Senior Megan Methven became the 24th 1,000-point scorer in program history with her season-high matching 13 points to lead Stonehill past Pace today.

Stonehill Rides Big First Half to Win Over Pace, 62-52

Methven leads Skyhawks to fourth-straight win, nets 1,000^th point

Boxscore 

EASTON, Mass. (January 9, 2010) - Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, built a 13-point halftime lead and made it stand the rest of the way to pick up a key 62-52 victory over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Senior Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) matched her season-high for the second-straight game with 13 points, aided by 8-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line, and in the process became the 24^th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career. She hit the mark with her first of two free-throws with 11:01 left in the second half and finished the game with 1,005 points in her 105^th career game played. Methven also added five rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.

Senior Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) also netted 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field while converting her lone free-throw attempt to go with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a steal. Classmate Erin Gray (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) posted her first career double-double with 11 points and a game-high ten rebounds, while junior Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) chipped in nine points, on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, eight rebounds and five assists. 

Senior Kelsey Simonds also netted a team-high 13 points for the Skyhawks, to go with seven rebounds and two blocks.

Junior Brittany Huggins (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) led Pace with a game-high 16 points off the bench as the Setters posted a 26-9 advantage in bench points, to go with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Sophomore Maral Javadifar (Flushing, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy) added 14 points, on 6-of-11 shooting, and five rebounds, while freshman Allison Cleary (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall Central) chipped in eight points, connecting on 2-of-3 three-pointers, off the bench for the Setters.

Stonehill finished shooting 40-percent (22-for-55) from the field on the day, outscored Pace 16-5 at the free-throw line and enjoyed a 44-31 rebounding advantage. Pace shot 35.7-percent (20-56) from the field, being held to 30.4% (7-23) in the first half, staying in the game by connecting on 7-of-18 (38.9%) three-pointers.

Stonehill never trailed, scoring the first seven points of the contest as part of a 14-3 opening run in the first 6:45. Methven had five of the Skyhawks first seven points, while Simonds chipped in four points during the opening burst.

Stonehill's first half lead peaked at 18 points (23-5) after two Gray free-throws with 8:36 left. Pace got back in the game, drawing within five (23-18) with a 13-0 run over the next five minutes. Senior Laura Mooney (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) and junior Lisa Welsome (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) each drilled three's to spark the run.

Senior Erin Gray posted her first career double-double with 11 points and ten boards.

Stonehill regrouped and scored the final eight points of the half, capped by a buzzer-beating layup by senior Stephanie Pintal (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) off her own steal to take a 13-point lead (31-18) into the lockerroom. The Skyhawks kept that momentum going in the second half, with the first seven points on a three-point play by junior Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) and jumpers by Simonds and Rousseau to close out a 15-0 run overall that pushed the lead to 20-points (38-18) with 17:44 to play.

Pace answered with a Huggins three, but Methven and Gray followed with back-to-back baskets to put Stonehill up a game-high 21 (42-21) with 16:10 left. The Setters wouldn't fold, pulling within 11 (48-37) after a Huggins three with 8:35 remaining and drawing within nine (52-43) on a Mooney three with 6:23 to play. However, Stonehill had an answer every time and didn't let them any closer than that the rest way to clinch their fourth-straight win.

Stonehill (12-4, 7-2 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday when it visits Assumption College for another key NE-10 clash at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks are back home next Saturday to host the University of New Haven at 1:30 p.m. Pace (9-5, 6-3 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.