Santoro scored 11 of her team-high 18 points in the third quarter (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner)

Santoro returns to lead four Skyhawks in double-figures

EASTON, Mass. (November 30, 2021) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 7 in this week's D2SIDA East Region poll, connected on 9-of-18 three-pointers and placed four in double figures to secure its first win of the season with a hard-fought road decision at Daemen College, ranked No. 5 in the region, in a non-conference women's basketball matchup at Lumsden Gymnasium this evening. 

Leaders

Stonehill
Isabella Santoro Senior Guard: 18 points (6-for-10 FGs, 4-for-7 three-pointers), three rebounds in season-debut.
Sharn Hayward Freshman, Guard: Season-high 16 points (5-for-9, 4-for-7)
Emily Bramanti Senior, Guard: 13 points, five rebounds, two assists.
Sophie Glidden Senior, Guard: Season-high 12 points (5-for-8), seven rebounds.
Megan Hill Senior, Forward: 9 rebounds, four assists, five blocked shots. 

Daemen
Katie Titus Senior, Forward: Double-double with game-highs of 19 points (7-for-19) and 12 rebounds, two steals, two blocked shots.
Mickayla Ivy Senior, Forward: 12 points (6-for-11), five rebounds, three assists.
Tiara Filbert Senior, Guard: Ten points, five rebounds, six assists. 

How it Happened

• Hayward poured in a season-best 16 points, connecting on 4-of-7 three-pointers (PHOTO BY Saylor Murphy)

  Stonehill connected on 9-of-18 three-pointers (50-percent), including 6-of-10 in the second half as the Skyhawks were able to gain some breathing room after holding a four-point halftime lead (31-27).
• Stonehill gained an early five-point lead (14-9) after a Bramanti floater with three minutes to play in the opening quarter, before Daemen closed the frame with an 8-3 stretch, capped by four points from Filbert, to knot the score at 17-17 heading to the second.
• Stonehill quickly regained its five-point cushion (24-19) after a driving layup from Glidden. Daemen knotted the score again (24-24) with a Titus three-point play and layup from junior Sarah Cloutier, but a Hayward three-pointer and Bramanti layup off a turnover restored the five-point margin (29-24) yet again.
• Stonehill carried a four-point lead (31-27) into halftime, but Daemen started fast in the second half, using a 10-2 run to grab a four-point lead (37-33) after back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore Kaytlyn Matz and Titus.
• Stonehill reversed the lead by scoring the final eight points of the third quarter, including the first six from Santoro on back-to-back triples (11 points in the quarter), to reclaim its four-point lead (48-44) heading to the final frame.
• Ivy opened the fourth quarter scoring with a layup a minute in, but Stonehill grabbed a ten-point lead (56-46) after a Bramanti three-pointer with 7:12 to play. That was the start of a 15-2 Skyhawks run overall that saw the lead grow to a game-high 13 (61-48) after a Glidden put back with 4:35 left.
• Daemen trimmed the lead to six (61-55) after two Titus free-throws with 2:15 on the clock and while Stonehill made its next four free-throws to seal the win, the Wildcats used some full court pressure to close within five (65-60) after a three from freshman Sydney Hvizdzak off a steal with 33-seconds to play and then a Matz three had the hosts within four (67-63) with ten ticks left.
• Glidden split two free-throws at the other end that was enough to close the road win out, despite a final Titus three at the horn that closed the final margin to two.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill picks up its first win of the season and its first since ending the 2019-20 season with 12-straight wins after taking the 2020 NE10 Championship with an 80-61 win over Saint Anselm College 632 days ago and having its 2020-21 season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Stonehill and Daemen were scheduled to square off in the opening round of the 2020 NCAA Division II Tournament's East Regional before the pandemic shutdown. The Skyhawks opened the 2019-20 season with a 77-70 win over the Wildcats at Roberts Wesleyan College's Tip-Off Classic in the only other previous meeting between the two programs.
• Daemen won the 2021 NCAA East Regional against a limited regional field due to the pandemic.
• Santoro made her season debut and played her first game since December 22, 2019 (vs. #3 Grand Valley State University in Daytona Beach, Florida) - 709 days ago. She scored 13 of her 18 points in the second half to lead the Skyhawks to its first win of the year tonight in her return.
• Hayward is Stonehill's first Australian in the program's history and enjoyed a breakout performance with her season-high 16 after netting five points over her first two games as a Skyhawk.
• Bramanti has scored in double figures all three games this season, and 16^th time in her career overall.
• Glidden scored in double figures for the first time this season, finishing a point shy of her career-high, and the second time in her career – both against Daemen (13, 11/8/19).
• Hill led the Skyhawks in rebounding, finishing one shy of her career-best, but notched career-highs with her five blocks and four assists.

Up Next

Stonehill (1-2, 0-2 NE10) is back on the road on Sunday when it returns to Northeast-10 Conference play at Saint Anselm in their first meeting since the 2020 NE10 Championship in Manchester, New Hampshire, at 1:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Tuesday, December 7, to host Assumption University for an NE10 matchup at Merkert Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. That night will also kick off the athletic department's Holiday Toy Drive to benefit My Brother's Keeper, with any fan bringing an unwrapped, packaged toy earning free admission to the game. Daemen (2-3, 0-0 ECC) is off until next Wednesday, December 8, to host Roberts Wesleyan College for its East Coast Conference opener at 5:30 p.m.

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