Skyhawks erase five-point deficit with 17 seconds remaining in first OT
Hayward posts second-straight 20-point outing with game-high 28 for Skyhawks
EASTON, Mass. (January 9, 2025) – Postgrad
Kylie Swider netted ten of her career-high 24 points over the two overtime periods, including baskets to force a second overtime session at the buzzer and then with 2.5-seconds to play in double-overtime to lift Stonehill College to a 77-75 triumph over Chicago State University in Northeast Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Swider scored off an inbounds play under the basket with 1.1 seconds left in the first overtime period from the lane as Stonehill erased a five-point deficit with under 20 seconds remaining to send the game into a second overtime session. She followed that up with the game-winning basket off a second offensive rebound opportunity with 2.5 seconds left in the second overtime to lift the Skyhawks to their third NEC win in as many games to start Conference play. Swider scored ten of Stonehill's 14 points over the two overtime periods as she posted her second-straight double-double with her career-best totals of 24 points and 16 rebounds (seven offensive) with an assist and two blocked shots.
Hayward posted her second-straight 20-point outing and seventh of the year overall, scoring 11 of her game-high 28 points in the third quarter (PHOTO BY Maggie Gallagher) |
Swider and senior
Sharn Hayward combined for 52 of Stonehill's 77 points as Hayward played all 50 minutes and led all scorers by netting 22 of her game-high 28 points after halftime, including 11 on 4-of-6 shooting, connecting on 3-of-5 from three-point range, in the third quarter. It marks her second-straight 20-point game and NEC-leading seventh of the season, shooting 10-for-21 from the field, including 6-for-14 from long range, while adding three assists and two boards. Sophomore
Brooke Paquette dished out a career-best ten assists with eight points, five rebounds, and three steals, while senior
Maureen Stapleton chipped in with eight rebounds (four offensive) and three assists.
Junior
Josie Hill and freshman
Aiyanna Culver combined for 36 points to lead Chicago State which mounted a comeback of its own, rallying from seven points down (61-54) with five minutes to play to send the game to overtime. Hill netted a team-high 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocked shots. Culver added 16 points, four boards, four assists, and a steal, scoring seven of the Cougars 12 points over the two overtimes. Senior
Tania Allen chipped in nine points and four rebounds off the bench, while classmate
Evangelina Parrish totaled eight points and seven boards.
The teams combined for 21 lead changes and 11 ties with Stonehill's seven-point lead (61-54) with five minutes to play after Hayward's sixth three-pointer of the second half matching its largest lead and the biggest margin for either team. Chicago State scored nine of the last 11 points of regulation to force overtime after sophomore
Asha Walker drained a three-pointer on the right side with less than a minute to play.
Senior
Hailey Hohenecker put Chicago State in front with a three-pointer to open the first overtime. The Cougars scored seven of the first nine points in the first extra session, taking a five-point lead (70-65) with a Culver floater with 25 seconds to play that looked to seal a second-straight win for the visitors. Swider scored four points in less than two seconds to keep the Skyhawks alive, netting a putback with 1.1 seconds to play and then adding a jumper in the paint off an inbounds play after the Cougars turned the ball over on the end line with the clock stopped after her first make.
Swider made it six-straight points with the first basket of the second overtime, but Culver followed with three-straight to push Chicago State back in front (73-72) with three minutes remaining. Paquette made a jumper to put the Skyhawks back in front (75-73) with 99 seconds to go, but Culver was fouled and made both free throws to knot the score 22 seconds later. Swider's second heroics came with 2.5 seconds left when she scored on a third chance opportunity after she and sophomore
Breana Delaney came away with offensive rebounds on the Skyhawks final possession. Chicago State's last chance to extend the game was off the mark as Stonehill closed out its season-long four game homestand with a third-straight NEC win.
Noteworthy
- Stonehill has won its first three NEC games for the first time in its three seasons since joining the Conference and starting its transition to NCAA Division I level – opening 3-0 in Conference play for the first time since winning its first three Northeast-10 Conference games in 2014-15.
- Stonehill has won three straight games for the first time at the NCAA Division I level and first time overall since winning four in a row between February 20 and March 3, 2022.
- The win is the 300th win for head coach Trisha Brown in conference play over her 24 seasons, combining for a 300-163 (.648) record in Northeast-10 Conference (2001-22) and NEC (2022-pres.) play in her career. She is one of two coaches in program history with 400-plus wins, improving to 423-240 (.638) overall.
- Stonehill earns its first overtime win at the Division I level, having dropped a 71-70 overtime setback at Saint Francis University in its only other extra session contest in the last three seasons on February 2, 2023.
- The Skyhawks won their first overtime game since a 76-73 triumph at rival Bentley University on February 3, 2022. Tonight marks their first multiple-overtime game since an 86-79 setback at Merrimack College on November 23, 2010, and first win in a multi-overtime game since knocking off Bentley 87-82 in four-OTs at Merkert Gym on January 28, 2009.
- Swider is the fourth Skyhawk to score 20-plus points in a game this season, joining Hayward's seven, two for Paquette and one from freshman Megan Sias.
- Stonehill has produced 11 20-point games as a team overall, with Swider and Hayward posting the second game with two 20-point scorers this season – Paquette and Hayward at Bryant.
- Swider hauled in double-digit rebounds for the third-straight game and team-leading seventh time this season overall. She has posted back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in her career with her team-high fourth of the year.
- Swider also matched her career high with seven offensive rebounds to lead the Skyhawks 18 offensive boards overall that produced 18 second chance points.
- Hayward's NEC-leading seventh 20-point game of the season (ninth career) is her 13th double-figure scoring game of the season (25 career), including each of the last eight games.
- Hayward followed up her season-best nine threes in Saturday's win over Saint Francis with six tonight, giving her 147 career three-pointers, which is two shy of cracking the program's career top ten.
- Freshman Sydney McLaughlin made her first career start for Stonehill tonight, chipping in three points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 33 minutes.
- The win is the 998th in program history for Stonehill – moving within two wins of becoming just the 49th women's basketball program across all levels of the NCAA to win 1,000 games. Stonehill is now 998-449 (.690) in 54 seasons, which ranks fourth among New England programs.
Up Next
Stonehill (7-9, 3-0 NEC) is right back in action on Saturday when it visits LIU for its first NEC road contest of the season in Brooklyn, New York, at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks next home game is on Thursday, January 23, to host FDU at Merkert Gym at 7 p.m. Chicago State (1-17, 1-2 NEC) is off until next Saturday, January 18, when it visits Le Moyne College for an NEC matchup at noon.
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.
