After three straight losses, the UNH women’s basketball team was looking to get back on track finally got back on track after overcoming a second half deficit to defeat Sony Brook, 76-71, and were led by an unlikely source.
Senior Chrissy Hall, getting her first start of the season, scored a career high 18 points en route to the Wildcat victory.
Hall, filling in for the injured Denise Beliveau, was 6-7 from the field, including 4-5 from behind the three-point line, to go along with seven rebounds. Coach Kristin Cole was very impressed with Hall’s performance.
“She has been playing really well in practice,” Cole said of Hall, who was UNH’s America East Player of the Game. “She was huge for us tonight.”
With the win, UNH improved to 8-15 overall, with a 3-7 record in America East play. Stony Brook falls to 6-16 overall and 4-6 in America East.
After UNH held a two point halftime lead, Stony Brook started the second half on a 12-3 run to take the lead with 15 minutes left in the game, 50-43. But the Wildcats did not allow the deficit to grow any further, instead clawing their way back into the game until they had tied it at 55 with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
“We really showed our composure and maturity at a crucial point in the season.... I thought that was really good on our part to stand our ground and withstand their run,” senior forward Candace Williams said, who notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
After the teams traded baskets, Hall gave UNH a 60-57 lead with her fourth 3-pointer of the game at the 8:34 mark. The Wildcats would hold on to that lead for the rest of the game, extending it to nine on an Amy Simpson jumper with three and a half minutes left.
After that, the Wildcats milked the clock down on each possession, putting the game away at the free throw line. UNH was 7-8 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes of the game.
One negative stat for New Hampshire was the 20 turnovers they coughed up over the course of the game, compared to just six turnovers for Stony Brook. UNH also gave up 19 offensive rebounds to the Seawolves, allowing Stony Brook to remain close.
“On offense we were rushing a little bit, and we were also giving up a lot of offensive rebounds toward the end,” commented Simpson, who had 15 points and 7 assists.
In the first half, Stony Brook jumped out to an early lead by using a full court press to harass the Wildcat offense and force turnovers. The Seawolves’ pressure defense was led by guard Misha Horsey, who filled the stat line with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists on the night.
But UNH was much more efficient shooting the ball, as the Wildcats shot 60 percent from the field in the first half, compared to just 40 percent for the Seawolves. After being down 24-20 with nine minutes left in the first half, UNH used that hot shooting to compile a 9-0 run that gave the Wildcats the lead.
Stony Brook fought back to regain a one point lead, but with two seconds left in the half, Simpson nailed a trey to give the Wildcats a 40-38 halftime lead. However, that would hardly be the last time UNH would have to fight for the lead in this game.
Despite the win, Cole knows that the team needs to improve in a few areas, echoing the statements of Simpson.
“We need to get better at taking care of the ball and rebounding,”Cole said. “I think we are trying to rebound, but we need to be more technical and make sure we are putting a body on people, because we cannot give up 19 offensive rebounds.”
One final concern for New Hampshire is the status of forward Denise Beliveau. The redshirt sophomore has sat out each of the last three games with an eye injury. The Wildcats are hoping that Beliveau will return at some point in mid-February, but her status is still indefinite.
UNH will travel to Connecticut to take on the University of Hartford on Saturday, February 6. Tip-off will be at 4 p.m. at the Chase Arena.
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