Skyhawks Bow Out In Regional Semis
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Erika Stupinski's 244 assists are the second most in a single season in Stonehill history. |
Philadelphia, Pa. - Franklin Pierce sophomore guard Johannah Leedham scored a game-high 30 points to lead the third seeded Ravens past second seeded Stonehill, 68-56, in a NCAA Division II Northeast Region Semifinal on Saturday night at the Campus Center.
The Skyhawks' season ends at 27-5, tied with the 1986-87 and 1993-94 teams for the second most wins in a single season in school history. The loss also snaps the Purple and White's 14 game winning streak, a stretch that started following a loss to these same Ravens on January 19.
After scoring the game's first four points, Stonehill saw Franklin Pierce run off ten straight points to take a lead they would never relinquish.
The Skyhawks struggled from the field in the first half, connecting on only 32 percent of its shots. The Ravens, meanwhile, led by Leedham's 18 first half points, shot 56 percent to take a 40-32 halftime lead. The 40 points the Skyhawks allowed in the first half were the most they have yielded in the opening 20 minutes of a game this season.
Franklin Pierce cooled off in the second half but, unfortunately, so did the Skyhawks, making only 8-of-30 second half attempts.
Stonehill got the lead down to six at 53-46 with 6:23 remaining on a Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass.) three-point play, but the Ravens answered with a Josie Lidke triple, a Leedham jumper and a Lidke layup to put any hopes of a comeback to rest.
The Skyhawks, who entered the NCAA Tournament as the Northeast-10's second best three-point shooting team, went 4-for-30 from behind the arc against the Ravens and was a combined 9-for-57 in the two tournament games.
Simonds paced the Skyhawks with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine) who played 79 of a possible 80 minutes in the two tournament contests, had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Junior Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass.) chipped in with six points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
While Stonehill loses Stupinski and other key players, in seniors Meghan Driscoll (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Daryl Cioffi (New Milford, N.J.), they do return their top three scorers in Simonds, sophomore Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y.), and Tighe.
