Feb. 5, 2011

 

Box Score

 

A strong start to the second half gave UMass Lowell women's basketball team the push it needed to defeat the Stonehill Skyhawks, 73-56, in conference action on Saturday afternoon in Merkert Gymnasium.

With the win, the River Hawks improve to 7-14 overall with a 6-11 mark in conference play, as they battle for a spot in the 2011 Northeast-10 Tournament. The Skyhawks fall to 14-8 on the year with a 9-8 clip in NE-10 action.

Sophomore Briana Szidat (Pelham, N.H.) topped her personal-best with an 18-point showing, while classmate Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) tallied the same. Junior Sha'nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead the River Hawks on the glass.

"It was a good team effort," said Head Coach Kathy O'Neil.  "[Szidat] gave us some good baskets with Sha'Nay and Krissy [Little (Concord, N.H.)] showing good leadership."

In the first half, the Skyhawks grabbed an early 5-4 lead, but the River Hawks responded with a 9-0 run to go up 13-5 just six minutes into the contest, but the Skyhawks chipped away to deplete a 10-point UMass Lowell lead, tying the game at 23 with just over six minutes left in the first, thanks to a quick layup by Mary Louise Dixon.

River Hawk sophomore Erika Sjoberg (Stockholm, Sweden) sank a three to put her squad back up 28-25 in the final four minutes of the first frame, but Stonehill pulled away to own the 33-30 advantage at the break, holding UMass Lowell without a field goal in the final 3:26 of the half.

UMass Lowell started the second on the right foot, converting on each of its first 12 possessions, enjoying a 20-point swing to go up 56-39 through the eight minutes of the second. They outscored the Skyhawks 26-6 to kick off the second stanza and shot 63.0% in the half.

The Skyhawks began to chip away at the River Hawk lead, as a pair of three-pointers by Kristen McWhirter brought Stonehill back within single digits, making it a 58-49 game with just over six minutes left in regulation.

Sophomore Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) stopped the Stonehill run, nailing a layup to bring the lead back to 11 with five minutes to play. She held strong in the paint, sinking another pair of baskets to grow the UMass Lowell lead back to 15 with just under three minutes remaining. The cushion was enough to hold the Skyhawks at bay and earn the decisive victory to snap a six-game losing streak.

Szidat went 8-9 from the floor, including a perfect 2-2 from behind the arc. In addition to her 18 points, she also grabbed five rebounds. Simmons grabbed five rebounds and dished six assists in the victory.

Stonehill was led by 15 points from Dixon, while McWhirter was not far behind with 14. On the boards, Tania Williams' seven rebounds led the Skyhawks.

Bushner grabbed four steals on top of her double-double, while Brianna Wilson went 7-12 from the floor to finish the game with 14 points and six rebounds.

The squad shot 50.9% in the game, holding Stonehill to 31.1% shooting and 23 points in the second half. The River Hawks owned a 44-35 advantage on the glass and capitalized by outscoring their opponent 15-6 on second chance opportunities.

Next in line, the River Hawks host Southern New Hampshire at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening at Costello Athletic Center before hitting the road again for games at Merrimack and Bentley on Feb. 12 and 16, respectively.