EASTON, Mass. (February 20, 2025) – Four Skyhawks scored in double figures led by senior Sharn Hayward's (Penguin, Tasmania) 20 points as the Stonehill College women's basketball team defeated Wagner College, 77-64, in a Northeast Conference matchup at Merkert Gymnasium Thursday night.
 
Leaders
Hayward's 20 points led the Skyhawks as she went 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-10 from deep with three assists, two steals, and one rebound.
 
Sophomore Brooke Paquette (Hudson, N.H.) went 7-for-11 with a three-pointer and three free throws en route to 18 points, one assist, and one steal, her fifth straight game scoring in double figures.
 
Graduate student Kylie Swider (Portsmouth, R.I.) scored 15 points with seven rebounds and three assists, while freshman Megan Sias (Tome River, N.J.) tallied 16 points and three rebounds.
 
Graduate student Maureen Stapleton (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) led Stonehill with nine rebounds, eight assists, and three steals while knocking down her only shot attempt of the night, a three-pointer.
 
Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor led the Seahawks with 21 points and eight rebounds, fueled by a 9-for-10 performance at the free throw line.
 
How it Happened

The Seahawks jumped out to an early 8-2 lead just over two minutes into the game, but nine straight points from Paquette catapulted the Skyhawks to a 13-10 lead in the first quarter. Sias scored on a pair of jumpers to keep Stonehill ahead by three, 18-15, until Wagner scored the quarter's final four points to lead 19-18 after one.
 
A 12-0 run for the Skyhawks gave Stonehill its largest lead of the first half, 32-25, as Hayward got her offense rolling in the second quarter, going 4-4 with nine points during the period. Stonehill finished the second quarter shooting 7-11, with Hayward and Paquette scoring nine first-half points.
 
The Skyhawks led 39-34 at the half, but Wagner made three of its first four shot attempts in the third quarter to pull within one point, 43-42. Back-to-back Hayward three-pointers pushed the Skyhawk lead back up to seven, and the quarter would end with Stonehill ahead, 59-51.
 
Stonehill stayed in control for the remainder of the fourth quarter, outscoring the Seahawks, 18-13 in the final 10 minutes of action to secure a 77-64 win.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill improved to 3-2 all-time against Wagner, with the home teams being undefeated in all five matchups. The Skyhawks are 3-0 against the Seahawks at Merkert Gym.
• Hayward scored in double figures for the seventh straight game, the 22nd time this season, and the 34th time of her career.
• Hayward knocked down four threes in a game for the 12th time and led Stonehill in scoring for the 14th time this season, as the Skyhawks are 9-5 in such games.
• Swider scored in double figures for the 11th straight game and 18th time this season.
• Stonehill won its fourth straight game, improving to 9-3 in NEC play this season while clinching a home playoff game in the quarterfinal round of the NEC Championship tournament on Monday, March 10.

Up Next

• Stonehill women's basketball (13-12, 9-3 NEC) hosts Central Connecticut State (8-17, 7-5 NEC) at Merkert Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. as the Skyhawks host their Play4Kay Game to support breast cancer awareness.

 
Tickets for home Stonehill basketball games can be purchased in advance online at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets.

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