Staton leads balanced Warriors effort with 14 points, 7 rebounds

Loder scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney)

EASTON, Mass. (February 9, 2023) – Merrimack College turned back several Stonehill College challenges down the stretch to secure a 78-71 victory in Northeast Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Junior Amaya Staton led a balanced Merrimack effort with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds, an assist, steal and blocked shot. Senior Marissa Hamilton added 13 points, all in the first half, on 6-of-14 shooting, with seven rebounds, while senior Jayme DeCesare totaled 13 points, aided by 6-of-6 shooting at the free-throw line, four assists and three boards. Senior Kaylee Thomas rounded out the trio of 13-point scorers for the Warriors and chipped in two rebounds and two assists.

Postgrad Maddie Loder scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the first half to lead Stonehill, finishing 6-for-12 from the floor, including 3-for-8 from three-point distance. Fifth-year Emily Bramanti netted ten of her 13 points in the second half, with a career-high matching eight assists, five rebounds and two steals, while freshman Melissa Whitmore scored a season-high 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, with two rebounds. Senior Mia Kelly rounded out the Skyhawks in double-figures with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-for-5 from three, with six boards, four assists and two steals.

Whitmore contributed a season-high 11 points for the Skyhawks, including eight in the third quarter. (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney)

Merrimack, which led by as much as 12 points (25-13) in the first half, withstood a series of Stonehill challenges in a second half that featured six ties and six lead changes. The Skyhawks were never able to grab more than a one possession lead, as the Warriors secured their third-straight win and sixth over the last seven.

Hamilton opened the second quarter with a step-back jumper to give Merrimack a game-high 12-point lead (25-13). Stonehill responded with a 12-4 run over the next five minutes to close back within four (29-25) and then trailed by six (39-33) at the half after DeCesare canned a three with 30-seconds remaining.

Stonehill scored the first six points of the third quarter, including four by Whitmore, to pull even (39-39) two minutes in. The Skyhawks grabbed the lead twice with a Kelly three-pointer and Whitmore layup, but Merrimack was able to reclaim a six-point cushion (52-46) after four-straight from senior Jada Powell. Stonehill pulled back within a point (56-55) after a fastbreak layup from junior Jada Thornton off a Bramanti steal with 33-seconds left in the third, but senior Diamond Christian sent Merrimack into the final frame with a four-point lead (59-55) with a three-pointer.

Stonehill used a six-point run, including four by Loder, to grab the lead (62-60) midway through the fourth, but a Staton layup and Thomas triple had Merrimack back on top (65-62) with three minutes to go. Kelly pulled the Skyhawks level (67-67) with a layup with 65-seconds remaining, but Thomas answered with a three with 47-seconds left. Bramanti missed a three at the other end, putting the Skyhawks in a fouling situation and the Warriors made all six free-throws from there, including four by DeCesare, to seal the win.

Noteworthy

• Merrimack held a slight shooting edge, connecting on 47.5-percent of its shots, including 8-of-16 (50%) three-pointers, but converted 14-of-15 free-throws on the night.
• Stonehill finished shooting 45.3%, including 10-of-31 from three, and went to the free-throw line just eight times, converting three.
• Both teams finished with just 11 turnovers and Stonehill dished out assists on 25 of its 29 field goals in the game.
• Stonehill had four double-figure scorers for the third time this season, suffering its first defeat when doing so.
• Loder posted her tenth double-figure scoring game of the season (22^nd career).
• Bramanti reached double-figures for the 45^th time in her career, with her 19^th double digit game of the season.
• Bramanti's 13 points move her into 34^th place on Stonehill's career scoring list with 1,019 points, while the two three-pointers give her 150 for her career to move into ninth place on the program's all-time list.
• Kelly also posted her tenth double-figure game of the season, while Whitmore posted the first double-figure game of her collegiate career.
• Fifth-year Sophie Glidden also recorded a career-best assist total, finishing with seven.
• All 18 players that played from both teams scored in the contest, including all nine from Stonehill.

Up Next
Stonehill (6-18, 2-9 NEC) is right back in action on Saturday, when it visits Saint Francis College of Brooklyn for an NEC matchup at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Merkert Gym next Saturday, February 18, to host Central Connecticut State University at 2 p.m. Merrimack (8-14, 6-5 NEC) hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Saturday at 3 p.m.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.