GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Women’s basketball hosts CCSU in a Play 4 Kay game on Saturday

Game
Stonehill opens a three-game homestand to close out the NCAA Division I season opener as it hosts Central Connecticut State University. Northeast Conference match for their Play 4 Kay game on Paula Sullivan Court in Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon. The Skyhawks will look to finish strong at home and bounce back from Thursday’s 78-72 loss at LIU, while the Blue Devils have lost their last two losses to Wagner on Thursday, 62-52.

Play 4 Kay
This afternoon marks the annual celebration of the Stonehill women’s basketball program Play 4 Kay games. The Skyhawks are joining women’s basketball programs at all levels nationwide in support of the WBCA’s Play 4 Kay week from 10-20. February. The Skyhawks will have Pink uniforms for the rest of February. Play4Kay is the Kay Yow Cancer Fund’s largest fundraising initiative and the vision of its founder, Olympic gold medalist and Naismith Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow. For Coach Yow, it was simple to unite people through sports in the fight against cancer. Join the fight, pick a game on your schedule for Play4Kay, raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and help realize Coach Yow’s vision of a future without cancer. Through Play4Kay, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has a nationwide impact, giving hope to survivors, raising funds in the fight against all cancers that afflict women, and serving the underserved. Thanks to Play4Kay and your participation, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has been able to grant $7.88 million for this fight. Fans wearing pink will get free admission to today’s game, and there will be donation boxes in the ticket area to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Media information
This afternoon’s game will be broadcast live via SkyhawksVision at the NEC Front Row. Charlie Bergeron (game by game) and Brian Buckley (analyst) is the 24th consecutive call to action. The broadcast can be watched via stonehillskyhawks.com via its NEC Front Row portal (necfrontrow.com/schools/SC) or via the NEC On the Run app on Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku through. Local radio coverage is provided by WSHL 91.3 FM Anthony Bellomo in a call.

Last time
Long Island University shot over 53 percent from the field and capitalized on turnovers to secure a 78-72 victory over Stonehill. Northeast Conference activities at the Steinberg Wellness Center. Junior Ashley Austin led LIU to its second straight win with 25 points, including 17 in the first half, on 10-of-18 shooting with four assists. Sophomore Emaia O’Brien added 17 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting. She knocked down both 3-pointers and all five of her free throw attempts off the bench, while senior Cristina Bermejo had 16 points, three rebounds, four assists and six steals. steal. Fifth year Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) scored 20 of his career-high 26 points in the second half and finished 11-16 from the floor with nine rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots. He was 8-10 from the floor in the second half, leading a Stonehill team that shot 50 percent (15-30) after halftime. After graduation Maddie Loder (Independence, Minn.) added 15 points on 3-of-6 3-pointers and a season-high six steals, while the freshman Melissa Whitmore (Hanover, NH) scored a season-best 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, marking his third consecutive double-digit scoring game to include two assists. LIU shot 53.6 percent from the field and took advantage of a 22-10 scoring margin in points off turnovers.

against the Blue Devils
This afternoon marks the fifth meeting between Stonehill and Central Connecticut State all-time. Stonehill has won each of the first four meetings between the two programs in a streak dating back to 1981-82, including a 73-66 victory. Northeast Conference debut at New Britain, Conn., Jan. 2. The Skyhawks are 2-0 all-time here at Merkert Gym against the all-time Blue Devils, who are visiting Easton for the first time since Stonehill won here 106-74. in the 1983-84 season. Stonehill head coach Trisha Brown is now 1-0 in her career against CCSU, while Kerri Reaves is 0-1 against the Skyhawks.

The last time they met
Stonehill jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half after shooting 56 percent in a 73-66 win over Central Connecticut State in its NEC debut in New Britain, Conn., on Jan. 2. – years Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) and Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) totaled 39 points to lead four Stonehills in double figures. At the time, Glidden scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting with five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot, while Bramanti scored all 19 points in the first half and added a season-high six assists. two rebounds and a block. Dejah Jenkins led three CCSU double figures with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Lara Rohkohl added 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Stonehill Ties
Central Connecticut State Director of Athletics Tom Pincince is a 1997 graduate of Stonehill, where he was a four-year letterwinner in the football program. The former Stonehill quarterback still ranks on multiple single-season and career passing lists during his time at Easton. Pincince was named AD at CCSU last January in a three-year interim role. He is currently in his 21st year at university.

Movie star
After graduation Maddie Loder (Independence, Minn.) was named a Northeast Conference Headlining for the third time this season on Monday. Loder averaged 16.0 points on 50 percent shooting (13-26), 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a 1-1 week for Stonehill. He posted consecutive 16 points, adding three assists and two rebounds in Saturday’s 69-61 win over St. Francis Brooklyn, where he made 7-for-14 shots from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. Loder also scored 16 points against Merrimack on Thursday on 6-of-12 shooting (3-8 3-pointers) with two boards. Fifth year Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) has collected all nine of his team-leading Prime Performer selections as well as a pair of NEC Player of the Week awards over the past 11 weeks. Loder and Bramanti are among four Skyhawks named NEC All-Stars in Stonehill’s first season in the conference, along with a fifth straight season. Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) and senior Mia Kelly (South Hadley, Massachusetts) with two choices.

NEC headliners:
November 14: Maddie Loder
November 28: Sophie Glidden
December 5: Emily Bramanti and Mia Kelly
December 12: Emily Bramanti
December 19: Emily Bramanti
December 26: Emily Bramanti and Mia Kelly
January 3: Emily Bramanti and Sophie Glidden
January 9: Emily Bramanti
January 18: Maddie Loder
January 23: Emily Bramanti
January 30: Emily Bramanti
February 6: Emily Bramanti
February 13: Maddie Loder

Ten things
First year assistant coach at Stonehill Jay Fletcher has been featured on the College website this week in a “10 Things to Know…” article where she talks about juggling her new role on campus and shares her many talents. The feature can be accessed here.

Moving on
Stonehill announced that it had accepted the invitation to join Northeast Conference and will begin a four-year transition to full NCAA Division I membership on April 5. The Skyhawks began their four-year transition on July 1 and will earn full NCAA Division I membership in 2026-27. At the NEC meetings in June, conference presidents announced a change in the waiting period for automatic qualifier sports from four years to two years for post-NEC championships, making Stonehill eligible to compete in the 2024-25 post-NEC season.