EASTON, Mass. (January 2, 2025) – Stonehill College doubled up Mercyhurst University in the opening quarter and rode the 16-point lead to a 72-54 victory in the Northeast Conference women's basketball opener for both on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.
Sophomore guard
Brooke Paquette scored 20 of her career-high 26 points in the first half as Stonehill grabbed a 32-16 lead after a quarter of play, with Paquette scoring 14 points in the opening frame on 4-of-4 shooting, including a three-pointer while converting all five free-throws. She finished 8-for-13 from the floor and made all nine free throws while collecting a career-best five steals, and adding seven assists and four rebounds.
Senior
Sharn Hayward was the only other Stonehill player scoring in double-figures with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, three rebounds and two assists. Postgrad
Kylie Swider finished a point shy of her third double-double of the season, hauling in a game-high 11 boards to go with nine points, two assists, and a blocked shot, while senior
Maureen Stapleton contributed seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
Mercyhurst got half of its point total from junior forward
Bailey Kuhns who scored 19 of her game-high 27 points in the second half on 12-of-23 shooting with four rebounds. She scored 19 of the Lakers 27 points over the final two quarters. Freshman
Cici Hernandez added eight points, three rebounds, and three steals, while junior
Jenna Van Schaik chipped in seven points, four boards, three assists, and two steals while drawing a game-high ten fouls.
Hayward scored in double-figures for the sixth-straight game with 15 points, connecting on 3-of-5 three-pointers (PHOTO BY Andrew Morse) |
Stonehill started white hot, connecting on 11-of-16 shots (68.8 percent) from the floor, including 5-for-6 from three-point range (83.3%), while converting all five free-throw attempts to double up Mercyhurst after a quarter of play (32-16). Paquette paced the Skyhawks with her 14 points on perfect shooting, scoring six-straight points during an 8-0 spurt that turned a one-point deficit (3-2) less than two minutes into the game to a seven-point lead (10-3) after a Stapleton layup with 6:33 left in the quarter.
After a Mercyhurst three-pointer from postgrad
Grace Clary on its next possession trimmed the lead to four (10-6), Stonehill followed with a 12-2 run to open a 14-point lead (22-8) after a three-pointer from freshman
Sydney McLaughlin, who chipped in a season-high eight points tonight. Four different Skyhawks scored during the run that pushed their lead into double-figures for the first time, with Stapleton burying a three-pointer as well.
Paquette sent Stonehill into the second quarter with a 16-point lead with a layup with three seconds to go. Kuhns scored the only basket for either team over the first four minutes of the second quarter before senior
Allyson Ross drew the Lakers back within 12 (32-20) with 6:20 to go before the intermission. The teams traded the baskets until McLaughlin capped the half with her second triple with six seconds on the clock.
Stonehill scored the first six points of the second half, while Mercyhurst went scoreless for four minutes, to extend the lead to 24 points (51-27) after a layup from freshman
Megan Sias followed four-straight points from Hayward. Mercyhurst would not go quietly, trimming its deficit to 15 (55-40) after seven straight points from Kuhns.
Paquette stretched the lead back to 17 (57-40) heading to the final quarter, but eight straight points from Kuhns had Mercyhurst back within 12 (60-48) midway through the fourth. Ross followed a Hayward jumper with a three-pointer to close the gap to 11 (62-51) with 3:15 to play, but Stonehill held and scored ten of the game's final 13 points, including six from Swider, to seal the win.
Noteworthy
