Box Score ALBANY –The College of Saint Rose outscored visiting
Northeast-10 Conference rival Stonehill 21-10 throughout the final eight minutes on the way to a 69-52 victory this afternoon at the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. The Golden Knights (9-4/6-3 NE-10) furthermore held the Skyhawks to 25.8 percent (8-for-31) shooting in the second half to run their home record to 7-0 on the year.
Senior forward
Ali Johnson registered her third “double-double” this winter with a season-high 16 points to go along with 13 rebounds and three blocks for the Golden Knights. Senior guard
Ashley Rath led all scorers with 20 points to move past Evija Azace ('99) into 13th place on the College's all-time scoring chart with 1,186 for her career, while fellow senior guard
Ola Shajuyigbe tossed in 17 points behind 3-for-5 shooting from the arc.
Sophomore forward Asia Ewing finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while sophomore guard Mary Louise Dixon wound up with 13 points and seven boards to pace the Skyhawks who had their two-game win streak snapped.
Shajuyigbe sparked the final push for Saint Rose by burying a 3-pointer and hitting three free throws that boosted the Golden Knights advantage to double-digits, 56-46, with 4:31 remaining. Stonehill (7-6/3-6 NE-10) never got closer than eight points the rest of the way as Saint Rose added the finishing touches by burying all eight of its free throws during the final two minutes.
Stonehill initially jumped out to a quick 14-3 lead by hitting six of its first seven field goals. The Skyhawks remained in control behind a nine point, 24-15, advantage after Ewing drained a trey with 7:31 to go. However, Shajuyigbe accounted for both ends of a 13-4 Saint Rose run with a 3-pointer and a jumper that eventually tied it 28-28, before Dixon drained a trey just before the buzzer that put Stonehill ahead by three, 31-28, at the break.
Rath and senior forward
Alison McGrath then opened the second period with back-to-back jumpers and six minutes later McGrath nailed a shot in the paint that put the Golden Knights ahead for good, 38-36.
Looking ahead, both squads return to action Wednesday evening with a pair of 5:30 pm league games on the docket. Saint Rose is set to host Southern New Hampshire, while Stonehill heads to Worcester, MA to visit #15 Assumption.
