Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: December 10, 2016 – Manchester, N.H. (SNHU Fieldhouse)
Score: Saint Michael's College 77, Southern New Hampshire University 72
Records: Saint Michael's 4-5 (4-3 NE-10), SNHU 4-6 (2-4 NE10)
Sophomore Kylie Lorenzen (Holliston, Mass.) and junior Olivia Conrad (Hanover, Mass.) combined for 43 points, but the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team came up short against Saint Michael's College, 77-72, Saturday afternoon at the SNHU Fieldhouse.
Lorenzen dropped in a season-high 22 points (7-20 FG, 8-8 FT), ripped down 11 rebounds and handed out four assists, while Conrad recorded a career-best 21 points (9-13 FG, 3-3 FT) and collected nine boards. Sophomore Brianna Camara (Fall River, Mass.) was also in double figures with 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-5 3-FG), five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Emily Ferreri netted a game-high 23 points for the Purple Knights.
The game was tied at five early on when Saint Michael's scored six straight as part of a 10-2 run to stake claim to a 15-7 lead with 5:22 remaining in the opening quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman Molly Terry (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Camara trimmed the Southern New Hampshire deficit to just a pair, but an 8-0 rush from Saint Michael's – with five points coming from Indira Evora – extended its lead to a game-high nine points at 22-13 with 1:26 on the clock. Treys from senior Sara Ryan (Quincy, Mass.) and Terry capped the first-quarter scoring to cut the SNHU deficit to 22-19.
The Penmen began the second stanza with a layup from Lorenzen and a 3-pointer from junior Catherine Stinson (Lynn, Mass.) to seize a 24-22 lead under a minute in, but a Tomi Akinpetide bucket at the 7:51 mark handed the Purple Knights a 28-26 advantage and SNHU would not lead again the rest of the quarter. Southern New Hampshire did forge nine ties over the final 7:34, including one at 40-all with 16 seconds left on a layup from Conrad, but Samantha Delaney's basket just before the buzzer sent Saint Michael's into the locker room with a 42-40 lead.
The two teams battled it out for 10 minutes in the third quarter, enduring four ties and four lead changes, with the end result being Saint Michael's nudging its lead to three at 56-53. A Ferreri jumper that she converted into a three-point play with 51 seconds left in the third erased the final Penmen lead of the afternoon.
The Purple Knights would run their lead to six at 61-55 just over two minutes into the final frame, but six straight points from Conrad later in the quarter tied the game for the 16th time at 63-63 with 4:46 remaining. It would be the final deadlock of the tilt as four straight points from Leah Spencer powered a 6-0 spurt that gave Saint Michael's the lead for good at 69-63 with 3:18 to go.
After the visitors opened the lead to seven, four straight free throws from Lorenzen would help the Penmen climb within three at 75-72 with 12.7 on the clock, but a pair of Ferreri freebies and a miss on the other end sealed it.
Terry finished with six points (2-6 FG, 2-5 3-FG) and three assists, while Ryan added four points (1-7 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 1-2 FT), five assists and three rebounds.
Notes:
-Saint Michael's outshot Southern New Hampshire, 48.5 percent (32-66) to 38.6 percent (27-70), including 50 percent (8-16) to 33.3 percent (6-18) in the fourth quarter.
-SNHU held a narrow 30 percent (6-20) to 28.6 percent (2-7) edge from long range and also shot it better from the stripe, 92.3 percent (12-13) to 68.8 percent (11-16).
-The Penmen won the glass, 46-35, including 15-7 on the offensive end for a 19-10 advantage in second chance points. The Purple Knights owned the paint (52-38) and featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (13/7-19/14), which they turned into a 22-5 boon in points off mistakes.
Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Wednesday, Dec. 14 (4 p.m.) when they take on Felician College in non-conference action. The next home game for SNHU is Friday, Dec. 30 (1:30 p.m.) when they play host to Concordia (N.Y.) College in more non-league play at the Fieldhouse.
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