BOX SCORE
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Visiting Southern New Hampshire
University rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to force
overtime, but the Penmen were edged 76-75 by Saint Michael's
College in a Northeast-10 women's basketball game at the Ross
Sports Center Wednesday night. The Purple Knights improved to
4-3 overall and 2-3 in the NE-10, while the Penmen are now 2-3
overall and 1-3 in the league, with all three of their losses
coming by four or fewer points.
Logan Pintka led three Saint
Michael's players in double figures with 21 points while Anna
Florent totaled 12 points and Michelle Otey added 11.
Stephanie Houghton (Manchester, NH) led Southern
New Hampshire with 15 points, going 6-6 at the free throw
line. She also handed out six assists. Sophomore
Megan Smith (Smithfield, ME) totaled a career-high
14 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor, while Alyssa
Whitney (Somerville, MA) was 4-5 from the field and
registered 12 points. Ashara Carrington
(Marblehead, MA) added 10 points.
The Penmen spotted Saint Michael's
the first seven points in overtime and didn't get on the board
until Whitney sank a pair of free throws to make it 76-71 with 1:43
left. The hosts turned it over on the inbounds and Whitney
would make a layup to make it a 76-73 game. On Saint
Michael's next possession, a shot by Otey would be blocked by
Magdala Johnson (Sandown, NH) and Johnson would
grab the rebound.
On SNHU's next possession, an
initial shot by Johnson didn't fall, but Smith would grab the
rebound and be fouled on a putback with 42 seconds to go.
Smith converted both free throws to cut the lead to one.
Saint Michael's would run the shot clock down and missed its
attempt, with the Penmen getting possession. SNHU would call
timeout to set up its final play, but a shot as time expired by
Houghton was off the mark.
Saint Michael's scored 14 of the
first 17 points of the second half to build a 50-35 lead with 14:37
left on a basket by Alexis Keller. SNHU trailed 58-45
with 10:47 left in the contest following a basket by Florent.
The Penmen then went on a 13-4 run capped by a basket by Houghton
with 4:48 left to cut the lead to three, 62-59. The guests
would cut the lead to two, 67-65, with 1:54 to go on a jumper by
Jenny McDade (Derry, NH), but Otey would score on
Saint Michael's next possession to make it a 69-65 game with 1:21
to go.
Carrington would score with 50
seconds left to cut the lead to two, 69-67. Houghton would
come up with a steal on the next Purple Knight trip and get
fouled. She made two free throws to tie the game with 28
seconds to go. Saint Michael's would get one final chance but
an attempt by Keller was off the mark.
The Penmen held a 15-10 lead just
over six minutes into the first half when the Purple Knights went
on a 15-4 run to take a 25-19 lead with 8:09 before halftime when
Pintka made 1-of-2 at the line. Southern New Hampshire
responded with a 7-1 spurt and tied the game at 26-26 at the 5:11
mark following a layup by Houghton. Saint Michael's would
lead 36-32 at halftime.
Saint Michael's shot 56% (14-25) in
the second half from the floor and 50.8% for the contest while the
Penmen shot 44% for the contest, but were just 1-8 in
overtime. SNHU, which was 19-27 from the free throw line as
opposed to the Purple Knights' 13-20 effort at the stripe,
outrebounded its hosts 36-34.
Southern New Hampshire returns to
action on Saturday when it travels to face No. 6 Franklin Pierce
University. That game, which will take place at Spaulding
Gymnasium on the campus of Keene State College, is set for a 1:30
start.
