BOX SCORE
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Dave Boykin totaled
14 points and scored twice in the final 1:03 to lift the University
of Bridgeport to a 78-77 men's basketball victory over Southern New
Hampshire University in the second round of the UB Holiday Classic
Tuesday night at Hubbell Gymnasium. The Purple Knights
improved to 5-3 overall, while the Penmen saw a five-game win
streak snapped as they now stand 7-4 on the season.
Teairez Stennis led Bridgeport with
17 points on 6-7 shooting, while Boykin was 6-16 from the
floor. Steve Martin was 4-6 behind the arc for UB and
registered 16 points and eight assists.
Tory Stapleton
(Rahway, NJ) led SNHU with a career-high 23 points while also
grabbing nine rebounds. Stephen Wood (South
Jamaica Queens, NY) canned a trio of three-pointers and totaled 15
points and six rebounds, while Gerald Carter
(Harlem, NY) scored 10 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out
four assists. Freshmen Marcus Matthews
(Valley Stream, NY) and Lucas Croteau (Rochester,
NH) each finished with 11 points. For Croteau, who connected
on three of his six three-point attempts, it marked a season high.
In a second half that saw 11 lead
changes and five ties, Bridgeport eked out a six point advantage,
74-68, with 3:58 to play on a Boykin basket. Stapleton would
score the game's next six points and his putback with 2:19 to play
tied the game at 74. Martin would be fouled on the next
Bridgeport possession, but missed two at the line. The Penmen
could not capitalize on their next possession, and Boykin converted
a layup with 1:03 left to reclaim a two point lead.
Wood's three-point attempt on
SNHU's next possession with 53 seconds left was off the mark, and
after milking the clock, Bridgeport would make it a 78-74 game with
16 seconds left on another Boykin basket. The Penmen turned
it over on their next possession and were forced to foul Stennis,
but he would miss a pair at the line. Troy
Bowen (Nashua, NH) would hit a three with just over a
second left to make it 78-77 and SNHU would send UB's Lee Frazier
to the line on the inbound. He missed both free throws but
Southern New Hampshire could not get off a final shot.
SNHU used a 12-4 run midway through
the first half to take their largest lead, 23-16, with 10:43 left
following a Bowen basket. Bridgeport would respond with 10
unanswered points and took a 26-23 lead at the 8:28 mark following
a conventional three-point play by Demetrious Phillips. The
hosts would maintain the lead for much of the rest of the half, but
a layup by Matthews as time expired tied the game at 38 at
halftime.
Bridgeport shot 64% from the floor
in the second half and 54.5% for the game while also connecting on
eight of its 15 three-point attempts, however, the Purple Knights
were almost undone by a 10-20 effort at the free throw line.
UB held the Penmen to just 35.7% shooting for the game.
Southern New Hampshire held a 45-34 rebounding advantage, including
a 21-8 margin on the offensive boards that led to 22 second chance
points. The Penmen, who were 16-19 at the free throw line,
committed a season-low 11 turnovers.
Southern New Hampshire returns to
Northeast-10 Conference play Saturday when it travels to Le Moyne
for a 3:00 contest.
NOTES: Carter
grabbed 12 rebounds for the second straight game, matching a career
high...Southern New Hampshire head coach Stan Spirou coached his
700th game Tuesday night...the Penmen had five players
reach double figures in scoring for the third straight game.
