BOX SCORE
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Alyssa Whitney (Somerville, MA) led
three players in double figures with 12 points as Southern New
Hampshire University outscored Saint Thomas Aquinas College 36-16
in the second half en route to a 53-35 non-conference women's
basketball victory at the SNHU Fieldhouse. The game marked
the season opener for both schools.
The 35 points allowed is the lowest
recorded total in program history. The previous low of 36
points was set in a 67-36 win over Castleton State on January 19,
1983 and matched in a 55-36 win over Merrimack on November 29,
1984.
Also reaching double figures for
the Penmen were Stephanie Houghton (Manchester,
NH) and Julia Houghtaling (Franconia, NH), who
each finished with 10 points. Houghtaling also grabbed nine
rebounds. Brooke Lefort (Cumberland, RI)
finished with nine points and a career-best 12 rebounds.
Freshman Christine Duffy (South Boston, MA) had
eight rebounds and five assists in her collegiate debut.
Sally O'Donnell led the Spartans
with eight points while grabbing six rebounds.
Southern New Hampshire, which
trailed 19-17 at halftime, built a 27-21 lead 5:30 into the second
half before STAC scored six unanswered points and a conventional
three-point play by Claire Wilson with 12:50 left tied the game at
27. The Penmen responded with 11 straight points and a basket
by Houghtaling gave them a 38-27 lead with 7:10 to play. SNHU
would put the game away with a 13-2 run capped by a pair of free
throws by Houghton with 2:54 left that put it up 51-31.
The Penmen held Saint Thomas
Aquinas to just two points in the game's first 10 minutes as it
built a 12-2 lead. The Spartans would then go on an 11-1 run
and a basket by Juanita Chappel with 3:52 before halftime tied the
game at 13. The Penmen held a 17-15 lead with 1:34 left on a
basket by Whitney, but STAC would take a 19-17 lead into the locker
room when Kaitlin Page hit a running three-pointer from the top of
the key as time expired in the first half.
SNHU held a commanding 64-45
rebounding advantage as neither team shot the ball well. SNHU
was 15-58 from the floor while the Spartans were 14-64, including
7-37 (18.9%) in the second half. The Penmen made 25 more
trips to the free throw line (38-13) and were 22-38 at the charity
stripe while the Spartans were 5-13.
Southern New Hampshire returns to
action next Saturday when it hosts Bentley University in a 1:30
contest at the SNHU Fieldhouse.
