EASTON, Mass. (January 4, 2025) – Senior guard
Sharn Hayward scored 23 of her season-high 29 points in the second half to spearhead Stonehill College to a 73-59 victory over Saint Francis University in Northeast Conference women's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Hayward connected on a season-best 9-of-12 three-pointers, including 5-of-6 in a third quarter in which she netted 17 points as Stonehill made 7-of-8 three-pointers as a team to fuel a 29-point quarter and open an 11-point (55-44) lead heading to the last ten minutes. Hayward finished shooting 10-of-16 from the field overall en route to her game-best 29 points for her NEC-leading sixth 20-point game of the year, adding four assists.
Postgrad
Kylie Swider posted her team-leading third double-double of the season for Stonehill with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including 12 points in the first half, adding two assists and two steals. Sophomore
Brooke Paquette came within an assist of her first career double-double with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, a career-high matching nine assists and three steals, while senior
Maureen Stapleton chipped in eight boards and three assists.
Junior
Natalie Johnson led Saint Francis with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting, three assists, three steals, two rebounds and a blocked shot. Sophomore
Alary Bell made all five of her shots from the floor to round out the Red Flash in double-figures with ten points and four rebounds, while classmate
Marina Artero grabbed a team-high eight boards.
Swider posted her third double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds (PHOTO BY Maggie Gallagher, '26) |
Stonehill scratched its way to a two-point halftime lead (26-24), led by Swider's 12 points, before catching fire from deep in the second half to pull away. Johnson followed back-to-back baskets from Paquette and Hayward to open the third with a jumper to pull Saint Francis back within four (30-26) 78 seconds into the quarter. The Skyhawks three-point barrage commenced with four in a row as Hayward and freshman
Shira Elkis each hit a pair over the next two minutes to open a 16-point lead (42-26) with 6:38 remaining in the quarter.
Saint Francis scored seven-straight to draw back within nine (42-33) after a Johnson three midway through the quarter, but Stonehill used three more Hayward triples to restore a double-figure lead (51-35) with 2:35 left in the frame. The Skyhawks finished 11-of-17 from the floor (64.7%) in the quarter, including 7-of-8 from three (87.5%), led by Hayward's 17 third-quarter points on 6-of-8 shooting, 5-for-6 from deep.
Stonehill carried an 11-point cushion (55-44) into the fourth and quickly reclaimed a 16-point lead (60-44) on Hayward's eighth triple of the game a minute and a half in. The Skyhawks lead would not dip inside double digits the rest of the way, peaking at 18 (69-51) after a Stapleton layup with 3:56 to play. Stonehill finished shooting 54.8 percent (17-31) from the floor in the second half, including 9-for-11 (81.8%) from beyond the arc, after connecting at 38.5% (10-26) over the opening half in which it still made 5-of-7 threes (57.1%).
Noteworthy
- Stonehill has won its first two NEC games for the first time in its three seasons since joining the Conference and starting its transition to NCAA Division I level – opening 2-0 in Conference play for the first time since winning its first three Northeast-10 Conference games in 2014-15.
- Stonehill's 72.2 percent (13-18) shooting from three-point range is the highest shooting percentage from beyond the arc in the country this season.
- Stonehill connected for double-digit three-pointers (13) for the fifth time this season, winning four.
- Hayward's NEC-leading sixth 20-point game of the season (eighth career) is the ninth by a Stonehill player this season. She has scored in double-figures in 12 games this season (24 career), including each of the last seven games.
- Hayward's season-best nine threes are the most in the NEC this season and tied for the fifth-highest single-game total in the country. Her 141 career three-pointers are eight shy of cracking the program's career top ten.
- Swider grabbed double-digit rebounds for the second-straight game and sixth time this season overall, scoring in twin figures for the eighth time for her team-leading three double-doubles.
- Paquette has scored in double-figures in three straight and ten games this season overall (17 career).
- Stonehill is 5-1 this season when leading at halftime
- Stonehill has won all five games it has held opponents under 60 points, improving to 6-2 when scoring 60-plus.
- The win is the 997th in program history for Stonehill – moving within three wins of becoming just the 49th women's basketball program across all levels of the NCAA to win 1,000 games. Stonehill is now 997-449 (.689) in 54 seasons, which ranks fourth among New England programs.
Up Next
Stonehill (6-9, 2-0 NEC) returns to action here at Merkert Gym on Thursday when it caps a season-high four game homestand by hosting NEC newcomers Chicago State University for its third-straight Conference clash at home at 7 p.m. Saint Francis (3-12, 1-1 NEC) hosts FDU on Thursday at 7 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.
