MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sloane Sorrell (Berwick, Maine) totaled 19 points and 11 rebounds as Southern New Hampshire University held off Chestnut Hill College 56-51 in non-conference women's basketball Sunday afternoon at the SNHU Fieldhouse.  The Penmen improved to 3-0, while the Griffins fall to 1-5 on the season.

Sorrell, who totaled 13 of her points in the first half, finished 7-12 from the floor as she recorded her second double-double of the season.  Victoria Wiseman (Montreal, Quebec) and Deborah LaValley (Rochester, N.H.) each finished with eight points for the Penmen, while Lorreta Rocha (Espargos, Cape Verde) added seven points and seven rebounds.

Olivia Gorczynski led the Griffins with 15 points, while Lindsay Alexander had 12 points.

Chestnut Hill, which trailed by as many as 17 early in the second half and 51-41 with 4:55 left following a Wiseman three, pulled within two when a pair of Alexander free throws with 1:26 left capped an 8-0 run and made it 51-49.  On the next Penmen possession, Rocha knocked down her first career three-pointer with 1:03 left to extend the lead to five.  The Griffins came up empty on their next possession, but following a turnover in the backcourt, Latoya Laing converted a layup with 40 seconds to go that made it 54-51.

Following a timeout, Wiseman was fouled with 15 seconds to go by Alexander, giving Alexander five fouls on the afternoon.  Wiseman converted both free throws to push the SNHU advantage to 56-51.  Chestnut Hill got two looks at three-pointers to cut it to a one-possession game but both were off the mark and LaValley corralled the final rebound.

Southern New Hampshire never trailed and opened up a 16-8 lead 9:28 into the contest following a layup by Sorrell.  The Penmen utilized a late 10-1 run to build a 16-point lead, 34-18, following a Michelle DeRoma (West Roxbury, Mass.) basket 37 seconds before intermission, and the hosts carried a 34-19 lead into the locker room.

A Brooke Springfield (Jaffrey, N.H.) basket on SNHU's first possession of the second half gave SNHU a 36-19 lead before the Griffins reeled off 10 unanswered points to pull within seven, 36-29, on an Aimee Bouie basket at the 16:54 mark.  Chestnut Hill kept chipping away and a Gorczynski basket with 10:48 left pulled the guests within five, 43-38.

SNHU shot 40% for the contest while limiting Chestnut Hill to 28% shooting in the first half and 35.8% for the game.  The Penmen, who went 8-12 at the free throw line while the Griffins were 9-15, committed a season-low 10 turnovers but the guests held a 36-34 rebounding advantage.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Wednesday night when it travels to Franklin Pierce University for a 5:30 Northeast-10 contest.