skyhawks regained their 18-point cushion
(64-46) following a 10-3 run capped by two Simonds free-throws with
1:33 to go. Stonehill iced the game from there by hitting its last
five free-throws and Simonds put an exclamation point on the win
with a three with 11-seconds left.
Stonehill (4-2, 0-0 NE-10) is back
in action on Tuesday when it hosts Merrimack College for its
Northeast-10 Conference opener in Merkert Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m.
Felician (0-2, 0-0 CACC) hosts New York Institute of Technology on
Tuesday at 6 p.m.
