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The Game
Stonehill College brings its season-long five game road trip to a close this afternoon with a matchup with longtime fellow Northeast-10 Conference member Bryant University inside the Chace Athletic Center this afternoon for a non-conference match and first encounter between the two as Division I members. The Skyhawks are looking to shake off a tough 74-62 setback at Holy Cross on Thursday in which they led for the first 31 minutes of the contest before falling, while the Bulldogs are looking to build off Wednesday's 67-56 win at Sacred Heart.

Media Information
This afternoon's game will be broadcast live via ESPN+ with Tom Zinarella (play-by-play) and Jake Levin (analyst) calling the action via the World Wide Leader's digital streaming platform. ESPN+ broadcasts are accessible via subscription through the ESPN App on computers, smart phones, tablets and most major streaming devices, as well as through ESPN.com.

Last Time Out
Holy Cross made over 76-percent of its shots in the fourth quarter to pull out a 74-62 victory over Stonehill at Hart Center Arena on Thursday. Junior Bronagh Power-Cassidy scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half, including nine in the decisive fourth quarter alone, on 8-of-13 shooting to lead five from Holy Cross in double-figures. Postgrad Maddie Loder (Independence, Minn.) led three from Stonehill in double-figures with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, including ten in the first half, with four assists, three rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Fifth-year Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) added 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot, while classmate Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) chipped in 10 points and six boards.

Against the Bulldogs
This afternoon marks the 64th meeting all-time between these two former Northeast-10 Conference members - the first since Stonehill closed out Bryant's NCAA Division II era with back-to-back wins in the 2008 NE10 Championship (90-79), followed by a win (67-58) in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA II East Regional in Philadelphia, Pa., five days later. Stonehill holds a 42-21 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to a 55-50 Bryant win in 1981-82, including a 14-13 edge here inside the Chace Athletic Center. Head Coach Trisha Brown is 11-5 in her career against the Bulldogs, while Bryant mentor Mary Burke is 6-32 against Stonehill.

Last Time They Met
No. 8 Stonehill overcame a nine point halftime deficit and notched a thrilling 67-58 win over Bryant in opening round action of the NCAA Northeast Regional on the campus of Holy Family University in Philadelphia five days after the Skyhawks handed the Bulldogs a 90-79 setback in the NE10 Championship at Merkert Gym. It marked Bryant's final two games at the Division II level. Kelsey Simonds led a balanced Skyhawks effort in the NCAA Tournament matchup with 16 points, on 7-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, two blocked shots  and two steals in 25 minutes. Bethany Tighe added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Kelsey O'Keefe led Bryant with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Weren't We Just Here, Though?
While Stonehill and Bryant haven't meet since the 2008 postseason, Stonehill has had more recent action here inside the Chace Athletic Center. The Skyhawks hosted rival Bentley University here for the 2018 Northeast-10 Championship due to a power outage on the Stonehill campus. It wasn't an overly fond memory as the Falcons edged Stonehill 73-72 in overtime to capture its 20th NE10 title. The Skyhawks would still earn the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Regional the following weekend, claiming the regional title at Merkert Gym on its way to a third NCAA Elite Eight trip.

Splitting the East
Stonehill is 1-1 against America East members on its non-conference slate so far in its inaugural Division I season. The Skyhawks dropped a 70-48 decision at Vermont on day one of the TD Bank Classic on November 26, before rebounding for a big 57-50 win at New Hampshire last Saturday for its first road win at the NCAA Division I level.The Skyhawks also dealt forner America East member (and current Division I independant) Hartford at 62-35 win for its first Division I win on November 21.

Turn Back the Clock
While certainly not as much of a time travel as some others we've experience with the rekindling of some older all-time series, here are some fun facts looking back on the last time Stonehll and Bryant squared off in the 2008 NCAA East Regional in Philadelphia, as well as the year 2008 in general:
•March 14, 2008 was a Friday (traditional opening day for NCAA II Regionals)
• It was Stonehill head coach Trisha Brown's 145th career win (145-64 after the game).
• #1 Song in the US was "Love In This Club" by Usher Featuring Young Jeezy
• Kate Winslet wins Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "The Reader."
• Michael Phelps wins three gold medals, all in world record time, in the one day at the Beijing Olympics in August.
• Barack Obama becomes the first African-American to be elected President of the United States in November.
• Actors Heath Ledger, Charlton Heston and Paul Newman both passed away.
• I was 34 years old.

