Junior Kristen McWhirter led three Skyhawks in double-figures with a game-high 19 points in today's win over UMass Lowell.

Big Second Half Lifts Stonehill Over UMass Lowell, 73-57

McWhirter, Rousseau and Simonds lead Skyhawks to victory to start New Year

Boxscore 

EASTON, Mass. (January 2, 2010) - Stonehill College, among team's receiving votes in the most recent USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, shot 51.9-percent in the second half to break open a two-point halftime lead and post a 73-57 victory over the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Junior guard Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) led three Stonehill players in double-figures with a game-high 19 points (ten first half) on 7-for-15 shooting from the field, including 3-for-9 from three-point range, while converting both free-throw attempts to go with three assists and two steals. Classmate Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) contributed 17 points (14 second half) on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, six assists, five rebounds and five steals. Senior Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) finished with 16 points, making 7-of-14 shots from the field, six rebounds, four blocked shots, three assists and two steals. Senior Erin Gray (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds for the second-straight game to go with six points and three steals.

Senior Amanda McGrew (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) led UMass Lowell with 18 points off the bench (16 first half), aided by 4-for-9 shooting from three-point range. Senior Rahshala Valentine (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) posted 11 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench, while classmate Jen Valente (Prospect, Conn./Woodland Regional) chipped in ten points, nine rebounds and two steals.

Junior Emily Rousseau scored 14 of her 17 points in the second half, adding six assists, five rebounds and five steals.

Stonehill finished shooting 47.5-percent (28-for-59) from the field on the afternoon after its 51.9% (14-27) second half shooting, including 41.7% (10-24) from three-point range. Rebounds were even at 34 each, but the Skyhawks registered a 16-10 edge in second chance points (12-2 first half), while outscoring UMass Lowell 27-21 in points off turnovers. After hitting 48-percent (12-for-25) of their shots in the first half, including 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, the River Hawks cooled off for 32.1% (9-28) in the second, including 2-for-12 (16.7%) from deep, to finish shooting 39.6% (21-53) for the afternoon.

Stonehill looked to run away and hide early, scoring the first 12 points of the contest, holding UMass Lowell scoreless for the first 6:21 before McGrew buried one of her four first half three's. The basket sparked an 18-7 River Hawks run that pulled them within a point (19-18) after a Valentine three with 7:38 left in the stanza. McWhirter had four points, while Rousseau and senior Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) both buried three's during Stonehill's initial run.

Stonehill responded and regained a double-digit lead (30-20) with a McWhirter three with 4:16 remaining in the opening half. She had two from deep in that run overall, while Simonds added four points. UMass Lowell closed the gap again, forcing the Skyhawks to settle for a two-point cushion (35-33) at the break after a 13-2 run over the final three minutes of the half, sparked by a McGrew three.

Stonehill opened the second half with a 14-4 run to take a 12-point lead (49-37) after a Rousseau three 4:15 in. A Valentine three drew UMass Lowell within ten (51-41) with 14:19 to play, but the Skyhawks used a 15-4 barrage to push their lead to a game-high 21 points (66-45) after two Simonds free-throws with 8:03 to play and the River Hawks never got within 13 the rest of the way. McWhirter had five points during the game-clinching stretch, while Rousseau had six.

Stonehill (10-4, 5-2 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it visits Southern Connecticut State University for a Northeast-10 matchup at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, January 9, to host Pace University at 1:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (7-4, 3-4 NE-10) visits Assumption College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.