BOSTON, Mass. (December 18, 2024) – Stonehill College finished strong in posting a 65-49 victory over Northeastern University in a non-conference women's basketball matchup in front of a raucous Boston Public Schools Kid's Day crowd on Solomon Court at the Cabot Recreation Center today.
Senior
Maureen Stapleton posted her second career double-double to lead a season-high five from Stonehill in double-figures for the balanced Skyhawks effort with a career-high matching 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point distance and a game and season-high matching 11 rebounds with four assists and a blocked shot. Classmate
Sharn Hayward also netted 12 points to go with four rebounds and three assists, while postgrad
Kylie Swider rounded out a trio of Skyhawks with 12 points, including eight of their 18 fourth-quarter points, finishing 5-for-7 from the floor with seven boards and three blocked shots.
Sophomore
Brooke Paquette scored eight of her ten points during the second quarter as Stonehill grabbed its first lead, adding four assists and three rebounds, while freshman
Megan Sias chipped in ten points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal off the bench for the Skyhawks.
Sophomore
Yirsy Queliz was the lone Northeastern player in double-figures with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds and three assists. Freshman
Alyssa Staten collected seven points and eight rebounds for the Huskies, while junior
Natalie Larranaga tallied nine points off the bench.
Hayward was among five Skyhawks in double-figures with 12 points, scoring in double-figures for the third-straight game (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce) |
Stonehill used an 11-0 run to overcome a slow start and a seven-point deficit (18-11) after a Queliz jumper less than two minutes into the second quarter, to grab a four-point lead (22-18) after a Hayward layup with 5:30 to play in the frame. Paquette sparked the run with five of her ten points, including a three-pointer, before extending the Skyhawks lead to seven (32-25) with another triple with 1:11 remaining in the half.
Stonehill carried a four-point cushion into halftime (32-28), but Northeastern opened the third quarter with a 9-2 spurt to reclaim the lead (37-34) with a jumper from freshman
Maria Sanchez Pitarch and two Larranaga free-throws midway through the third. The Skyhawks took control from there, outscoring the hosts 13-1 over the remainder of the quarter, led by seven points from Hayward.
Northeastern went over seven minutes without a field goal before Queliz opened the fourth quarter scoring with a three-pointer to pull the hosts back within six (47-41), but that was as close as the Huskies would get. Stonehill responded with six-straight points, including back-to-back baskets from Swider to open a 12-point lead (53-41) with 6:33 to play and the lead would not dip inside double-digits the rest of the way. Stapleton buried a three-pointer that sparked eight-straight points to stretch the Skyhawks lead to 19 (63-44) after a three from freshman
Shira Elkis (Givat Haim Ichud, Israel) with two minutes to go.
Noteworthy
- Stonehill placed five scorers in double-figures for the first time in its NCAA Division I era, marking the first time since a 76-58 victory over Adelphi University at Merkert Gymnasium on February 2, 2019.
- The win marks Stonehill's first against Northeastern in three meetings since moving to NCAA Division I, with the Skyhawks taking the win on their first visit to Cabot Center. The win is also the Skyhawks first against a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) member.
- The Skyhawks finished with a 37-32 rebounding edge, pulling down 13 offensive boards for a 15-2 advantage in second-chance points. Stonehill has outrebounded seven of 11 opponents this season, posting a 4-3 record in those contests.
- Stonehill also turned the ball over a season-low 11 times, compared to 22 for the hosts.
- Hayward scored in double-figures for the third straight game and the eighth time this season (20th career). Swider and Paquette notched their seventh double-figure scoring games of the season, while Sias has four and Stapleton three.
- Stapleton's two double-doubles match Swider for the team lead – one shy of the NEC lead. Stapleton's third double-figure rebound game of the season is the 15th of her career.
- Stonehill made 8-of-13 shots (61.5%) in the fourth quarter, compared to 4-for-13 (30.8%) for Northeastern, which made just 30.4% (7-23) shots in the second half after making 10-of-24 (41.6%) in the first half.
Up Next
Stonehill (4-7, 0-0 NEC) will head to the Midwest to close out its first-semester schedule and three-game road trip at Marquette University from the BIG EAST on Saturday at 1 p.m. (ET). The Skyhawks next home game is after the Christmas holiday when they close out their non-conference schedule and open a four-game homestand by hosting the University of New Hampshire on Monday, December 30, at 4 p.m. Northeastern (1-7, 0-0 CAA) hosts College of the Holy Cross on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Tickets for home Stonehill basketball games can be purchased in advance online at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and check out its all-new website, powered by Sidearm Sports, at stonehillskyhawks.com.