Bramanti

Kelly

Prime Performers
Fifth-year guard Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) and senior Mia Kelly (South Hadley, Mass.) were both named Northeast Conference Prime Performers by the league office on Monday. The duo were recognized for their efforts in Stonehill's first NCAA Division I road win at New Hampshire on Saturday in its lone game of the week. Bramanti scored a season-high 16 points, including seven in the fourth quarter alone, connecting on 5-of-9 three-pointers, to go with three rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Kelly scored 12 of her season-best 15 points in the first half as the Skyhawks staked out a 34-29 halftime lead in the 57-50 win, adding six rebounds and an assist and steal. The duo are the third and fourth NEC Prime Performers for Stonehill this season, joining fifth-year Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) on November 28 and postgrad Maddie Loder (Independence, Minn.) after the opening week of the season on November 14. Glidden averaged 13.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting 52.9-percent from the field and converting all five free-throw tries over three games last week, which included the first NCAA Division I win in program history, while also earning All-Tournament Team honors at the TD Bank Classic. Loder averaged 13.5 points, converting 77.8-percent of her free-throws (7-for-9), over Stonehill's first two games, adding 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a steal in 30.5 minutes per game.
NEC Prime Performers:
Nov. 14: Maddie Loder
Nov. 28: Sophie Glidden
Dec. 5: Emily Bramanti & Mia Kelly

First Road Win
Stonehill made program history last Saturday, picking up the first road win in its NCAA Division I era with a 57-50 triumph at New Hampshire. The Skyhawks held UNH to 31.6-percent shooting, including 25% (7-for-28) in the second half, missing all nine three-point tries over the final 20-minutes.

Offense Improving
Stonehill is shooting 39.6-percent from the field over the last give games, averaging 57.6 points per game in that span. The Skyhawks have connected on 34.8% (32-for-92) of their three-pointers during this stretch (2-3 record) with fifth-years Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) and Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford, Mass.) averaging 11.8 and 11.0 points per game. Bramanti is shooting 42.3% (11-for-26) from beyond the arc over the last five.

Glass Plus
Stonehill leads the NEC in rebound margin (+0.4) - as the only Conference member in the positive, leading the Conference with 37.2 rebounds per game, including a Conference-best 27.8 defensive rebounds per game. The Skyhawks have outrebounded three of their nine opponents this season and rank ninth with 9.4 offensive boards per game.

In Transition
Stonehill announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference and commence a four-year transition to full NCAA Division I membership on April 5. The Skyhawks started their four-year transition on July 1 and will earn full NCAA Division I membership in 2026-27. At the June NEC meetings, the Conference presidents announced a shift in the waiting period for automatic qualifier sports from competing for NEC postseason championships from four to two years, making Stonehill eligible to compete in the NEC postseason starting in 2024-25.

Proud History
Stonehill won the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup six times, finishing in the top three in the final standings 15 of the last 17 years. Stonehill was one of just ten institutions nationwide to receive the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement, recognizing athletic departments with an Academic Success rating of 90-percent or better, each of the first ten years of the program's existence. The College ranks No. 98 in the category of National Liberal Arts Schools by U.S. News & World Report and No. 94 for the Best Value category.

Hoop History
Stonehill women's basketball earned 26 NCAA Division II Tournament bids over its history, the last was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Stonehill was a charter member of the Northeast-10 Conference, and are the lone program to have competed in all 40 NE10 Tournaments prior to transitioning to Division I this summer, with its final appearance culminating with a 13th finals appearance in March. Stonehill has won the NE10 Tournament six times, with an additional ten regular season championships. Stonehill reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight three times, the latest in 2018, and advanced to the Division II National Semifinals in 1995.

Preseason Prognostications
Stonehill was picked to finish ninth in its first Northeast Conference season by the league's head coaches. Wagner received six first place votes to top the preseason rankings, followed by Fairleigh Dickenson with two first place votes. St. Francis Brooklyn is picked third, while Saint Francis (Pa.) is fourth with the remaining first place vote.  

Tough Slate
Stonehill has assembled a hardy non-conference slate in its inaugural Division I season, featuring opponents from the Patriot League (2 - Lehigh, Holy Cross), Big East  (1 - Providence), America East (3 - Vermont, New Hampshire, Bryant), MAC (1 - Buffalo), MAAC (1 - Fairfield) and CAA (1 - Northeastern) to prepare for its inaugural Northeast Conference schedule that will start just after the New Year. 

Be the IMPACT
Stonehill fifth-year forward Sophie Glidden (Scarborough, Maine) was named a finalist for the national "Teammate of the Year" award by Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization that signs children facing serious illness and disabilities onto college athletic teams across the country through a unique multiyear program. Glidden was nominated by six-year-old Ariel, a child from nearby Holbrook who has a genetic disorder called Rett Syndrome. Glidden was one of five finalists from across the country for the Teammate of the Year award.

Getting Social
Fans and media members of Stonehill athletics have multiple social media outlets to get updates on all 21 varsity programs. The department's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stonehillskyhawks, and you can also follow @GoStonehill on Twitter and @stonehillskyhawks via Instagram!  Stonehill women's basketball is also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StonehillCollegeWomensBasketball, Twitter and Instagram by following @stonehillwbb. You can even follow head coach Trisha Brown on Twitter via @CoachTB_SC.

Up Next
Stonehill is right back in action on Wednesday, when it returns to Merkert Gymnasium for the first time in nearly a month to open a season-long three game homestand that will wind through the holidays against UAlbany at 6 p.m.