Senior Emily Rousseau poured in a career-best 34 points to lead the Skyhawks past Molloy today. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (November 14, 2010) – Stonehill College shot 52-percent from the field in the second half to post a 78-60 victory going away over host Molloy College on day two action of the 2010 Northeast-10/East Coast Conference Challenge in women's basketball action at Quealy Gymnasium this afternoon.

Senior co-captain Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) led the way for Stonehill with a career-best 34 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range, while converting 8-of-9 free-throw attempts. She scored 21 points in the second half alone and also finished with five rebounds and four assists.

Senior Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) added 11 points, five assists and three rebounds for Stonehill which placed four players in double-figures. Junior Cori O'Kane (Pocasset, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) also netted 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, four rebounds and two blocked shots, while classmate Tania Williams (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) contributed ten points, eight rebounds (five offensive) and two steals.

Junior Cori O'Kane added 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks, canning 3-of-4 three-pointers. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Freshman Jessica DeNicola (Massapequa, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) led Molloy with a breakout 21 points in 21 minutes off the bench, shooting 10-for-21 from the field, to go with four rebounds (all offensive). Grad student Delmara Reece (Yonkers, N.Y./Mercy) posted a double-double effort of 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds (six offensive), shooting 6-of-12 from the floor. Sophomore Christina Marra (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) chipped in with nine points, five assists and two steals.

Stonehill finished shooting 44.4-percent (28-for-63) from the field, including 51.9% (14-27) in the second half, while making 10-of-22 three-pointers (45.5%) on the day, draining 6-of-12 (50%) over the final 20 minutes. The Skyhawks also converted at the free-throw line at 85.7% (12-of-14). Molloy was held to 37.9-percent (25-for-66) shooting from the field, including 3-of-15 (20%) from three-point range. The Lions trailed by 12 at halftime after making just 10-of-31 (32.3%) shots in the opening half, including 1-for-6 from deep.

Stonehill led by a point (16-15) midway through the first half before going on a 15-0 run to take its lead into double-figures for the first time and stake out a 16 point lead (31-15) after a layup from Rousseau with 5:14 to play before halftime. She had eight points in all during that stretch for the Skyhawks, who also got a three-ball from O'Kane.

Stonehill settled for a 12 point halftime lead (37-25) and held a 15 point advantage (42-27) following a Rousseau jumper less than two minutes into the second half. Molloy closed within six (48-42) on a layup by sophomore Courtney Dolnick (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) with 12:59 to play, but that would be as close and the Lions would get.

McWhirter followed with a three-pointer and Rousseau added a layup as Stonehill regained a double-figure cushion (53-42) as the second half reached its midpoint. Molloy cut the lead to nine (53-44) with a Reece jumper on its next possession, but the Skyhawks scored the next seven points to run their lead back to 16 (60-44) with a three-point play by Rousseau. She canned a three-pointer to push the lead to 17 (63-46) with 7:03 to play and Stonehill's lead never dipped below 12 the rest of the way, closing at a game-high 18 point margin at the end.

Stonehill (2-0, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday when it hosts 14^th-ranked Franklin Pierce University (2-0, 0-0 NE-10) for its NE-10 and home opener in Merkert Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. The Ravens also picked up a pair of wins at Molloy over the weekend, including a 77-64 victory over Dowling College in today's first game as the NE-10 went a perfect 4-0 in the Challenge. Molloy (0-2, 0-0 ECC) returns to action on Friday when it participates in the Millersville University Tip-Off Tournament in Pennsylvania against the host Mauraders at 6 p.m.