HACKENSACK, N.J. (March 16, 2025) – The No. 2 seeded Stonehill College women's basketball team fell in the Northeast Conference Championship game to No. 1 seed FDU, 66-49, at the Bogota Savings Bank Center Sunday afternoon.
 
This was the Skyhawks' first appearance in the NEC title game in their third season of Division I competition. Stonehill was picked to finish fourth ahead of the 2024-25 season in the NEC Coaches' Preseason Poll, improving on its win total by 13 games overall and seven games in league play from a season ago.

Sophomore Brooke Paquette (Hudson, N.H.) and senior Sharn Hayward (Penguin, Tasmania) were both named to the NEC's All-Tournament team for their outstanding play this postseason run, joining FDU's Teneisia Brown and Lilly Parke, and Chicago States Aiyanna Culver.
 
Leaders
Paquette had 12 points and seven rebounds with two assists while Hayward also had 12 points to go with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
 
Graduate student Kylie Swider (Portsmouth, R.I.) recorded her 11th double-double of the season, posting 10 points and 10 boards.
 
FDU's Teneisia Brown led all scorers with 34 points, going a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line with eight rebounds and a steal.
 
How it Happened
The Knights opened the game on an 8-0 run as Teneisia Brown made three layups to spark the FDU offense. A layup from Paquette got the Skyhawks on the board but FDU continued to feed Brown in the post, as she started 5-5 with 10 points as the Knights built a 16-2 lead. Stonehill answered with back-to-back threes from Stapleton and Hayward to make it 16-8. The Skyhawks rallied to stay within eight at the end of the first, 20-12.
 
Stonehill carried its momentum into the second quarter as Swider knocked down a three-pointer and finished in the paint to make it a five-point game, 24-19. The Knights responded with a 9-2 run, making three straight shots to go back up by 12, 33-21. FDU led 35-21 at the half as Brown paced all scorers with 20 first-half points.
 
Stonehill made its first two shots to open the second half, sparking a 10-2 run for the Skyhawks. A layup from freshman Megan Sias (Toms River, N.J.) made it a four-point game, 37-33, but a three-pointer from FDU's Abby Conklin ended the Skyhawk run as the Knights went back up by seven. At the end of the third, FDU led 46-37.
 
The two teams went back-and-forth in the final quarter as the Knights halted every Skyhawk comeback attempt to secure the 66-49 win in the NEC Championship game.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill is now 1-6 all-time against FDU, dropping four straight games overall and all four matchups on the road. This was the first postseason matchup between the Knights and Skyhawks.
• Paquette reached at least 10 points for the 12th consecutive game, averaging 17.6 points per game during her scoring streak.
• Hayward scored in double figures for a team-leading 27th time this season, knocking down a pair of threes to add to her Stonehill single season record of 111 this year.
• Hayward's 111 threes ranks fifth all time in a single season in NEC history.
• Stonehill outrebounded the Knights 36-32 including a 14-10 edge on the offensive glass.
• Swider recorded double-digit points for the 22nd time and double-digit rebounds for the 14th time this season.

Up Next

• No. 2 seeded Stonehill women's basketball (17-15, 11-5 NEC) will make its WNIT debut on Thursday, March 20 with the Skyhawks opponent being chosen on Monday, March 17.
   

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